EMR Reviews 

EMR just don’t seem to be able to get it right. Cancelled trains, overcrowding, lateness. Recent experience - train cancelled, told to get on next train, standing room only, lodged a complaint nearly 2 weeks ago….nothing. Truly terrible. Bring it back under public control.

I'd like to record the outstanding help we had from a staff member at Chesterfield station. My husband has mobility issues. The staff member came on to the train, took our cases, helped my husband off the train and took him to the bus stop. This was all done in the kindest and most sympathetic way. The staff member made a huge impact on our holiday travel.

It's not just the running of the trains that seem to be a challenge for EMR. This morning I went onto their site,
only to find I couldn't login. I changed my password that made no difference, I cleaned my cache, switched off and on, ran my anti virus and cleaner, but still could not access my account. So I took a deep breath and called EMR, after 20 minutes a very polite and helpful young aldy answered the phone and decided to put my call through to their web department. They promtly cut me off. So another 35minute wait and the same young lady answered the phone again, she put me back through to their web department. The lady there was probably as much use as a train without tracks! I have requested her to delete my account and I will be using trainline to buy all my future tickets.

It's was shit because the train was delayed and we had to go for a 3 hour extra train. Nob

Not the slightest hint of embarrassment for cancelling loads of their upcoming weekend trains, and providing a service where I regularly sit on the floor because there are no seats left. A rude army of ticket checkers block all the doors until you prove you have a ticket. I planned to ask if I could use the one I had before purchasing one. Nope, you will just miss the train. Zero flexibility for them- imagine not letting someone on the train because they’ve accidentally booked the journey with start and finish destinations the wrong way round (not me, someone else). This level of vigilance when your service is a total shambles is completely ridiculous.

My family and I were dealing with a bereavement today. En route to be with our loved one, we encountered Mel and Callum at Derby Station and Habib at St Pancras Station, who went above and beyond to show us kindness and ensure we were able to be with our family. We are very appreciative of this kindness on such a sad day.

Customer Relations team
I had a problem with a delay/replay claim. They claimed some ticket information was missing although I sent photos of the tickets.
I phoned their Customer Relations team on a Tuesday afternoon and was on hold for 2 HOURS. When I eventually got through the lady said there were only two of them currently answering calls to Customer Relations. No surprise why I had to wait so long… Give this company a miss - they cancelled two of their trains because of “hot weather “- but all other trains were running and it was only c. 21 degrees that day!

Very positive experience when I found myself the wrong train late in the day recently and was reassured and assisted by the train conductor. He made calls to colleagues on other trains in an effort to help me get to my correct destination as quickly as possible and when this option failed he gave me clear instructions regarding the change I needed to make. All this despite having to manage a busy train and with many other calls on his time. Thank you!

This is by far the worst train company I have ever used.

Delays and cancellations are a weekly occurrence on my commute to London, often happening 2–3 times a week. This means journeys that should take around an hour can regularly be extended by 30–60 minutes or more, making it almost impossible to rely on the service.

To make matters worse, some trains still have carriages without working air conditioning. On hot days, this results in passengers sitting in temperatures that feel well above 30°C, with little to no ventilation for journeys that can last 45 minutes or longer. It is genuinely uncomfortable and, at times, feels unsafe.

What’s even more frustrating is the lack of accountability. Despite the constant disruption, the compensation offered is minimal and nowhere near reflects the reality of the situation. In many cases, it amounts to only a small fraction of the cost of a delayed journey, even when delays are frequent and significant.

It’s disappointing that a company providing such an unreliable service is allowed to continue operating at this standard. Customers deserve far better.

This level of disruption has a real impact on daily life, making it difficult to plan work, appointments, or even simple journeys with any confidence, especially when delays can affect more than a third of weekly commutes.

Another long delay because the driver was “delayed”. Are we really supposed to be taken in?

Poor service, first train cancelled first of all just said delayed no times, allowed to board and sit there till 6.17am some 12 mins after supposed to leave and then just had announcements about cancelled no help with an alternative. Asked team didn’t know and found another which then had a technical issue and second train was delayed with another technical issue. Absolute zero communication. To top it all off Free WiFi didn’t work at all and air con in carriage was broken.

After the ticket inspector come round he was trying to be helpful at least, fair play to him for trying whilst everyone else at St Pancras just couldn’t be bothered.

Spotted at least 6 guys in high vis jackets on the platform not one of them working …one pulling a Henry Hoover to be fair but not plugged in …but when we boarded the train with 25 minutes till departure it stank and had overflowing bins and rubbish on the tables. Can I get a refund? What are all these people getting paid for

Used EMR 3x this year and every time have been left stranded in London when all.the trains are cancelled without warning. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Staff dont offer any alternatives or even any sign of caring.

Today they advertised that trains would stop at 19:00 due to strikes but when we arrived at 17:10 they said there were no more trains.

You're all an absolute joke and you should be ashamed. The worst service with the worst planning. Shambolic. Pathetic.

Air con doesn't work (2 weeks running I've been in carriage B from St Pancras to Shef and no air con). Massively over crowded. Get forced off your train you book on. No seat reservations. No windows for air. Technical difficulties or delays on 90% of my journeys with them in the last year. If this wasn't a service people needed they'd be out of business by now.

A train was cancelled, Man-Piccadilly to Norwich; busy late Friday afternoon; many people swarming to get home for weekend. I had a backpack, suitcase, cane and might not have made it onto train in the rush. An EMR employee Rebecca sized up the situation and forged ahead clearing a path for me to get onboard. I am very grateful. Prof Galloway in Canada

Delays, cancellations and packed carriages and NO working WiFi on the trains, WiFi never works and almost zero mobile signal (EE, O2) - let’s not forget the state of the toilets (bio fluids and loo roll everywhere)

I have travelled every month from London to Sheffield in 1st class for the last 4 years. (Now it’s 2026)

I have also noticed not only the above issues, but the service, food and drinks have continually degraded; yet the ticket prices continue to go up.

Years ago EMR 1st offered full menus and plates! Plus a range for meals and drinks. EMR changed to awful cold / sometime still frozen sandwich’s :(

Now in 1st class there isn’t even food or sandwiches - only biscuits and cheese. It’s appalling for the price.

To make the journey more difficult - the ticket staff bring all those they are fining into 1st class to have the loud non paying customer arguments with.

EMR have gone to great efforts to make 1st class pointless.

I have decided to never use this train service again and will drive back and forth from now on.

Driving is cheaper and faster (unless you live next to ST Panc!)

Driving means I can stop, get food and make calls when needed.

Driving means I don’t have to stand in others effluence

Absolutely unacceptable experience even by British train company standards which is like comparing a road made of turds to a house made of turds. I had a super off peak ticket and had to pay an additional £77 on top of my original £55 to get a train back into London. I was going to get the earlier direct train but the mugs at the ticket desk spent so long explaining my overpriced ticket to me that I missed it and had to get the one after that was 45 minutes delayed. A commuter train being this delayed is so ridiculous and the indifference towards you as a customer when you’re forced to use this company even as they overcharge you is revolting.

Genuinely appalling. The staff are generally lovely but there are only ever 5 crammed carriages, constant delays and cancellations, and I can’t remember the last time a train was on time. Can’t comment on the seats as I’ve never been lucky enough to get one.

Supposed to arrive at Habrough 19.29 & be on the Habrough - Barton train at 19.36. In order to achieve this i need to cross the train track as each train was travelling in opposite directions. The barriers did NOT lift between the first train leaving & the second train arriving, therefore I was never getting the second train home! Who organised this!! Or do EMR expect me to risk my life & push through the safety barriers & cross the tracks despite the obvious train coming down the track!!!!! To make things even worse, when the second train did stop & the barriers finally went up i ran across & was pleading with the conductor to hold but he promptly sped off as I was at the doors, staring at me smirking away as he did so!!! I was left on a dark windy platform all alone in adverse weather with a near 5 hour walk infront of me to get home. After a time I was very luckily able to secure a car to collect me but I had to wait down a pitch black alley to try & shelter from the weather which resulted in me being extremely poorly for over a week. I do not travel the rail often & could not have felt a more vulnerable young woman on that night & it has taken me all my courage 4 months later to put this here. I will never travel this way again.