Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with East Midlands Railways on the potential impact of delays and cancellations on people travelling between Leicester and London.

The Department recognises that the recent reliability of East Midlands Railway (EMR) services serving Leicester have not been adequate. The Department, through DfT Operator Ltd (DFTO), has been clear to EMR that the current service is unacceptable and is working closely with EMR and industry partners to urgently improve performance.

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.

From 31 August 2026, EMR has increased its Intercity services from 87% to 92% of the full planned timetable. This represents a significant step towards restoring services for passengers.