EMR Avis 

We're very grateful to EMR for making our journey successful. We had challenges of a late arrival of a previous train, an accompanying dog to look after, hot weather and non-flexible tickets. But the EMR staff were extremely helpful, flexible and kind in assisting us to sort things out. We were able to make an important appointment through their efforts.

1 star is a star too much. Absolutely dreadful experience. Overcrowded. Late. No seat reservations. Excuses galore. I’d say never again but what choice do we have. EMR proves again that private companies cannot provided, nor come anywhere near providing, a services worthy of the ridiculous train fares we have to pay.

I paid over £80 for an advance single (i.e. not booked on the day of travel) between Chesterfield and London. Not only is this frankly ludicrously expensive for a one way ticket, there was absolutely no functional WiFi on the train, so I was unable to do any work. Shamefully expensive for the service

“Deep passenger frustration. Reviews heavily criticise the service for frequent delays, significant overcrowding, high ticket prices, and a complicated, lengthy refund process.” Unfortunately I’m not surprised, I experienced all of this and still have no refund.

Never fail to let you down. Always late probably the worst train line in the uk whenever I can avoid using them I do and when I have to use them I make sure I never pay for a ticket as I’ll be eligible for a refund either way. Shocking company

I travelled 1st class St Pancras to Nottingham on the 11th June 2026, A young lady names Kaori served me in the train and she was superb, smiling and good old fashioned service made a real difference to my journey, I am 79 and she took really good care of me.

As our LNER service was cancelled we had to use EMR to get home and they were very helpful. The staff kept us well informed about onward travel and making arrangements.

I have been travelling on EMR trains to London for over 20 yrs & this is my first review as it has never been so bad or so expensive. Constant delays, cancellations, no seats, being shouted at, AC not working etc etc all for an ASTRONOMIC cost, how is this legal or allowed? I will now be driving to catch the train from Tamworth to London, as I wld rather do that than give them a penny more. It’s honestly inhuman the way they treat customers.

Truly appalling. Decided while I was on the train that it would no longer stop at my station, forcing me to get off in a different city and spend £40 on a taxi, and then refused my Delay Repay application because it wasn’t a delay. It was worse than a delay, it was the complete failure to deliver me to my destination at all. This doesn’t even seem to be an out of the ordinary experience with EMR. EMR need the franchise to be removed from them as soon as possible. Next time, I will book with LNER and change trains, just to avoid EMR.

This railway company is scandalous in the way that they conducted themselves in our circumstances.
My wife and I made a journey using our two together railcard.
Part of our return journey, on an EMR train, was delayed which caused us to miss a subsequent connection. Our eventual end of the days' travelling was 58 minutes late.
It took well over an hour of our time to complete the delay repay claim due entirely to the totally bleeding useless EMR website.
I got an amount back, half of what I should have received, for just me. The claim for my wife was rejected.
I wrote a detailed response on their website but was unable to send it . I tried to ring, so that I could complain verbally, but the waiting time, with bonkers accompanying music, was far too long.
I gave up with the idea so that I could restart getting on with the rest of my life.
The whole EMR delay processes are set up, in such a way, that you could die from old age before you might get sorted but there is no certainty that anything positive will occur.
They are a total disgrace !

Train was mildly late, but driver was highly communicative and apologetic throughout, which was really appreciated. Understanding that issues can occur that are out of the hands of the driver, but also feeling acknowledged on how this affects my journey is the perfect approach. Beyond that a comfortable and easy ride from start to finish.

This was my first time ever using an East Midlands Railway (EMR) service, and I have to say I was quite disappointed.
We are in 2026, yet the train I travelled on felt very outdated. There were no charging sockets, no Wi-Fi (not even a paid option), and the overall experience wasn't what I expected from a modern railway.
The trains are clearly very busy, with lots of people relying on them every day. Investing in better, more comfortable trains would make a huge difference to passengers' experience.
EMR often talks about the rail industry losing around £200 million a year to fare evasion, but improving the quality of the service is also part of encouraging people to choose rail and feel they are getting value for money. �
East Midlands Railway
If you look at how Greater Anglia has transformed its fleet over the years, the difference is remarkable. Modern trains with power sockets, reliable Wi-Fi, improved accessibility and more comfortable interiors have significantly improved the passenger experience. EMR should aim to follow that example.
I understand that new trains and refurbishments take time, and EMR has started introducing new and refurbished trains on some routes, but many passengers are still travelling on older rolling stock without the facilities that have become standard elsewhere

Customer support that doesn't support the customer.. you phone them up and they refuse to help you, because you have to do it apparently, but you can't do it as they have issues with the website, but try in half a week to a week. Pathetic..

Traveling by EMR to and from Nottingham on Friday 26th June. The service was shocking every train was badly delayed or cancelled. I witnessed vulnerable members of the public be left to fend for them selves trying to get home. It was very upsetting to witness and a disgraceful the lack of custermer service and safe guarding from EMR. From this experience alone they should loss the franchise. Zero star service. EMR you are a Disgrace.

I am a terrible traveller at the best of times .A few weeks ago I called into Lincoln Station to" see how things work " We need to travel in the near future but my husband is now very unsteady on his feet and the prospect was genuinely causing me sleepless nights. A very nice member of staff approached and asked if she could help, she was so kind, understanding and helpful and explained everything to me ( ramps etc).I was so relieved by the end that I dissolved into tears, and the lady even gave me a hug !!!! bless her. E.M.R get a lot of criticism, but staff at Lincoln are amazing and deserve credit. A beautiful Station, very clean with plenty of staff willing to help. Fantastic service E.M.R.Lincoln and thanks again

27/5/26 I was on the 9:07 a.m. train from Nottingham to Oxford.

I had a nightmare with my ticket. I'd booked Nottingham to Oxford on trainline, was directed to the wrong train/ platform, and as the train left Nottingham, I looked at my ticket which said it was to Oxford, but via Lemington Spa and not Derby and Birmingham?

I tried to find a conductor to ascertain what had happened. As I was on a charity task/ trip, I needed to get to hospitals on time for deliveries. I don't have the luxury of not being on the right train nor having delays.

I eventually managed to find Gaynor, one of your train employees who was catching a lift from Nottingham to Derby.

Although she wasn't working on the train I was on, she couldn't be helpful enough. She did her best to fathom what happened and even researched the tickets to try and help.

She spent awhile trying to sort the solution and I cant thank her enough. This is just a recognition of a great staff member that you have who was keen to assist.

On another charity trip the next week, 3/6/26 a male in the Nottinham ticket office couldn't help enough to try and find the best ticket for my complex journey. He took his time and saved the charity £100 on the tickets. I was very impressed with this EMR employee and his customer focus.

I normally find EMR staff helpful but these two stood out.

Worst train company imo

I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the excellent assistance provided by one of your conductors on the 21:02 service from London King’s Cross to Sheffield on Saturday, 30 May.
Due to delays caused by an earlier train, our service arrived approximately 15 minutes late. As a result, several passengers, including myself, were at risk of missing the final connection from Derby to Matlock.
The conductor handled the situation exceptionally well. He took the time to explain the circumstances to around ten affected passengers and ensured that arrangements were made so that everyone could reach their destination safely.
In particular, he arranged for the train to make a special stop at Belper for a passenger travelling with a bicycle. As I was carrying a large suitcase and Belper was also convenient for me, I was kindly allowed to make use of this arrangement as well, which was a tremendous help.
There was also a young woman who was understandably upset about missing her connection, and I was impressed by the way the conductor reassured and encouraged her. His calm, professional, and caring manner was truly reassuring.
I do not know whether such arrangements are standard procedure when passengers miss the last connecting train, but I wanted to highlight how much I appreciated his efforts on that evening. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask for his name, but I would be grateful if you could pass on my thanks and recognition to him.

Travelled to London as a couple, at the same time, on the same train using tickets I bought at the same time, sitting next to each other.

Train got into London over 30 mins late so we claimed for late arrival.

My wife's ticket got 1/2 the compensation it should have, they paid as if it were 15 mins late

My ticket? Weeks later they refused to pay any compensation at all - a fundamentally dishonest process.

1 star is undeserving. Crowded train and no air conditioner or fans even under a 30 degree heat wave 😢. Won’t forget to mention, No WiFi, No charger ports.