Cascaded HST's to enter service with EMR in early 2020

East Midlands Railway can confirm it will start to temporarily operate a cascaded fleet of High Speed Trains (HST's) in early 2020.

The fleet will be cascaded from London North Eastern Railway (LNER) following an agreement between EMR, LNER and the Department for Transport.

By the end of 2020, all EMR Intercity services will be delivered by Class 222 and Class 180 trains. These trains meet the PRM-TSI compliance and are significantly more modern than the HST’s which will be removed from the East Midlands franchise.

By December 2022, an overall investment of more than £400 million will replace or refurbish all trains on the network, including the introduction of the brand new bi-mode units on EMR Intercity routes.

The current LNER fleet of HST’s was significantly refurbished as recently as 2016 which included new seat covers, tables, carpets and improved toilets.

The cascaded fleet also offers better accessibility and facilities for passengers, including:

• Passenger toilets with improved accessibility
• Call for aid facilities
• Larger wheelchair spaces
• Priority seating - including moveable armrests
• At seat power sockets in first and standard class

Further improvement work will also be carried out before entry into service with EMR, including the installation of a new on-board Passenger Information System.

This is a temporary measure, designed to provide the best possible passenger experience, while EMR works to introduce a more modern and improved train fleet, better suited to the needs of the network.

In addition to the cascaded trains, EMR will continue to offer a high-quality passenger assistance programme, ensuring all passengers can travel with ease and will receive the support they require.

Chris Wright, Fleet Director, East Midlands Railway, said:
"By December 2022, we will have replaced our entire train fleet to provide modern and accessible trains better suited to the routes they operate. That work is already well underway but it does not happen overnight.

"The agreement to temporarily use the cascaded HST's means we can provide a much better service for all passengers travelling on our EMR Intercity services in the short term, while we invest to provide a better service going forward."

ENDS