Dear readers — when EMR announced they would be reducing train services between Sheffield and London, South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard told the BBC he was “sick to death”. Next week, there should hopefully be a slight improvement in the service, but we’re clearly not entirely out of the woods just yet. So what has actually gone wrong with the swanky new Aurora trains? That’s today’s story.
As well as that, the latest Reform councillor to leave the party says he “wouldn’t advocate anybody voting” for them and a fascinating talk on the economics of water.
In case you missed it
For our weekend read, regular nature contributor David Bocking was given a special invitation to visit a part of Sheffield where humans have been banned for almost 100 years, bringing local bird expert Pete Brown along as his plus-one. Within the Ecclesall Woods bird sanctuary, our feathered friends get to live out a post-apocalyptic fantasy of life without us — and they’re thriving. “This is so uplifting and the pure joy on Pete Brown's face is a treat to see,” wrote subscriber Annie O’Gara.
Earlier in the week, we fulfilled another one of our five campaign pledges by bringing you our first local democracy round-up — entirely free for everyone to read. “It’s good to get proper journalism reporting instead of spin (left / right etc) on what is happening so we can all be better informed,” wrote subscriber Carol Varns. And, on Thursday, Dan wrote about the latest in the ongoing saga around Sheffield Wednesday — though the club has just been regulated, fans seem to be in a surprisingly jubilant mood.
The big story: London stalling
If you visited Sheffield train station earlier this year, you may have seen the fancy display about the new Aurora trains, which were being introduced on the line between Sheffield and London. Promising comfy seats and actually usable WiFi, East Midlands Railway (EMR) said that the “state-of-the-art Hitachi Rail built fleet will transform the experience of customers as they travel on the Midland Main Line”.
Bad auras: They were right, but maybe not in the way they’d hoped. Since then, there have been so many issues and cancellations that, earlier this summer, the beleaguered train company was forced to bring in a reduced timetable. At the moment, only 87% of the normal planned services are running.
Last month, South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard said he was “sick to death” of the situation, especially given the operator had offered “very little detail” about the extent of the reduction before announcing the move, including how long it would last. "There is never a good reason to treat passengers with so much contempt as to communicate that information so late and so poorly,” he told the BBC. “We're now facing a summer of chaos on the railways."
From reliability to liability: According to data from the Rail Delivery Group, in March 2024 an EMR train would travel an average of 39,586 miles before having a “701D” incident – namely one caused by a technical defect with one of its trains. In June 2026, trains were malfunctioning after travelling an average of just 3,132 miles. That’s a 92% drop — an absolute collapse in reliability.
The new trains: The new Aurora trains are 810 model trains, produced by the Japanese company Hitachi. They are bi-mode, which means they can run on electric wires for the sections of the line that are electrified (near London), and on diesel for the sections which aren’t, namely those near us. One of the main reasons for ordering bi-mode trains was an earlier government U-turn on promises to electrify the Midland Mainline.
The issues: So what’s going wrong? According to Rail Magazine, there’s a complex range of problems:
- Drivers being unable to hear the Automatic Warning System
- Various “safety-critical” systems don’t operate if the train needs to have a reset, including communication systems and fire detection systems
- The brakes sometimes coming on when not wanted
- Problems with toilets and air conditioning systems
Safety strike: In an unusual move, the RMT union went on strike earlier this month over the problems, noting “growing safety concerns the company (EMR) has failed to address”. This followed a train crash on the line near Bedford in June, where a train driver was killed and 162 passengers injured (one of these trains was an Aurora).
The Rail Accident Investigation Bureau (RAIB) is carrying out an investigation to determine the key causes of the incident, though a preliminary report did note that the Aurora train had “come to a stop unexpectedly because a fault had developed with the Automatic Warning System (AWS) equipment fitted to it, which caused the brakes to apply.” It is currently unclear how significant a factor this was.
Change the spec: These changes have come as a surprise to many, because EMR are not the first to roll out 810 trains, which have performed fine elsewhere. But according to a very deep dive from Modern Railways magazine, the issues emerged because there were many extra specifications for these trains, including different lengths, nose cones, brake systems and toilets. When they were introduced, the trains were already arriving many years later than Abellio, owner of the franchise, had predicted.
Blame game begins: EMR seems to be laying the blame for the issues squarely on Hitachi, the manufacturer. In a statement put out on the 5th August, they said: “When EMR selected Hitachi to build and maintain the new Aurora intercity trains and to maintain the outgoing fleet, we did so based on its global reputation for engineering excellence and the proven performance of its trains across the UK rail network and internationally. That reputation is why we remain confident that Hitachi, which has also been invited by Northern to bid for its new train fleet, will address all the performance issues that we have consistently pressed for.”
Hi-touchy: To be honest, that sounds more like a threat than an endorsement – hinting that Hitachi’s chances of winning the Northern deal might be scuppered if they don’t sort the issues out.
Wires crossed: The issues have made visiting Sheffield an unpleasant experience from many travelling up from the capital. Moya Lothian-McLean, one half of the If I Speak podcast and managing editor at Mill Media, told The Tribune: “Crossed Wires was great, but the odyssey to get there via East Midlands Railway was so arduous, it made me swear never to live in a part of the country that's primarily served by the operator.”
Light at the end of the tunnel? In good news, the timetable is going to be partially restored from next week, when EMR should be able to run 92% of its normal services. But that doesn’t mean we’ll be out of the woods just yet. Of the original 33 Aurora trains ordered, only thirteen have been accepted by EMR (ten are currently in use and available for service). If the problems really can’t be resolved, the nuclear option would be to refuse to accept the rest, and keep using the old trains, which would be a catastrophic procurement failure. To quote the eminent Modern Rail magazine, “Stick or twist, EMR is bust in the short term.”
Your Tribune briefing 🗞️
🤖 The war between autonomous robots and the politically-engaged residents of Meersbrook has reached a temporary truce, as the company behind the fleet recalls its troops and considers its next move. The Star reports that a representative from Starship Technologies, which partnered with UberEats to use the robots for food deliveries, denied that their disappearance had anything to do with people attacking them and said they may return to the city in future. “Vandalism was not a factor in our decision to pause the service,” they said. “This was a commercial decision and a natural conclusion to the pilot phase.” Meersbrook residents won the battle, but will they win the war?
🎓 Union members at the University of Sheffield have passed a vote of no confidence in vice chancellor Koen Lamberts, as part of the ongoing dispute over job losses that the union insists is not financially necessary. Yesterday, the Sunday Times revealed that the university paid out more than £10 million in “golden handshakes” for departing staff in the 2024/25 financial year, landing it in the top ten for spending on severance deals among more than 100 UK universities that year. We’ve been reporting in detail on the trials and tribulations at the university for years now, which seems to have begun with a “radical shake-up” in 2023.
🗳️ Reform has lost yet another councillor — Robert Hanson, who represents Firth Park — and the Star reports that he’s branded the party “sleazy” and “unprofessional” on his way out, adding that he “wouldn’t advocate anybody voting for Reform”. A party spokesperson said he was ousted because he had never paid to join Reform and ignored several requests for him to do so, while Cllr Hanson alleges the party was fully aware he was not a member when they allowed him to stand as a “paper candidate”. It will come as no surprise to those who read our piece about the alleged coup within Reform that he had some choice words for group leader Cllr John Hesketh, alleging the other man discriminated against him because he is blind. (The Star contacted Reform for comment on these allegations and did not hear a response.)
The weekly Whitworth ✍️
Cartoonist James Whitworth with his take on the continuing debate over Sheffield’s green belt.
Home of the week 🏡
Promising an “attractive” and “impressive” first impression from the front, this four-bedroom home in High Greave doesn’t disappoint out the back either. The garden features beautiful views of uninterrupted greenery, while the kitchen is open plan and modern, with three double bedrooms upstairs and one single room. It is on the market for £320,000.
Things to do 📆
Nature🌳 Tomorrow, Friends of the Botanical Gardens will be hosting an hour long, guided walk to “see how art is inspired by beautiful flowers”. The tour begins at the top of the entrance to the Dorothy Fox Education Centre and is free to attend, so there’s no need to book in advance (although £3 cash donations are welcome). This month’s theme is painting with flowers.
Baking 🎂 On Wednesday, you can unleash your creativity with an entirely free cupcake-decorating session at the Moor Market. All ages are welcome and all ingredients will be provided. The session is organised by Sheffield Council and runs as a drop-in between 10:30am and 2:30pm.
Talk 💬 Also on Wednesday, University of Leeds Professor Julia Martin-Ortega will be delivering a talk on ecological economics titled ‘What is water worth? Moving beyond the price tag’. The event is part of the ‘Rethinking Prosperity on a Finite Planet’ series and Martin-Ortega will be discussing how economics can inform our approaches to tackling the environmental crisis. The talk is free and there will be a drinks reception and Q&A, but there’s also the option to attend virtually if you can’t make it in person — just make sure you reserve a spot in advance.
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