Class 810 for East Midlands Railway Construction/Introduction Updates

[tram21]

RTT is showing slightly extended dwell times at Long Eaton, Loughborough and Leicester, losing a total of about 6 minutes. I wonder what the reason is? Staff being extra careful about the dispatch and door operation process due to lack of familiarity?

Link below to Realtime trains detailed view for 1C17 0700 Sheffield to St Pancras International:

Realtime Trains | 1C17 0700 Sheffield to St Pancras International | 03/12/2025

Real-time train running information for 1C17 0700 departure from Sheffield to St Pancras International on 03/12/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

And probably slower than usual approaches/ departures by the driver due to a lack of familiarisation too!

 

[jontyasaurus]

Can't blame them for being a bit cautious/nervous with an expensive and shiny new bit of kit. Hopefully there are no major issues today - I'm going to try and catch 1C59 this afternoon to Loughborough or Leicester.
It'll be very strange floating down to STP in the future, making use of the wires for the first time ever!

 

[superkev]

In service at last.
Operating in Electric mode under the wires and if so wheres the changeover?
Thanks
K

 

[jontyasaurus]

In service at last.
Operating in Electric mode under the wires and if so wheres the changeover?
Thanks
K

From just south of Leicester - hopefully, according to RTT, the first run switched over a few minutes ago.

 

[duffield]

Now approaching St. Albans stuck behind a Thameslink service (9T17 0818 Bedford to Brighton) that it should be ahead of. A fairly normal occurrence of course!

 

[Bellecat]

Correct. The second diagram may well appear too

Trying to work out a Nottingham to Leicester trip this week ~ thanks for the all the information on this page

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Dec 2025 ==

Can't blame them for being a bit cautious/nervous with an expensive and shiny new bit of kit. Hopefully there are no major issues today - I'm going to try and catch 1C59 this afternoon to Loughborough or Leicester.
It'll be very strange floating down to STP in the future, making use of the wires for the first time ever!

Waited long enough. Be so nice to glide into STP . Also hope the catering improves. Not to mention the dreaded seat reservations……and I won’t miss the moss growing on the inside of the windows in first class …… or the blown glass!

 

[unlevel42]

In passenger service today to/from to Sheffield (arrive 1342 departs 1400 for London)

 

[norbitonflyer]

Now approaching St. Albans stuck behind a Thameslink service (9T17 0818 Bedford to Brighton) that it should be ahead of. A fairly normal occurrence of course!

It also appears to have had to follow a Nottingham- Leicester service (2L12) that it should have overtaken at East Midlands Parkway.

 

[duffield]

Well, it made it to London, 9 minutes late, but at least it got there!

Now it's off to Cricklewood and back ECS, I guess they'll be doing a few checks as it sits there for over an hour.

 

[1D54]

It also appears to have had to follow a Nottingham- Leicester service (2L12) that it should have overtaken at East Midlands Parkway.

That shouldn't really be a problem as the Nottm - Leicester services use the slow line

 

[Spartacus]

Now approaching St. Albans stuck behind a Thameslink service (9T17 0818 Bedford to Brighton) that it should be ahead of. A fairly normal occurrence of course!

Yeah, an absolute pain when a small delay around Sheffield (usually following a XC) almost always leads to following a Brighton to West Hampstead.... usually does the Corby - Pancras at Wellingborough too, though in this case the 360 got the nod.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Dec 2025 ==

It also appears to have had to follow a Nottingham- Leicester service (2L12) that it should have overtaken at East Midlands Parkway.

As someone else said that was on the slows. Maybe picked up or a minute or two following the empties for the Melton service though.

 

[The_Train]

RTT is showing slightly extended dwell times at Long Eaton, Loughborough and Leicester, losing a total of about 6 minutes. I wonder what the reason is? Staff being extra careful about the dispatch and door operation process due to lack of familiarity?

Link below to Realtime trains detailed view for 1C17 0700 Sheffield to St Pancras International:

Realtime Trains | 1C17 0700 Sheffield to St Pancras International | 03/12/2025

Real-time train running information for 1C17 0700 departure from Sheffield to St Pancras International on 03/12/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Edit: Looks like the power changeover from Diesel to Electric went OK between Leicester & Market Harborough.

Journey check apparently reporting delays caused by overcrowding

 

[GhostManDN91]

Slightly off topic but I'm curious, how many seats does a single set 810 have in comparison to a 5 car 222? Also I'm guessing the 810s have a fair amount of time on electric at 125mph now since the route upgrades?

 

[1D54]

Journey check apparently reporting delays caused by overcrowding

And most of them probably off this forum!!

 

[Trainman40083]

Anyone in the Derby area know if any print/vinyl firm has had a rush job of stickers with words to that effect...?

I think there is a sensor, that detects hand movement. Go near the switch it screams "No! Wait!".

 

[Jamesrob637]

Journey check apparently reporting delays caused by overcrowding

The 7am service should surely be booked 10-car long-term.

 

[The_Train]

And most of them probably off this forum!!

I don't see the appeal personally. But my twitter feed was awash with this junk this morning

 

[43074]

Slightly off topic but I'm curious, how many seats does a single set 810 have in comparison to a 5 car 222? Also I'm guessing the 810s have a fair amount of time on electric at 125mph now since the route upgrades?

301 seats on an 810 (54 First and 247 Standard) vs 242 seats on a 5-car 222 (50 First and 192 Standard)

They run on electric from about 5 miles south of Leicester to St Pancras

 

[QSK19]

Whilst I lost my “surely not” bet (of entry into service being 2026), I’ll gladly accept that for today’s good news. I’ll try to catch it this evening, but hopefully it has a solid, reliable day.

 

[Benjwri]

Journey check apparently reporting delays caused by overcrowding

Full and standing off Long Eaton according to Darwin.

 

[The_Train]

Full and standing off Long Eaton according to Darwin.

It's almost like 5 car trains are not suitable for Intercity trains travelling into our capital city. Who'd have thought it?

 

[WesternLancer]

301 seats on an 810 (54 First and 247 Standard) vs 242 seats on a 5-car 222 (50 First and 192 Standard)

They run on electric from about 5 miles south of Leicester to St Pancras

thanks - useful reminder. Can you recall how many seats were on an EMR HST by any chance (before they started shortening them in the final period)?

 

[800001]

It's almost like 5 car trains are not suitable for Intercity trains travelling into our capital city. Who'd have thought it?

But this 5 car has many more seats than they 5 car sets the are replacing....

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

It's almost like 5 car trains are not suitable for Intercity trains travelling into our capital city. Who'd have thought it?

They’ve got far more capacity than most Meridians and it’s also a first run in service, so it’ll be full to the brim with enthusiasts and railway press.

 

[AlterEgo]

But this 5 car has many more seats than they 5 car sets the are replacing....

That particular train has been operated by a 7 car 222 though.

Regardless, once again, the trains are too short, to save money. They really ought to have specified longer trains.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

But this 5 car has many more seats than they 5 car sets the are replacing....

Although the diagram it's on today is replacing a 7 car set.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Although the diagram it's on today is replacing a 7 car set.

Will that diagram in the long term be a 10 car pair?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

That particular train has been operated by a 7 car 222 though.

Regardless, once again, the trains are too short, to save money. They really ought to have specified longer trains.

I think they should have just ordered enough to run the vast majority as tens.

 

[liamf656]

Although the diagram it's on today is replacing a 7 car set.

In standard class there are still more seats in an 810 than that of a 7 car 222. It will die down once the novelty wears off. Bearing in mind we will have 165 coaches worth of 810 to replace 143 coaches worth of 222 so once the majority of the 810s are in service we will see a difference

Regardless, once again, the trains are too short, to save money. They really ought to have specified longer trains.

It's the practicality though. In the event of a unit failure, I would sooner have a 5 car vice 10 and it still run, than a cancellation because a fixed 10 car formation has failed

We also have the issue of platform length which has been done to death on this forum

 

[43055]

thanks - useful reminder. Can you recall how many seats were on an EMR HST by any chance (before they started shortening them in the final period)?

For completeness here are EMT 222 and HST seats:

810/5: 54 first, 247 standard
810/10: 108 first, 494 standard

HST 2+8: 109 first, 359 standard
HST 2+6: 65 first, 252 standard
222/10: 100 first, 380 standard
222/9: 83 first, 338 standard
222/7: 106 first, 236 standard
222/5: 50 first, 190 standard
222/4: 33 first, 148 standard