Bedford rail passengers face a mixed outlook this week as planned midweek strike action on East Midlands Railway (EMR) services has been suspended.
The rail union RMT called off the strikes scheduled for this Wednesday (16 September) and Thursday (17 September), after management moved on issues with the new Class 810 fleet.
Full timetable
EMR, which is operated by Transport UK, confirmed it will run a full timetable through Bedford on both Wednesday and Thursday.
Philippa Cresswell, customer experience director at EMR, said: “We welcome the suspension of the planned strike action and the opportunity this provides to continue our discussions with the RMT to fully resolve the dispute in a constructive way.”
Safety concerns
The dispute follows previous strike action over the August bank holiday weekend over safety concerns about the new train fleet.
Read: Bedford rail passengers face bank holiday strike action over new train safety
Union leaders congratulated members for their determination to ensure the Class 810 fleet operates only under safe conditions.
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “However, it is disappointing that EMR will not accept simple union demands around unsolicited brake applications and the Aux On/Off failures.
“We all want to ensure a safe railway, and RMT members at EMR will remain vigilant in the fight for safety.”
Future disruption
Despite the midweek suspension, action short of a strike by relevant EMR union members remains scheduled to begin on Sunday, 20 September 2026.
The action short of a strike remains in place if any unsolicited brake applications occur to stop the train.
Action short of a strike means that union members continue to go to work and do their normal jobs, but they refuse to carry out certain extra duties or specific non-contractual tasks.
For RMT members this may include not working overtime, rest days or non-rostered Sunday shifts.
As a result, Bedfordians planning to travel from Sunday may still face short-notice train alterations and cancellations.
Local travellers are advised to check the EMR website before starting their journeys.
