East Midlands Railway Boss Departs Amid Aurora Fleet Disputes

Transport UK Group announced on July 27, 2026, that Will Rogers has left his role as head of East Midlands Railway (EMR) with immediate effect. Neil Grabham, formerly of Merseyrail, has been appointed as interim managing director to lead the operator during a period of operational instability.

Rogers' departure coincides with a crisis over the rollout of the £400 million Hitachi-manufactured Aurora fleet. The RMT union has scheduled strikes for August 1, 8, and 15, alleging that the Class 810 trains have operated with significant faults since December. While EMR denies that the fleet fails safety standards, it has acknowledged ongoing reliability and maintenance issues. Internal reports from spring 2026 show that faults increased by over 150% and average repair times doubled from six to 12 days.

In addition to the new fleet issues, EMR is managing equipment failures in older Class 222 models and the aftermath of a fatal collision near Bedford that killed a driver and injured more than 160 people. Dominic Booth, Chief Executive of Transport UK, credited Rogers for his role in delivering service and embodying the company's delivery-first mentality.