East Midlands Trains

In June 2006, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced its intention to restructure several rail franchises,[2] which included an East Midlands franchise that combined the Midland Mainline franchise with the East Midlands services of the Central Trains franchise.[3] In September 2006 the DfT announced that Arriva, FirstGroup, National Express and Stagecoach had been shortlisted to bid for the franchise.[4][5]

In June 2007, the DfT awarded the East Midlands franchise to Stagecoach. Services operated by Central Trains and Midland Mainline transferred to East Midlands Trains on 11 November 2007.[6]

During 2008, EMT introduced extensive timetable revisions; amongst other changes, journey times on the principal Sheffield-London route were reduced considerably, a feat that had largely been enabled by the high performance of its British Rail Class 222 Meridian fleet.[7] One year later, in partnership with the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, EMT expanded its services on the route to encompass two trains every hour. A substantial growth in passenger numbers and associated revenue were recorded; in 2014, EMT observed that it only expected demand to continue increasing for the foreseeable future.[7]

Further decreases in journey times were achieved by EMT during the 2010s. One particularly impactful change was the completion of infrastructure improvements on 9 December 2013 that enabled 125 mph (200 km/h) along major stretches of the Midland Main Line for the first time.[8] To achieve this, EMT had invested £70 million into the improvement of almost 160 miles of track over the course of several years; the scheme was the route's biggest transformation in decades. The operator had worked closely with the national railway infrastructure company Network Rail on this and other initiatives to improve the route, such as a major re-signalling scheme performed in and around Nottingham station at a cost of £100 million largely performed during the summer of 2013.[7]

EMT also implemented numerous schemes to enhance safety; consequently, the franchise was awarded the NRA Safety Award three years in a row.[7] Such measures have included the installation of platform-end fencing and the presence of trespass guards at more trafficked stations; attention was also paid to reducing the risks associated with level crossings and great reduce their misuse via its work with the British Transport Police. EMT also cooperated with agencies including Network Rail, ASLEF, and the Samaritans in the prevention of suicides, which has led to extensive staff training, fund raising events, and campaign signage at several of its stations.[7]

Amidst a background of ongoing rail strikes on a national level, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) warned in September 2017 that EMT employees could be balloted for potential industrial action following a breakdown in negotiations over an ongoing pay rise dispute.[9] The dispute was eventually settled without industrial action, and the threat of strikes on East Midlands Trains services was dropped. As a result of staff engagement surveys, EMT launched its ‘Executive on Tour’ programme during the 2010s to bring about a higher level of contact between the franchise's upper management and its frontline staff, which included regular in-person visits and open discussions about the business between staff to increase engagement and improve understanding.[7]

In November 2014, EMT was recognised as the Passenger Operator of the Year at RAIL’s National Rail Awards for the high quality of customer service that it provided in comparison to other franchises offer. According to the organisation, service levels had substantially increased in the region since the implementation of the franchising system in 1996, and that the company had performed better than most peers in response to service disruptors such as Cyclone Dirk and other natural phenomenon.[7]

Amid EMT's franchise period, there was ambitious plans to electrify the majority of the Midland Main Line by 2020 at an expected cost of £800 million.[10] In January 2013, Network Rail expected the electrification scheme to cost £500 million and be undertaken in stages during Control Period 5 (April 2014 – March 2019;[11] with Bedford to Corby section electrified by 2017, Kettering to Derby and Nottingham by 2019 and Derby to Sheffield by 2020.[12] the organisation also recommended procuring the Class 801 in 10 car formations for the InterCity services,[13] However, these plans were put on hold by the Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, in June 2015.[14]

While originally scheduled to end in March 2015, East Midlands Trains succeeded in having their franchise extended on multiple occasions.[15] Neverthless, the company continued to have periodically submit competitively bids and emerge as the superior offering amongst its rivals to continue operating its services.[16]

In March 2017, the DfT announced Stagecoach, Arriva UK Trains and a joint venture between FirstGroup and Trenitalia had been shortlisted to bid for the next franchise.[17][18][16] Abellio was added to the contenders in February 2018.[19] FirstGroup and Trenitalia pulled out of the bidding process in April 2018 to focus on the West Coast Partnership franchise.[20] An Invitation to Tender was issued in June 2018, detailing the improvements that bidders for the franchise must make.[16] In April 2019, the DfT announced that Abellio had won its bid for the East Midlands franchise; Stagecoach had been disqualified from the process for its submission failing to meet employee pension obligations.[21][22] Accordingly, the EMT's tenure came to its end during August 2019, at which point the new operator East Midlands Railway took over all services formerly being undertaken by the company.[23][24]

East Midlands Trains initially divided its services between two sub-brands: Mainline inter-city services, and Connect urban and suburban services, which mainly came from the Central Trains franchise. However, from April 2008, the company dropped the "Mainline" and "Connect" branding in favour of "London" and "Local" services. It also has four broad routes for the areas in which it operates, except for the high-speed services, which all serve London.

EMT promised better integration between "London" and "Local" services, together with increased punctuality and becoming more user-friendly.[25]

On 25 November 2008, Peter Bone (MP for Wellingborough) asked if the Secretary of State for Transport supports the "In the Can" campaign,[26] whereby sardines are sent to the Chief Executive to show dissatisfaction at perceived overcrowding.[27] Helen Southworth (then MP for Warrington South) also raised the overcrowding issue on the same day.[28]

The service pattern at the start of the franchise was of 4 off-peak departures from London: 2 fast (1 each to Sheffield and Nottingham) and 2 stopping (1 each to Derby and Nottingham). Sheffield peak-hour trains extended from and to Leeds, with weekend services also extending to York/Scarborough. 1 peak-hour Derby service was extended to Burton-on-Trent and one to Barnsley. EMT made no significant changes until the introduction of its December 2008 timetable.

In December 2008, EMT made significant changes to the service pattern, which was similar to the current one (see below). There are five off-peak departures from London: 2 fast (1 to Sheffield and 1 to Nottingham), 1 semi-fast (initially to Derby; extended to Sheffield from December 2009) and 2 stopping (1 to Nottingham and 1 to Corby). A smaller number of Sheffield peak-hour trains continue to extend from and to Leeds, with weekend services also extending to York/Scarborough. In addition a Nottingham service is extended to start from Lincoln Central on weekdays and Saturdays.[29] There were plans initially for 2 return services to Skegness through from London in the summer; however, these currently run through from Derby instead of London, because of speed restrictions around Boston. The Burton-on-Trent and Barnsley services ceased at the beginning of the December 2008 timetable, when Corby services began. One Corby service was extended to Melton Mowbray at the outset, and a second was added to Derby from May 2010.

On 9 December 2013, the Midland Main Line officially started running at 125 mph (200 km/h) in some areas, leading to reductions in several journey times.[8]

The Liverpool Lime Street via Warrington Central, Manchester Oxford Road and Piccadilly, Sheffield, Nottingham, Peterborough and Ely to Norwich service was previously provided by Central Trains. Nottinghamshire County Council has consistently campaigned for better services between the four core cities of Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield and Nottingham.[30][31] Network Rail's plans for the Northern Hub would deliver extra train paths along the Hope Valley Line, enabling more trains to run from the North West to the East Midlands.[32] In December 2012, double-unit trains were provided for services between Manchester and Nottingham to ease overcrowding.[33]

East Midlands Trains' services were categorized into two types:

• London: inter-city services out of London St Pancras station, along the Midland Main Line, to various towns and cities in the East Midlands region including Bedford, Kettering, Corby, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield. Some peak-time services also served Lincoln Central, Doncaster, Leeds and York, while a single Saturday service also ran to and from Scarborough in the summer. These services all used Class 222 trains or HST sets, which were painted in a white livery.
• Local: short- and medium-distance services mostly within the East Midlands region, plus the long-distance route between Liverpool Lime Street and Norwich. These services were operated by Sprinters (Class 153s, Class 156s and Class 158s). The Class 158 units were painted in a white livery, while the remaining units were all in a blue livery.

As of January 2018, the typical off-peak weekday East Midlands Trains services, with frequencies in trains per hour (tph), included:[34][lower-alpha 1]

East Midlands Trains 222009 at London St Pancras with a service to Sheffield

An East Midlands Trains Class 222 Meridian passing Clay Cross, Derbyshire

• The Sheffield Continental: 06:49 Sheffield to St Pancras, no return working. Introduced in December 2008.[35]
• The Master Cutler: 07:29 Sheffield-St Pancras and 16:58 return. A named service inherited from Midland Mainline.
• The South Yorkshireman: 07:46 Sheffield-St Pancras and 17:58 return. Introduced in December 2008.[35]
• The Robin Hood: 07:10 Nottingham-St Pancras and 16:15 return. A named service inherited from Midland Mainline.

The company introduced a penalty fare scheme in late 2009, covering all mainline stations served by EMT from London to Sheffield via Corby, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Alfreton. During 2016, the penalty fare scheme was extended in scope to include the Robin Hood Line from Nottingham to Worksop.

Stagecoach Group, EMT's parent company, introduced Megatrain fares on its London routes on 2 January 2008[36] operating to/from London St Pancras International to Leicester, Loughborough, Derby, Nottingham, Chesterfield and Sheffield.

Megatrain fares were also introduced on Route 2 between Sheffield, Chesterfield, Nottingham and Peterborough or Norwich.[37]

East Midlands Parkway was used as an interchange station for combined multi-modal journeys under the brand name "MegabusPlus", whereby passengers were carried by road coach from the cities in the north of England to East Midlands Parkway, where passengers transferred to rail for the service to London.[38]

Routes operated under the "MegabusPlus" brand were between London and:

• Hull via Scunthorpe
• York via Castleford and Harrogate
• Huddersfield via Bradford and Halifax

The bus from Hull and Scunthorpe also had a stop at Doncaster at the launch of MegabusPlus, but due to lack of demand in Doncaster, the service stopped calling there.

St Pancras International, the London terminus of East Midlands Trains' services

Perhaps on the most outwardly perceivable undertaking during EMT's tenure was a total fleet refurbishment programme. At a cost of £30 million, the refurbishment involved every single train in the company's fleet receiving upgrades and refits. Benefits of this work include train interiors being improved considerably along with a major year-on-year reduction in delay minutes by 20% by late 2014.[7]

The number of departures from London were also increased from four to five an hour off-peak incorporating Corby services and extending the hours of operation with earlier arrival and later departures, to allow better connections with Eurostar at St Pancras.[39]

On 9 December 2013, 125 miles per hour (201 km/h) running was introduced on extended stretches of the Midland Main Line following a multi-year upgrade programme, involving the installation of improved signalling and additional tracks, at a reported cost of £70 million.[8] The upgraded infrastructure, amongst other benefits, enabled EMT to operate its trains at faster speeds from Nottingham and Sheffield to London St Pancras.

Leicester had received an enhanced service with earlier and later trains so that business travellers can connect with the continent.

More than £5 million was pledged for station enhancements.[40] These included the opening of East Midlands Parkway station to serve East Midlands Airport and a new station being opened in Corby.[41][42]

The provision of Wi-Fi internet at key stations including Leicester,[43] Derby,[44] and Sheffield. Installation of ticket barriers at more stations including London St Pancras Domestic, Derby Midland and Nottingham.[45]

To better accommodate the use of its services by cyclists, EMT launched a series of cycle hubs at major stations, including Sheffield, Leicester and Nottingham. This initiative led to an additional 1,000 cycle spaces being created, along secure storage and changing facilities, bike repair apparatus and local cycling information facilities onsite.[7]

Derby Etches Park train maintenance depot underwent an extensive upgrade.[46]

Introduction of smart card technology, similar to that used on South West Trains, at all London route stations and all those in the Leicester/Derby/Nottingham commuter triangle, and the installation of more self-service ticket machines across the network.[47]

East Midlands Trains also managed stations at which they did not operate services. These stations were all only served by CrossCountry. They were Hinckley, Narborough, South Wigston, Willington and Burton-on-Trent.

Originally, it was proposed to remove the buffet cars from High Speed Train sets as they were relatively heavy and used only to cook breakfast on some trains; they were intended to be replaced by an at-seat trolley service.[48] However, following a review of the decision amid passenger outcry for its retention, the company opted to instead launch an enhanced catering service for the start of the May 2008 timetable.[49] Since September 2010, Rail Gourmet had provided all standard class catering. WiFi had been available on all services from London since 5 September 2010.[50]

On 1 February 2008, an East Midlands train was involved in an incident at Barrow upon Soar. The train hit a footbridge in its path, after a road vehicle had struck and damaged the bridge causing it to be foul of the line. Six passengers were on board the service and the driver had to be cut free from the driving cab.[66]

On 20 February 2010, an express from London St Pancras to Sheffield was derailed north of Market Harborough, causing track damage and major disruption to rail services for three days. East Midlands Trains put an emergency timetable into place, running services via Melton Mowbray on 21, 22 and 23 February. A complete safety check found no problems in the rest of the fleet.[67][68]