EMR Class 222’s - declining reliability

[ChilliSauce]

222015 already in trouble this morning. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C52246/2026-02-24/detailed#allox_id=0

Great start !....departed late and gave up the ghost on route ... Once again I didn't bother with the EMR circus and opted to go East Coast Main Line ...

 

[LowLevel]

EMR / Hitachi seen to have mustered up 20 out of 22 sets for todays diagrams.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Feb 2026 ==

A brief analysis of Saturdays running suggests units 6, 8, 9 were particularly poor with 11 and 20 in the list of worst performing units with unit 006 really struggling on 1B61 and being terminated at Kettering. It seemed to start the day strongly but very slow on its large acceleration away from Market HArborough on 1B61.

The bette performing units seemed to be 12, 13, 15, 16 17 and 19.

Set 6 isn't well. Sat on it at the moment and I think it has 3 engines providing traction, at least coach D is just idling.

 

[jfowkes]

Great start !....departed late and gave up the ghost on route ... Once again I didn't bother with the EMR circus and opted to go East Coast Main Line ...

From RTT: "This service was cancelled between Kettering and St Pancras International due to a problem with the brakes (MN)."

At least it wasn't the engines!

 

[Railperf]

Set 6 isn't well. Sat on it at the moment and I think it has 3 engines providing traction, at least coach D is just idling.

There seems to be a recurring theme. A healthy unit is put out day after day week after week until it starts to struggle.

Instead of going in for some attention to rectify the fault, it seems a patch and mend policy exists so the unit will struggle for several days until it will fail a few times before finally going in for some attention.

 

[Merle Haggard]

222010 has expired at Leicester ester on an Up Nottingham.

 

[1D54]

222010 has expired at Leicester ester on an Up Nottingham.

Stuck at Sileby for 47 minutes before struggling to get to Leicester.

The paying punters of EMR deserve better than is what is going on.

 

[voyagerdude220]

Stuck at Sileby for 47 minutes before struggling to get to Leicester.

The paying punters of EMR deserve better than is what is going on.

It didn't give me much confidence in EMR reading about 222015 on their 1C01 04:44 Derby to London St Pancras this morning leaving Derby 39 late and eventually being terminated at Kettering. I say that, because the unit had only travelled the very short distance from the Depot at Etches Park to Derby Station before it had issues.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Feb 2026 ==

222015 already in trouble this morning. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C52246/2026-02-24/detailed#allox_id=0

 

[Merle Haggard]

Stuck at Sileby for 47 minutes before struggling to get to Leicester.

The paying punters of EMR deserve better than is what is going on.

Not just the 222s but also the 360s; a round trip to Corby was cancelled today because of a 'problem with the traction equipment' and another didn't make it to Corby because of 'a planning error'. Better than yesterday though when we had 'a problem with the train' (gave up at West Hampstead on the down), 'a problem with the doors' , and 'a problem with the on board safety equipment' given as the reasons for cancellations.

 

[ChilliSauce]

The paying punters of EMR deserve better than is what is going on.

Transport UK (trading as EMR) don't care . Delay Repay makes it all good ! And shortly they will be out of the picture ..

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Feb 2026 ==

Not just the 222s but also the 360s; a round trip to Corby was cancelled today.

Better than yesterday though when we had 'a problem with the train' (gave up at West Hampstead on the down), 'a problem with the doors' , and 'a problem with the on board safety equipment' given as the reasons for cancellations.

That really is bad luck for the Thameslink service to Bedford booked DF...as forced to run all the way to Radlett on the DS ..so loosing time. Then Thameslink to try and make up lost time start skipping stops.. I.e. Thameslink users end up as the losers because of failure of EMR to run their train on time

 

[Merle Haggard]

That really is bad luck for the Thameslink service to Bedford booked DF...as forced to run all the way to Radlett on the DS ..so loosing time. Then Thameslink to try and make up lost time start skipping stops.. I.e. Thameslink users end up as the losers because of failure of EMR to run their train on time

There have also been occasions when Thameslink problems South of Bedford have resulted in the complete cancellation of the Corby Connect service for the remainder of the day. (most recently, February 11th)
Bear in mind that the Connect service provides the only connection between Luton/Bedford/Wellingborough and Leicester/Nottongham/Sheffield (amongst others) a not inconsiderable market.

 

[duffield]

222021 and 222023 both seemed to be performing fine yesterday. 222021 seemed particularly nippy on 1D92 1635 St Pancras International to Nottingham.

 

[ChilliSauce]

Bear in mind that the Connect service provides the only connection between Luton/Bedford/Wellingborough and Leicester/Nottongham/Sheffield (amongst others) a not inconsiderable market.

Yes in a grotty, dirty, declassified 2nd hand 360 ..

I believe the good travellers from the likes of Corby, Kettering and especially Wellingborough had expected far more from Electrification of the route than what they have ended up with.

Together with travellers from Luton (largest town between London and Leicester, and with an Airport) loosing direct services to at least Leicester.

 

[Railperf]

Set 6 isn't well. Sat on it at the moment and I think it has 3 engines providing traction, at least coach D is just idling.

An analysis of Tuesday 24 Feb performances suggests set 6 was actually running with 4 engines. Sets 12, 17, 18, 19 and 23 were all the best runners (suggesting 5 engines), while the worst sets were 9, 10, 11, 16, 20, 21, 101 and 103 (4 mixed performing engines with some providing low power or more likely 3 engines).

Modern Railways didigtal edition suggests Scotrail will announce procurement of 222's imminently and hoping for some units in the coming months.
I hope EMR are NOT going to let any more 222's go until Class 810 reliability substantially improves and at least a few more diagrams are turned over to the 810's taking the strain off the 222 fleet to allow more units to be brough up to scratch.

Today set 007 is a long term absentee after the Shrnbrook issue some weeks back. Also sets 010 and 011 absent today.
Set 010 really struggling Tuesday!

 

[liamf656]

An analysis of Tuesday 24 Feb performances suggests set 6 was actually running with 4 engines. Sets 12, 17, 18, 19 and 23 were all the best runners (suggesting 5 engines), while the worst sets were 9, 10, 11, 16, 20, 21, 101 and 103 (4 mixed performing engines with some providing low power or more likely 3 engines).

Modern Railways didigtal edition suggests Scotrail will announce procurement of 222's imminently and hoping for some units in the coming months.
I hope EMR are NOT going to let any more 222's go until Class 810 reliability substantially improves and at least a few more diagrams are turned over to the 810's taking the strain off the 222 fleet to allow more units to be brough up to scratch.

Today set 007 is a long term absentee after the Shrnbrook issue some weeks back. Also sets 010 and 011 absent today.
Set 010 really struggling Tuesday!

I'm still puzzled as to how you can confidently say which unit is running on how many engines, considering a fair few of your "poor performers" are actually running on 5 engines, some of which were delayed yesterday and Tuesday due to trespass incidents and various other reasons. Do you sit on the platform and note every 222 and 810 that passes?

 

[Pegpilot]

Yes in a grotty, dirty, declassified 2nd hand 360 ..

I believe the good travellers from the likes of Corby, Kettering and especially Wellingborough had expected far more from Electrification of the route than what they have ended up with.

Together with travellers from Luton (largest town between London and Leicester, and with an Airport) loosing direct services to at least Leicester.

Quite right, Chilli. I live 4 miles from Wellingborough and 8 miles from Kettering and now prefer to use the latter on a cheap advance 1st ticket if I'm heading for London. And it's now quite impractical to travel to Yorkshire from Wellingborough up the MML as you need to change at Kettering and again at Leicester. So glad my days commuting to the smoke were in the heyday of the MML 125s - reet proper trains !

 

[Railperf]

I'm still puzzled as to how you can confidently say which unit is running on how many engines, considering a fair few of your "poor performers" are actually running on 5 engines, some of which were delayed yesterday and Tuesday due to trespass incidents and various other reasons. Do you sit on the platform and note every 222 and 810 that passes?

IF there are sets on 5 engines that are 'poor' performers then it suggests some of those engines are not developing full power - or maybe a driver has been instructed to treat the set with kid gloves? Sounds like you might know more about that. Just because a set might leave the depot with all five engines running does not guarantee they are all healthy or contributing to full traction power.

The calculations are simple.

From each station, a train accelerating away from the station will travel through several signal blocks as it accelerates to full speed. If you calculate the times from the first signal berth that the train enters and then the same time at a signal berth a few blocks along, you get to see that good sets are able to set a ballpark time between the two signal berths.

The time clusters for good sets (5 engines) , average sets (4 engines) and poor sets ( 3 engines) tend to be grouped with a clear time difference between each group.

If you analyse the signal berth data at each location for several locations northbound and southbound - then a good set will consistently be in the cluster of faster times, average sets the same etc.

So imagine a set starting at Nottingham stopping at East Midlands Parkway, Loughborough, Leicester , Market Harborough and Kettering.
The times from each station start can be calculated for a set of signal blocks departing each station. Usually a healthy set will ppoduce good times from every stop. So a pattern emerges of the state of each set on each diagram.

It is possible that in a certain location a good set will record a slower than normal time between one set of berths based on its performance during the day caused by congestion, maybe driver making a slower than nortmal start etc.

If a set starts to generate a slower cluster of times during the day, it can represent either a driver that doesn't like to use full power or a traction power derate. I don't believe the tightness of the timetable allows for drivers to deliberately choose to use anything less than full power unless torrential rain is causing wheelspin.

We can analyse the signal berth data to see if there are trains close in front - and that can identify slow starts where the driver had to leave the station on caution signals.

On some days, multiple sightings usually confirm the performance statistics!

As noted in my previous post, it was reported that unit 006 was reported as being sluggish and at least one engine out - confirmed by the the berth timings. This is not rocket science.

We know Hitachi are a proud company that don't like to admit their shortcomings. They would not comment on the GWR GU (engine) issues, even though this became and is a major issue under investigation. So we don't expect anyone from Hitachi/ EMR to openly come on here and tell us that any if the sets are in poor condition - even if the stats suggest they are not!

Also a disclaimer, the set numbers are based on RTT reported set numbers for each diagram. So it is possible that if RTT posts an incorrect set number it can be reflected in my data. But I do record the diagram numbers and this can be corrected if such a discrepancy comes to light.

As stated above, I am hoping the situation will improve as more 810's ease the pressure on the 222's and allow some more down time for the 222's to get some much needed fettling up.

At the moment, no more than 6 or 7 sets out of 19 or 20 in service each day are performing to a good standard.

 

[ChilliSauce]

Quite right, Chilli. I live 4 miles from Wellingborough and 8 miles from Kettering and now prefer to use the latter on a cheap advance 1st ticket if I'm heading for London. And it's now quite impractical to travel to Yorkshire from Wellingborough up the MML as you need to change at Kettering and again at Leicester. So glad my days commuting to the smoke were in the heyday of the MML 125s - reet proper trains !

What is so disappointing is if the Electrification had been extended from Wigston to even just North of Leicester . The London / Corby (hopefully in better condition than the grotty 360s and with a 1st class) could of been diverted from Kettering towards Leicester .. leaving 1 unit to shuttle Kettering / Corby ... Just like as example the shuttle on the Watford Jnc / St Albans Branch.

Then travellers from the likes of Luton and stations to and Including Market Harborough would of only had a single change of train at Leicester to continue North. (On the assumption that all London / Nottingham & London / Sheffields would of then become non stop London / Leicester)

 

[Railperf]

I'm still puzzled as to how you can confidently say which unit is running on how many engines, considering a fair few of your "poor performers" are actually running on 5 engines, some of which were delayed yesterday and Tuesday due to trespass incidents and various other reasons. Do you sit on the platform and note every 222 and 810 that passes?

I'm happy to have had units 14 and 15 today which both had all five engines running and station starts within the expected timings for a 5 engine unit.
Driver was pretty chuffed to have a good one too.
Saw 021 struggling on 3 engines at Leicester.

 

[Andy Pacer]

I see 1D01 (0606 Kettering - Nottingham) is cancelled again this morning, "More trains than usual requiring repairs at the same time".

 

[Railperf]

Yes, seemingly only 17 sets out today.
Set 103 was really struggling yesterday so no surprise not to see it out.
I haven't had the time to analyse all the data yet, but yesterday seemed to be a better day with only a couple of sets performing badly - the aforementioned 103 and set 21.
I've also been made aware that sets can have engines running but some sort of traction fault which means that the engine doesn't seem to provide any traction power.

 

[Andy Pacer]

I've also been made aware that sets can have engines running but some sort of traction fault which means that the engine doesn't seem to provide any traction power.

Agree with this, I remember for some time it feels like the engine is idling but not providing power when expected.

 

[Merle Haggard]

I see 1D01 (0606 Kettering - Nottingham) is cancelled again this morning, "More trains than usual requiring repairs at the same time".

Predictably its next passenger working, the morning up Melton, is also canceled.
The poor reliability of the Melton service has been mentioned but oddly the two Up Lincoln servicess usually seem to run. I wonder if that's a case of prioritising where there's competition with other TOCs. Passengers for the 06.06 and at Melton have no choice, Lincoln have LNER.

 

[LowLevel]

Predictably its next passenger working, the morning up Melton, is also canceled.
The poor reliability of the Melton service has been mentioned but oddly the two Up Lincoln servicess usually seem to run. I wonder if that's a case of prioritising where there's competition with other TOCs. Passengers for the 06.06 and at Melton have no choice, Lincoln have LNER.

Those 2 trains from Lincoln missing would blow a 2 hour hole in the morning peak service from Lincoln to Nottingham, that's why they run in the first place. The first Regional service is at 0516 and the next is at 0716. They are nothing to do with running a service from Lincoln to St Pancras except for a handful of people who use the EMR Only fare for whatever reason.

The Melton train is largely a route refresher in passenger service.

Stranding people have no choice vs maintaining a non existent competition is not a logical suggestion really!

 

[tram21]

Predictably its next passenger working, the morning up Melton, is also canceled.
The poor reliability of the Melton service has been mentioned but oddly the two Up Lincoln servicess usually seem to run. I wonder if that's a case of prioritising where there's competition with other TOCs. Passengers for the 06.06 and at Melton have no choice, Lincoln have LNER.

I think its more those morning services are critical services for commutes to Nottingham/ Leicester from Lincoln and are very popular, unlike the Melton service.

 

[InTheEastMids]

What is so disappointing is if the Electrification had been extended from Wigston to even just North of Leicester . The London / Corby (hopefully in better condition than the grotty 360s and with a 1st class) could of been diverted from Kettering towards Leicester .. leaving 1 unit to shuttle Kettering / Corby ... Just like as example the shuttle on the Watford Jnc / St Albans Branch.

Then travellers from the likes of Luton and stations to and Including Market Harborough would of only had a single change of train at Leicester to continue North. (On the assumption that all London / Nottingham & London / Sheffields would of then become non stop London / Leicester)

OT: This suggestion has been done to death on here over the years. Firstly, St Albans Abbey (150k)* isn't a great model for Corby (560k). Secondly, these assumes a huge market of pent-up demand from Luton etc. to the North, who are currently not traveling because changing at Kettering is too hard. Thirdly, some are also convinced that Market Harborough (960k) doesn't merit an inter city service so spend ages thinking up expensive schemes to solve this problem. I think it's a weird cognitive bias that people will put effort into this, but might be surprised by proposals to worsen trains services at places such as Runcorn (732k), Northallerton (800k) or Newark Northgate (1,078k), which I think are broadly comparable "smaller town on main inter city route, around 750-1,000k uses per year"

*Bracketed figures are most recent years ORR station usage data.

Predictably its next passenger working, the morning up Melton, is also canceled.
The poor reliability of the Melton service has been mentioned but oddly the two Up Lincoln servicess usually seem to run.

The Melton train is largely a route refresher in passenger service.

If it's cancelled, you put people on the 0832 XC to Leicester and they get to London a bit earlier than the direct service.
For Oakham, it's worse in that you go via Peterborough and are about 35 minutes later into London, If it were me, I'd always book the direct, plan my day around going via Pboro and get 50% of the £123 single ticket back as Delay Repay. I'm not sure how many people this is actually affecting though, but Oakham overall is not a busy station.

Going the other way, I have once seen the 1835 short-formed from London, but met by another 222 at Kettering to work the portion to Melton. Don't know how often this is happening.

 

[Amos390]

Just a note, at Nottingham at the moment, and 222102 + 029 have just left, good acceleration in them and sounded all good, but 222019 on platform 7 has a Non Multi sticker (as seen in image) in the window, whether that’s down the the coupler having issues or what, I’m not sure.

 

[Railperf]

Having started the day with seemingly only 17 sets on Friday, it looks like EMR lost a couple of sets during the day and therefore would have been down to 15 at some point. Do we know if they managed to get By if the other sets out again?

 

[Amos390]

Also, on the note of 222s being pulled, there still is no sight or sound from 222007 since the Bedford last month, are there any updates on this unit and whether we can expect to see it back soon (if at all)?

 

[222001]

Also, on the note of 222s being pulled, there still is no sight or sound from 222007 since the Bedford last month, are there any updates on this unit and whether we can expect to see it back soon (if at all)?

Probably become the depot ‘Christmas tree’, like what happened with 222005 last year. It didn’t work from June - September.

 

[Amos390]

Looks like 222020 has been pulled from service at Leicester after grinding to a halt at Kilby Bridge Jn heading on southbound on 1B32. Train was deemed fit enough to return to Leicester to detrain and return to Etches.

Alongside this 222017 had an issue at Kentish Town on 5B40, however this was resolved at Kentish and the train returned immediately back to service, where it covered for 222020 on 1F42.

Not sure if this means there is one less 222 on the MML now, or whether EMR managed to sort themselves out, but it would appear so far that they’ve reshuffled a lot of the moves out of Cricklewood to try and limit the damage - so far not found a flow completely cancelled as a cause of these failures though.