First class seating area of a Aurora train // Credit: East Midlands Railway
East Midlands Railway (EMR) have released photographs showing the inside of their new £400m intercity Aurora train fleet.
The introduction of Hitachi’s bi-mode trains is set to revolutionize customer travel on the Midland Main Line, with a rollout scheduled for 2025 and continuing into 2026.
The seating layout of a new Aurora train // Credit: East Midlands Railway
The new state-of-the-art trains boast additional seating and luggage capacity compared to EMR’s current Meridian fleet, along with contemporary interiors, air conditioning, complimentary WiFi, power sockets, USB ports at every seat, and real-time passenger information.
Three pin and USB charging points under the arm rest between the seats // Credit: East Midlands Railway
EMR has developed and customized a fresh seat design for their new trains.
In collaboration with the Derby-based design company DG DESIGN, they have refined the established FISA Lean seat model to provide improved comfort and support.
The seat enhancements involved enlarging the cushions, headrests, and armrests, while ensuring the use of high-quality, durable materials such as wool-rich herringbone moquette and leather throughout.
First class seating area of a Aurora train // Credit: East Midlands Railway
Simultaneously, it has been ensured that the seats are equipped with all the necessary practical and technological amenities, such as power and USB outlets, ample leg room, coat hooks, and suitably large seat-back tables for all airline-style seats.
Additionally, there is space to store a cabin bag under each seat, along with plentiful overhead luggage compartments. There is also a larger space for wheelchairs and storage for bicycles.
Larger Wheel Chair seating with fold out table // Credit: East Midlands Railway
The upcoming Aurora fleet will feature a cutting-edge Wi-Fi system, utilizing multiple SIM cards to ensure the strongest possible signal for passengers during their journey to and from the capital.
Customers seeking to use their personal mobile signal will experience improved connectivity, as the trains are equipped with custom-designed glass windows that enable signals to penetrate.
Larger luggage spaces can accommodate the biggest cases // Credit: East Midlands Railway
“We’re really excited to share new photos of the interiors of our bi-mode fleet as the fleet progresses through testing and towards being passenger-ready.
“We have worked closely with Hitachi to ensure our trains offer customers the features and comfort they expect from a modern train.
Rachel Turner, Head of New Trains at East Midlands Railway
And perhaps send the Class 222 Meridians that East Midlands Railway are replacing them with the Class 810 Aurora up to Scotland. As ScotRail is to get rid of the “Inter7City” HSTs.
What a horror. In Standard Class highbacked seats (presenting only inches from the face of the person sitting in the seat behind and preventing any visibility through windows further down the carriage, some seemingly aligned with bulkheads) create a feeling of claustrophobia and make a journey by train companies operating this stock one to be avoided.
No good for passengers from Luton …going to Sheffield … Their journey has to start on a clapped out 2nd hand class 360 with 1st class declassified ..that over the bridge at Kettering and stand watch a Sheffield go by, then take the Nottingham and then hang about at Leicester for the next Sheffield .. Poor service overall ..company is obsessed with Leicester / London journey time and nothing else.
All very well, but these trains will not serve my Local station at Wellingborough. In order to travel Northbound, I will have to change at Both Kettering and then Leicester.
Fares will need to be substantialy reduced from Kettering to London before I start using trains regular again .Just back from Italy,£ 20 return all day long for the same milage.
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Responses
Great news and looks fantastic. Hopefully it will be the start of a real improvement.
And perhaps send the Class 222 Meridians that East Midlands Railway are replacing them with the Class 810 Aurora up to Scotland. As ScotRail is to get rid of the “Inter7City” HSTs.
Still using USB A, what about USB C..
What a horror. In Standard Class highbacked seats (presenting only inches from the face of the person sitting in the seat behind and preventing any visibility through windows further down the carriage, some seemingly aligned with bulkheads) create a feeling of claustrophobia and make a journey by train companies operating this stock one to be avoided.
As usual, no proper low-back support.
But will the seat reservations actually work and show? That’s the big question.
No good for passengers from Luton …going to Sheffield … Their journey has to start on a clapped out 2nd hand class 360 with 1st class declassified ..that over the bridge at Kettering and stand watch a Sheffield go by, then take the Nottingham and then hang about at Leicester for the next Sheffield .. Poor service overall ..company is obsessed with Leicester / London journey time and nothing else.
Im in France every TGV and most other mainline trains have all the features EMR are trumpeting about and have for years what’s the big deal?
Class 810
Seats like park benches again , as per usual.
All very well, but these trains will not serve my Local station at Wellingborough. In order to travel Northbound, I will have to change at Both Kettering and then Leicester.
Fares will need to be substantialy reduced from Kettering to London before I start using trains regular again .Just back from Italy,£ 20 return all day long for the same milage.
Hope they’ve amended the overhead racks so they actually accept luggage.