The government is facing a fresh HS2 headache after the firm set to build the project’s trains delivered a fleet so unreliable it has led to major service cuts between London and the North.
East Midlands Railway (EMR) has been forced to implement an emergency reduced timetable starting on Monday due to repeated problems with its new 810 Aurora fleet built by Hitachi.
The Japanese manufacturer, which has a factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, won the £400m contract to produce 33 trains to replace the existing 222 Meridian fleet in 2019.
The trains entered service in December 2025 – three years later than originally planned – but they have been beset by technical issues ever since.
After weeks of cancellations – some of which were blamed on the hot weather – EMR has admitted it will have to slash up to half of its services between London and destinations including Leicester, Nottingham, Lincoln, Derby and Sheffield.
