The first trains of a new fleet connecting Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield with London are set to come into service after their introduction was initially delayed.

East Midlands Railway (EMR) received the first two trains from the Class 810 Aurora fleet in August, which allowed drivers and crew to begin training.

The fleet was originally expected in 2022 but faced teething problems during testing, with EMR then hoping to run the new trains from May 2025.

Some trains from the new Class 810 Aurora fleet are now set to be put into use on services in the coming weeks and will complete a phased rollout through 2026.

A "small number" of EMR services will run with fewer carriages during the transition and some services will not have seat reservations, EMR said.

A spokesperson added "key services" would be prioritised during the transition phase to minimise disruption.

Interior of a first class carriage of a new train featuring purple and grey seats
Image source,East Midlands Railway
Image caption,
East Midlands Railway says the new trains will improve facilities and comfort for passengers

The Intercity fleet of 33 five-carriage trains is being built by Hitachi Rail in County Durham.

They were ordered to replace diesel trains introduced in 2004 and will run off electric power from overhead lines between London St Pancras and a junction to the south of Leicester.

Diesel engines will power the trains elsewhere on the network.

The Class 810 units are similar to existing trains running on the East Coast and Great Western main lines.

As well as new-look interiors, they feature extra seating, air conditioning, free wi-fi, plug sockets and improved information screens.

From the BBC:

15:18 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 17:29 will be started from Worcester Shrub Hill.
This is due to a speed restriction over defective track.
Last Updated:26/09/2025 15:05

15:18 Hereford to London Paddington due 18:29 will be started from Great Malvern.
This is due to congestion.
Last Updated:26/09/2025 14:20

"I have an important meeting to attend in the Council House in Bristol: please fly me to College Green." 

Three Kent councils push to bring Eurostar services back to Kent



Three local authorities are making another appeal for international rail services to be brought back to Kent.

Eurostar services have not stopped at Ashford International and Ebbsfleet international stations since 2020, when passenger numbers fell during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Friday leaders of Kent County Council and Ashford and Dartford borough councils gathered at Ashford to sign a memorandum of understanding, agreeing to fight for them to be restored.

Eurostar said the situation will be reviewed in 2026.

The three councils will also back proposals to allow operators other than Eurostar to run passenger services through the Channel Tunnel.

Other companies who have expressed an interest in running international services are Virgin, TrenItalia and a partnership between Gemini and Uber, with Kent and Sussex MPs backing the idea earlier in September.

To do so they would need to be allowed access to the Temple Mills International Depot in Leyton, London, the only facility where Channel Tunnel trains can be serviced, and currently run by Eurostar. The Office of Road and Rail is due to take a decision in October on whether to allow other operators to use the depot.

KCC leader Linden Kemkaran said: "Kent's residents and businesses have waited long enough. The infrastructure is here, the demand is real, and the benefits are huge - thousands of jobs, stronger trade, and hundreds of millions for our economy."

Ashford Borough Council leader Noel Ovenden said: "Over 25 years of significant investment has ensured Ashford International remains ready, keeping alive the opportunity to support European travel. Delivering on international services by re-opening this gateway to Europe holds the key to unlocking the benefits of that investment, not just in Ashford, but for the whole of Kent, wider South East region and the UK economy."

Jeremy Kite, leader of Dartford Borough Council added: "We're absolutely convinced that the return of services represents a major commercial opportunity, as demand for international rail travel grows. Ebbsfleet has all the potential to play a key role in the European rail network and stimulate further regeneration in the area."

And Vince Maple, who leads Medway Council, said: "Restoring international services to two already established railway stations in Kent would support a critical sector in our economy as well as thousands of jobs and provide climate-friendly travel for Kent and Medway residents to venture into Europe."

A 75,000-signature petition calling for the return of international services has also been collected.

Rail minister Lord Peter Hendy, who was at the event, said: "It is clear that demand for international rail services has bounced back since the pandemic and is now at record levels, reflecting the growing demand for sustainable connections to Europe. We know there is potential for much more and I want to see major changes over the coming years that mark a new chapter for international travel which we are committed to unlocking. It will take some time to get here, but this Government is doing everything it can to make sure these stations are served."

The bid is also being supported by French politicians and business leaders.

(BBC article continues)

News about the Huddersfield station work, from the BBC:

'My profits are down 40% since station closed'



The owner of a family-run restaurant in Huddersfield has said profits are down 40% since the nearby railway station closed for a major upgrade a month ago.

Huddersfield Station is set to reopen on Monday after being shut for 30 days so three platforms could be rebuilt and extended as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU).

But local businesses have been adversely affected by the project as commuters coming and going from cities like Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and York have been far fewer.

Ersim Altitarmak, owner of Meson La Pepa restaurant, told the BBC: "The closure has had a chain effect on everyone - from reducing my staff to the amount I buy in the shops."

There have been no services since 30 August and customers have had to use rail replacement buses or diversionary routes.

Mr Altitarmak, 42, said: "A lot of our regulars are from places like Marsden and Mirfield and call up to order lunch or dinner - but they have to keep cancelling due to the trains. It's disappointing for a business - we are down about 40% in the last month. It's as quiet as it is in January straight after Christmas."

Ahead of the reopening, Network Rail said the station now has three rebuilt and extended platforms. However, stage two of the upgrade is still ongoing and stations including Cottingley, Morley, Batley, Ravensthorpe, Brighouse, Halifax, Low Moor and Bradford Interchange still do not have direct trains to Huddersfield.

Some services will continue as rail replacement buses and customers may need to change trains as part of their journey, Network Rail also said.

Mr Altitarmak has been forced to cut down his staff hours, which they "are not happy about", he said. "I have to reduce my staff - because I obviously cannot turn off my electricity, my bills are the same. The price of everything has gone up."

(BBC article continues)

From the BBC:

Gloucestershire, South Worcestershire, Wiltshire, West Hampshire, South Herefordshire all count as definitely Not "Up North", in my book.  And neither are they in the East or South East.

By elimination, they must be in the South West

5. Is in the north eastern (B&NES) part of the south west - Keynsham.

8 Marsh Barton in the South West

Gloucestershire, South Worcestershire, Wiltshire, West Hampshire, South Herefordshire all count as definitely Not "Up North", in my book.  And neither are they in the East or South East.

By elimination, they must be in the South West

 ...........Salisbury pointed out as being in the South West by virtue of it being an LSWR station.......

Anything north of Bristol is definitely 'up North' for this Deb'nshire yokel 

Samaritans facing volunteer exodus over proposed branch closures

Hundreds of Samaritans volunteers say they will leave the suicide prevention charity if plans to close more than 100 branches are supported at a meeting this weekend.

Some opponents of the changes fear an exodus of staff could put the charity's ability to answer calls in doubt.

The controversial plans, unveiled in July, would see at least half the Samaritans branches in the UK and Ireland close. Volunteers would instead work out of larger offices or answer calls from home as the charity moves to embrace a remote working model.

In a statement, the Samaritans said its proposals would mean "we can answer more calls, cut wait times and make it easier for people to volunteer with us". If passed, the first branches would begin to close in April in the UK and 2027 in Ireland, with a gradual reduction over the coming decade.

Critics of the plans say the changes will decimate the Samaritans' work in local communities and have accused the charity's leadership of repeatedly ignoring requests to provide the rationale for the plans.

Some branches have called for a vote of no confidence in the chairman at a meeting next month. More than 50 branches, over a quarter of the total, immediately raised concerns when the plans were unveiled and it seems that opposition has only grown.

The list of branches that would close has not been released, but James Watkins fears his one in Rhyl, Denbighshire, would go. It's situated in the heart of the town, in one of the most deprived neighbourhoods in Britain, with high levels of mental health problems.

Mr Watkins, 58, says that volunteers are drawn to helping their own community as much as staffing the charity's nationwide phone line. The branch's volunteers, he said, had recently been out at a local college and at the train station raising awareness of their presence.

"All of those things emanate from the fact we have a local branch and would likely go if we closed. Our branch has been going for over 50 years and our connections with our community has grown and grown," said Mr Watkins. He's one of between 40 and 50 volunteers in Rhyl, but after speaking to colleagues said he was not aware that any of them would remain if the branch closed.

Last month, Mr Watkins organised a survey of volunteers across Wales. He says he received a response from 210 people, about one third of all Welsh volunteers. Three quarters of people who responded said they would not move if their own branch was closed. The same proportion said they would not be interested in remote volunteering.

"With less people, [the Samaritans] are not going to be able to answer as many calls. This is the point we keep making and it seems to be falling on deaf ears. This could be the beginning of the end for the Samaritans."

(BBC article continues)

Gloucestershire, South Worcestershire, Wiltshire, West Hampshire, South Herefordshire all count as definitely Not "Up North", in my book.  And neither are they in the East or South East.

By elimination, they must be in the South West

(For what it's worth, Cornwall/Devon/Dorset/Somerset is South West, everything else is up North!)

But experience tells me that 5car workings, formed of a 2car and a 3car can be prone to ending up as 4car or even 3car (or occasionally 6car) fairly often in Bristol area.    Operationally having 2 types combined to form a train seems to be too hard to do on a regular basis, unless you have both sizes available in a siding at start point.

Lack of inter-unit gangway could be a problem if working in multiple, especially on a route with short platforms or request stops; are they to be paired on peak Barnstaples? Probably wouldn't be able major issue on main line duties. I imagine the same issue arises when a 5-car Turbo formation serves Dilton Marsh, but at least that's a one-off stop.