EMR Class 222’s - declining reliability

[38Cto15E]

Nothing life changing, but the wife and I are booked on the 1112 hrs Leicester to St Pancras next week to celebrate my 80th in London. This train seems to be cancelled at the moment, I will monitor closely next week, and just in case I will get to LEI in time for the 1102.
Our tickets are First Class but we were unable to reserve seats because of the 222/810 fiasco.
I have to walk with an aid so I have booked passenger assistance, but that doesn't ease the stress of what if the train is full and standing when it arrives in Leicester, can we sit in the back cab?
A couple who we are friends with had to stand from LEI to STP mid morning last week.
The MML has always been the bridesmaid and never the bride but now it has reached an all time low, ever since it moved to it's new station at Cambridge St
In no particular order, we now have 3 platforms for the big cities of Lei, Nott, Derby, Chesterf'ld and Sheff, three and a half standard class carriages on most trains, the 222/810 joke that is not funny, the electric gets cut off at Kilby Bridge, the Meridians probably do not owe the MML any money, they seem to be hard at it, but now like me they are very tired.

And this is without mentioning the debacle of moving the proposed station frontage at Leicester.

 

[Russel]

Just a thought, with the constant failures and lack of serviceable units, at what point would the ROSCO step in and ask EMR and Hitachi what on earth they are doing with their very expensive assets?

 

[QSK19]

Just a thought, with the constant failures and lack of serviceable units, at what point would the ROSCO step in and ask EMR and Hitachi what on earth they are doing with their very expensive assets?

I think it would be more Hitachi’s question to answer - EMR can only work with the tools they’re given. Liquidated damages paid out by Hitachi to Rock Rail have been significant.

 

[Russel]

I think it would be more Hitachi’s question to answer - EMR can only work with the tools they’re given. Liquidated damages paid out by Hitachi to Rock Rail have been significant.

Is the lease not in EMR's name though?

 

[QSK19]

Is the lease not in EMR's name though?

Yes, but the DfT (eventually GBR) is the judge, jury and executioner these days. EMR are given what they’re given and told to make it work - but if they’ve been given defective equipment and are entirely dependent on Hitachi for it to be fixed, how can they (EMR) really be blamed.

 

[Russel]

Yes, but the DfT (eventually GBR) is the judge, jury and executioner these days. EMR are given what they’re given and told to make it work - but if they’ve been given defective equipment and are entirely dependent on Hitachi for it to be fixed, how can they (EMR) really be blamed.

Because if it's EMR's name on the lease, they are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep, regardless of weather it's done in house or contracted out to Hitachi.

 

[Amos390]

Just seen 222102 out of Notts, front 2 coaches completely silent with both engines dead (that’s the first and mixed coaches), wouldn’t be shocked if that didn’t make it through the day on only the 3 of 5 engines.

 

[Trainman40083]

Just seen 222102 out of Notts, front 2 coaches completely silent with both engines dead (that’s the first and mixed coaches), wouldn’t be shocked if that didn’t make it through the day on only the 3 of 5 engines.

It has just left St Pancras at 15.35 on time. Just wondered if these 222s pulled out of stations on less engines and the other engines kicked in after it has left?

 

[Railperf]

It has just left St Pancras at 15.35 on time. Just wondered if these 222s pulled out of stations on less engines and the other engines kicked in after it has left?

It had a leisurely 50 min timing from Kettering in to St Pancras on its last diagram from Nottingham before a return trip to Kentish Town. Any serious delay in from Nottingham would likely have seen the Kentish Town ECS move curtailed.

The sets on 3 engines are slower accelerating so can lose 1 to 1.5 mins on each station to station section. But they can still reach 120mph+ downhill.

Also a 5-car on 3 engines can still do Kettering to St Pancras in under 46 mins, providing no other EMR or Thameslink services get in the way.

So even a few mins delay jncurred before Kettering can be absorbed by the 50 min timing. The fastest inbound journeys we have recorded for a 5-car set on all engines are only 2 min faster from Kettering.

The issue with a 3-engined set running around too long is that a loss of further engines results in set failure!

 

[Amos390]

Haha 222102 VSTPd off to Derby Etches from Notts, looks like another engine gave out, was meant to be on 1B79, which is the 1750 Fast to St Pancras: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:94852/2026-07-16/detailed

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

Just received an email concerning the EMR Intercity routes, it appears that the 222s have taken such a hit from the heat and the 810s are so untrustworthy so far that they’re reducing the Intercity timetable for the time being, not surprised having seen the amount of Intercity services canned lately due to ‘more trains than usual repairs at the same time’. Here is what was said in the email:

Dear customer,

We’re sorry that our Intercity services to and from London haven’t been as reliable as you, and we, expect recently. This follows service reliability issues with Hitachi Rail’s new Class 810 fleet and their maintenance of EMR’s existing Class 222 fleet.

We are committed to restoring the reliable service you rightly expect and are working with Hitachi Rail to resolve the issues affecting both fleets as quickly as possible.

To provide a consistent and reliable service while the issues are resolved, from Monday 20 July 2026 we will be introducing a temporary reduced timetable for our Intercity services.

We apologise for any inconvenience this causes and thank you for your patience and understanding. Please click below for more information including travel advice and details of the reduced timetable.

 

[Teapot42]

Same just posted on twitter:
Reduced Timetable

Includes some fairly peak time cancellations and reductions to 5 cars. The wording does throw Hitachi under the bus somewhat - maybe EMR are finally getting sick of taking all the flack for something they have limited control over.

 

[222001]

The reduced timetable is basically the removal of 5 222 diagrams, needing only 12 to be covered instead of 17. The only weekday northbound double set will now be the 1602 Sheffield!
I’ve also noticed the 1902 Sheffield is short formed, and the 1932 Sheffield is cancelled. That’ll be fun!

 

[Trainman40083]

So, they can't blame Hitachi for the regional units/ cancellations.

 

[Teapot42]

The reduced timetable is basically the removal of 5 222 diagrams, needing only 12 to be covered instead of 17. The only weekday northbound double set will now be the 1602 Sheffield!
I’ve also noticed the 1902 Sheffield is short formed, and the 1932 Sheffield is cancelled. That’ll be fun!

Similar on Saturdays, 1832 short formed and 1902 cancelled. That's 10 cars worth of capacity removed at a time lots of people want to travel. Far from ideal. Weekdays it's also the 10 cars right at the start of evening off-peak validity.

I wonder how the 'if your booked service is affected' bit works with open tickets. It seems to imply that people with advances will (to a degree) be able to ignore some of the peak restrictions, while those with open tickets won't. Especially important with the above considerable reduction in off-peak capacity.

 

[Railperf]

Are Class 222 reliability levels in breach of the maintenance contract? If so, can EMR appoach an alternative maintenance supplier and cancel Hitachis's contract?

 

[NickBucks]

You can bet your life that Heidi Alexander and the nascent GBR will not be rushing to comment on this.

 

[dk1]

You can bet your life that Heidi Alexander and the nascent GBR will not be rushing to comment on this.

I suppose as it’s nowt todo with GBR they are less than interested.

 

[spotify95]

I was just about to inform you of this email that I have received from EMR - however it seems as though this is not news after all!

Wouldn't be at all surprised if the poor upkeep of the 222s and the so-called "engine lottery" is partly to blame for this.
I do note that running a service on 3/5 is far from ideal because it has a high risk of dropping to 2/5 (or worse) and being pulled from service! The timings uptrend from @Railperf have been interesting to read as well, so thank you for this!

 

[londonmidland]

All of EMR’s worst nightmares have come true.

You have a new fleet of trains, which have been delivered years late, whilst riddled with their own individual issues.

You also have the 222s, which are being sent away, with the remaining ones being on their last legs.

It really is a dire situation.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

All of EMR’s worst nightmares have come true.

You have a new fleet of trains, which have been delivered years late, whilst riddled with their own individual issues.

You also have the 222s, which are being sent away, with the remaining ones being on their last legs.

It really is a dire situation.

A reduced timetable is the best course of action given the situation and really should have been enacted as soon as EMR were required to release the 222's to Lumo. It would be interesting to know if they tried to enact that and whether DfTO thwarted them.

 

[QSK19]

All of EMR’s worst nightmares have come true.

You have a new fleet of trains, which have been delivered years late, whilst riddled with their own individual issues.

You also have the 222s, which are being sent away, with the remaining ones being on their last legs.

It really is a dire situation.

Putting 170s on MML services once 222s finally have to leave would be the salt in the wound!

Whilst that’s not going to happen in all likelihood, I wouldn’t rule anything out these days! After all, at one point, there was no way at all that 810s would enter service as late as December 2025!

 

[Trainman40083]

Putting 170s on MML services once 222s finally have to leave would be the salt in the wound!

Whilst that’s not going to happen in all likelihood, I wouldn’t rule anything out these days! After all, at one point, there was no way at all that 810s would enter service as late as December 2025!

If they put 170s on London services, there will be many gaps on local services.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

If they put 170s on London services, there will be many gaps on local services.

The purpose of the reduced timetable is to deliver a service level that they can resource thus there is no need to "borrow" from the regional services

 

[InTheEastMids]

All of EMR’s worst nightmares have come true.

Looking at EMR media releases, it's quite a change in tone and in my experience it's unusual for the blame to be so clearly laid at the door if a single supplier. You don't normally do this if you want to maintain a great working relationship.

Roger Ford, in a tweeted reply to Rail Magazine's Phil Haigh said:

I'm told there's no consistency to the faults - vary from train to train

Roger Ford (@Captain_Deltic) on X

@philatrail I'm told there's no consistency to the faults - vary from train to train. So can't use classic ranking by frequency ( Top 10) to prioritize rectification work. Time to release the Strategic Reserve of IC125s, if someone at DfT can remember which tunnel they were mothballed in

x.com

Both of these developments suggest a very long road to getting 810 availability where it needs to be, for 222 reliability to stop mattering.

Us paying customers can look forward to the s***show continuing for many months

 

[222001]

Both of these developments suggest a very long road to getting 810 availability where it needs to be, for 222 reliability to stop mattering.

Us paying customers can look forward to the s***show continuing for many months

I’m really hoping this is the lowest of the low right now, and things can only get better. The temporary timetable at least gives some certainty - hopefully half functioning units are no longer hastily sent out, only to fail during the day.

 

[38Cto15E]

Do we not have a strategic Reserve at Crewe or Carnforth we can call on?

 

[STINT47]

Hitachi should be made to compensate impact customers. I know they have paid compensation to the leasing company but they should give something back to the travelling public who have been so badly impacted by their poor service.

 

[Potteries 323]

I suppose they could always hire a set from Lumo if they have one spare.Their 222s seem to be running fine in this hot weather,but are maintained by Bombardier at Central Rivers not Hitachi!

 

[InTheEastMids]

I suppose they could always hire a set from Lumo if they have one spare.Their 222s seem to be running fine in this hot weather,but are maintained by Bombardier at Central Rivers not Hitachi!

And this points to a pointed question that out esteemed railway press might ask. Start by asking Hitachi whether they investigated subcontracting some Cl222 work to Alstom to free up capacity/catch up with their backlog?

If it hasn't been looked at, why not?
If it has, why has it not progressed?

The point being that whatever the answer is, it might lead to a better question, probably one that is following the money.

 

[T74]

And this points to a pointed question that out esteemed railway press might ask. Start by asking Hitachi whether they investigated subcontracting some Cl222 work to Alstom to free up capacity/catch up with their backlog?

If it hasn't been looked at, why not?
If it has, why has it not progressed?

The point being that whatever the answer is, it might lead to a better question, probably one that is following the money.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jul 2026 ==

If they put 170s on London services, there will be many gaps on local services.

Isn’t there the 4 180s still in store can’t they bring them back crews would king need a refresher on them wouldn’t they