Class 810 for East Midlands Railway Construction/Introduction Updates

[Trainman40083]

I noticed this post on X.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Feb 2026 ==

I noticed this post on X.

Looks like 10 car Class 810 testing is underway with units 810003 and 810004 seen in this X post at Newark Northgate.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Looks like 10 car Class 810 testing is underway with units 810003 and 810004 seen in this X post at Newark Northgate.

I passed a pair of them on Friday, they were both on electric with both units using their rear pantographs.
Not sure of the unit numbers unfortunately (if anyone does know that would be helpful)

Realtime Trains | 5Q64 1518 St Pancras International to Old Dalby | 13/02/2026

Real-time train running information for 5Q64 1518 departure from St Pancras International to Old Dalby on 13/02/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[800001]

I noticed this post on X.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Feb 2026 ==


Looks like 10 car Class 810 testing is underway with units 810003 and 810004 seen in this X post at Newark Northgate.

Back in test on Old Dalby test track this afternoon .

Also path has appeared in system for 810014 to deliver to EMR on Thursday this week, path attached below

Realtime Trains | 5Q20 0936 Merchant Park Sidings to Etches Park Sdgs | 19/02/2026

Real-time train running information for 5Q20 0936 departure from Merchant Park Sidings to Etches Park Sdgs on 19/02/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Amos390]

Is there a current list of Class 810s in service, or if not in service their current status as of today?

Something I like to use on RailRecord is the ‘Allox’ page, it provides you will a box to type in, just type ‘810’ and it’ll give you a fleet list of all 810s that have operated passenger/driver training with a ‘Out’ box next to those in operation at the current moment in time (or at least, most the time…). Here’s a link: https://live.rail-record.co.uk/allox/

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Feb 2026 ==

I passed a pair of them on Friday, they were both on electric with both units using their rear pantographs.
Not sure of the unit numbers unfortunately (if anyone does know that would be helpful)

Realtime Trains | 5Q64 1518 St Pancras International to Old Dalby | 13/02/2026

Real-time train running information for 5Q64 1518 departure from St Pancras International to Old Dalby on 13/02/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

View attachment 198400

Will be 003 and 004, those are the only 2 810s in Old Dalby/Melton RIDC at the moment, they run daytime tests up the MML then nighttime tests up the ECML

 

[Railperf]

810013 faulty this morning and 700 Sheffield to St Pancras is cancelled. Looks like the return working 1132 from St Pancras cancelled as far as Derby where it appears they hope 810013 can resume the diagram!

 

[Freemo]

1C17 has now been binned off from Sheffield on seven out of the last 22 weekdays which is not ideal.

 

[Mikw]

After several attempts to catch 810's i've given up for the time being, i've wasted a lot of money trying to get a ride!

 

[Railperf]

Would it be fair to say that the majority of faults are software related? Surely the mechanicals are tried and tested?

 

[Amos390]

After several attempts to catch 810's i've given up for the time being, i've wasted a lot of money trying to get a ride!

What I did was an East Mids Day Ranger ticket so if an 810 was canned/set swapped, I could just hop on another one, meaning I didn't have the constraints of set tickets, however had no booked seats on the train

 

[Jamesrob637]

1C17 has now been binned off from Sheffield on seven out of the last 22 weekdays which is not ideal.

Make that 8/23!

Realtime Trains | 1C17 0700 Sheffield to St Pancras International | 19/02/2026

Real-time train running information for 1C17 0700 departure from Sheffield to St Pancras International on 19/02/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[unlevel42]

810013 faulty this morning and 700 Sheffield to St Pancras is cancelled. Looks like the return working 1132 from St Pancras cancelled as far as Derby where it appears they hope 810013 can resume the diagram!

Arrived late in Sheffield an it did depart from Sheffield at 1402 with an apology thay the front two coaches(1st) had no accessible toilet.

 

[Amos390]

Today’s 810 move from Newton Aycliffe to Etches Park has now bee cancelled: https://live.rail-record.co.uk/train.php/?c=K62015&d=2026-02-19

 

[Freemo]

Make that 8/23!

Realtime Trains | 1C17 0700 Sheffield to St Pancras International | 19/02/2026

Real-time train running information for 1C17 0700 departure from Sheffield to St Pancras International on 19/02/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

I noticed in the past some were starting short at Chesterfield or Derby so the situation seems to be going backwards as they are being cancelled throughout now.

 

[720144]

Looks like 222022 is filling in on DY701 today.

 

[Trainman40083]

Looks like 810011, has been failed at Derby with a door problem. Just arrived from London St Pancras

 

[Spartacus]

Looks like 810011, has been failed at Derby with a door problem. Just arrived from London St Pancras

Something seems to be wrong with EMR's doors this morning, not just their 810s!

 

[Trainman40083]

Something seems to be wrong with EMR's doors this morning, not just their 810s!

Derby station seemed to be getting a little congested on the run up to 11.00. 810011 was still in the platform. The 222 on the 10.32? to London left about 11.01, swiftly followed by 810013.

 

[Amos390]

810006 also now been cut at Cricklewood due to Door System Failure, returning to Etches under 5Z32

 

[222001]

Both 006 and 011 returned to service. Shows the faults must be relatively simple to resolve.

 

[Taunton]

One upside of these trains, when they eventually and finally do enter service reliably, is a benefit to the Eurostar platforms at St Pancras, where the outer vehicles of their lengthy trains are subjected to both noise and fumes of the adjacent EMR diesels. Knowing that even just one Uckfield line diesel is banned from Victoria due to fumes under a low roof, one wonders how the same has been tolerated for so long here, the low "roof extension" of the station just exacerbating both. Getting out from an arriving Eurostar to the polluted and smelly atmosphere where any announcements are drowned out is a poor introduction to the country. It's never been apparent to me just why Voyager-type units, with multiple diesel engines, have to idle so raucously; the days when you had to maintain 3,000 rpm to produce a 50Hz auxiliary supply were surely long gone when they were built.

 

[222001]

One upside of these trains, when they eventually and finally do enter service reliably, is a benefit to the Eurostar platforms at St Pancras, where the outer vehicles of their lengthy trains are subjected to both noise and fumes of the adjacent EMR diesels. Knowing that even just one Uckfield line diesel is banned from Victoria due to fumes under a low roof, one wonders how the same has been tolerated for so long here, the low "roof extension" of the station just exacerbating both. Getting out from an arriving Eurostar to the polluted and smelly atmosphere where any announcements are drowned out is a poor introduction to the country. It's never been apparent to me just why Voyager-type units, with multiple diesel engines, have to idle so raucously; the days when you had to maintain 3,000 rpm to produce a 50Hz auxiliary supply were surely long gone when they were built.

When turning around, 222s shut down all but one engine, but they’re all fired up again 10 or so minutes before departure. Given the short turnarounds, and multiple trains, this still gives a bad atmosphere.
810s are also fitted with a similar system, where 2/4 engines shut down when turning around. Particulate filters also help with 810s too - hopefully this’ll make a noticeable difference at Sheffield / Nottingham.

 

[Joel_1902]

Anyone confirm which units were on test from Aycliffe last night and tonight? Expected 014 both nights but seems to be showing as 015 tonight,
Cheers
Joel

 

[800001]

Anyone confirm which units were on test from Aycliffe last night and tonight? Expected 014 both nights but seems to be showing as 015 tonight,
Cheers
Joel

Confirmed as 810015 testing last night.

 

[duffield]

Saw 1F42 1332 St Pancras International to Sheffield - unit 810010 - sitting sadly at Derby today at 1515, due out at 1510 but devoid of passengers and obviously terminated. Apart from one oblivious chap presumably with headphones on who hadn't heard the announcements. Staff walking down the train obviously just about to turf him off.

So what was the fault this time? I'm sure I'm getting a worse impression than reality but it seems like hardly any of the 810s are currently completing a day's diagram without issues. It makes the promotional Aurora display at the stations seem very sad!

Edit: So it seems 810010 restarted its diagram back to London from Derby as the 1632 (departed 1645), I guess they "fixed" it - but is my impression correct that the "fixes" seem more like reboots, resets, tweaks etc. which don't really fix the underlying problems? Have any of the reported problems really been totally permanantly fixed?

 

[Amos390]

Saw 1F42 1332 St Pancras International to Sheffield - unit 810010 - sitting sadly at Derby today at 1515, due out at 1510 but devoid of passengers and obviously terminated. Apart from one oblivious chap presumably with headphones on who hadn't heard the announcements. Staff walking down the train obviously just about to turf him off.

So what was the fault this time? I'm sure I'm getting a worse impression than reality but it seems like hardly any of the 810s are currently completing a day's diagram without issues. It makes the promotional Aurora display at the stations seem very sad!

Not sure, cancellation code is just ‘M8 - Problems with the train’ however 810010 is still out and it just waited at Derby and formed 1F42 (albeit running 20+L at the moment)

 

[222001]

Not sure, cancellation code is just ‘M8 - Problems with the train’ however 810010 is still out and it just waited at Derby and formed 1F42 (albeit running 20+L at the moment)

Seems to be the usual way, they’ll fail during the day, terminate / go ECS to Etches, and then come back out later. This insinuates the issues are possibly quick fixes, that maybe one day could be fixed while out and about.

 

[Trainman40083]

I do.wonder how many issues are serious, set against those that sometimes show when brand new technology is introduced ?

 

[jfowkes]

I do.wonder how many issues are serious, set against those that sometimes show when brand new technology is introduced ?

The problem is that none of this technology is "brand new", right? It's a new train, but it's not like any of the underlying features are groundbreaking. They haven't got an amazing new traction control system, or some radically new signalling interface. It's a perfectly normal Class 800 derivative.

If issues are being found and fixed this late, it smacks of something very wrong with the engineering/production/procurement process. Why weren't they identified and rectified earlier?

 

[FrontSideBus]

Why were these small issues not found during the testing phase before the units entered service or even accepted from the manufacturer?

 

[Merle Haggard]

The problem is that none of this technology is "brand new", right? It's a new train, but it's not like any of the underlying features are groundbreaking. They haven't got an amazing new traction control system, or some radically new signalling interface. It's a perfectly normal Class 800 derivative.

If issues are being found and fixed this late, it smacks of something very wrong with the engineering/production/procurement process. Why weren't they identified and rectified earlier?

Exactly. 'Problem with the doors' occurs on a significant number of occasions. How can the doors on 810s be different from those on other 8xx that have been in service nearly ten years? The locking lavatories problem - admittedly now apparently solved; lavatories are hardly 'brand new technology' either.