East Midlands Railway: Overcrowding
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with East Midlands Railway on the levels of overcrowding on services serving Leicester; and what steps she is planning to take to increase passenger capacity after October 2026.
Answered by Department for Transport
The Department recognises that recent crowding on some East Midlands Railway (EMR) services serving Leicester has affected passenger experience. The Department, through DfT Operator Ltd (DFTO), continues to work closely with EMR to address crowding concerns and support urgent action to restore capacity on the route.
Delays to the introduction of EMR’s new Intercity Aurora trains have reduced train resilience during the transition period, increasing the risk of cancellations and reducing capacity when trains are unavailable for service. EMR introduced a temporary reduced Intercity timetable from 20 July 2026 in order to minimise short notice cancellations and improve service reliability for passengers.
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