Eastmidlandstrains Reviews 

Steve on the 30th August 2025 train from Nottingham (11:33am) to Norwich was incredibly helpful, and a great vibe. He was very helpful to ensure people were on the correct train when the train was displaying the wrong information. He also always made people aware of where he would be or could be found if anyone needed anything. Just wanted to write a review because i feel like he went above and beyond the service i usually experience on trains and it was lovely.

Travelled from Bournemouth to Huddersfield yesterday, all was going well until I stepped onto the EMR train at St Pancras.
Within minutes of setting off the revenue protection man “Charlie” was digging in about my ticket that said “Seat reservation” & despite having all the info showing on the ticket including the time, date seat number, Trainline receipt available he couldn’t let it go.
I told him I wouldn’t use this service again after he completely embarrassed me in front of the whole train, his response was “fill your boots”, several times.
While he was reading me the riot act I decided to write a complaint on the EMR website, he then changed his tune a told me he was only trying to help me!
I’ve worked in customer facing roles all my life and never experienced anything like this.
He’s completely ruined my day, embarrassed me beyond words and then disappeared into the ether because he knew he wasn’t going to score a win.
All this over a train journey. Never again.

We’d booked tickets and reserved seats on a 3 hour journey from Chesterfield to St Pancras. Only to find out the train had less carriages than what they had said. We lost our paid seats and got no refund. British rail is a scummy joke. This seems to always happen when you book seats.

I was on the 2:04 from Harborough to Nottingham yesterday. What an awful experience. Expensive ticket, for a train that was full with only five carriages, no adequate air con on a day when it was 31 degrees outside, no apology offered from the train crew, no buffet car to get water…I could go on! Utterly dismal journey and I was glad and very relieved when it ended. This isn’t good enough. Try taking a ride on our network London North Western Railway to see a train franchise that’s run properly. It is possible!

I can’t thank EMR staff enough. Tonight I managed to leave my phone in the toilets at Leicester station and didn’t realise until I was half way home to Sheffield. I alerted the EMR lady on the train who couldn’t have been more helpful. She called Leicester Station, they found the phone and sent it on the next train back to Sheffield. Thank you so much to everyone involved 😀

There with my Alzheimer’s mother two minutes before train was due to leave. We were not allowed to board.
We had to pay for two full priced tickets to get on the next train. Disgusted. This was just before Christmas. I can’t give the exact date

East Midlands railway likes to keep their money and make it impossible to issue refunds when it comes to their Delay Repay scheme. If your train is late they won’t issue you your money as their website doesn’t work or if you do provide the correct evidence they will email you that this is incorrect.
When you get in contact with them they just send a automated message to visit their Delay Repay website.
Luckily I haven’t missed a train due to delays but it does worry me that one day I’ll miss my train due to EMR being late and I won’t be able to get a refund.

Sent My child with friend honestly they said they had the worse experience I’m really disappointed in how this man who was staff in train thinks he can not just question a child and ask for their address name DOB which is one thing but to go in their phone dishing through their details and personal info like they are the Police is beyond a joke! Jobs worth people they already explained they had tickets but because outbound and return had same codes considering they are staff you would think they had sense to know their own system! My friend end up having to pay for my child even tho she already had a ticket then the man thought he was superman calling police to tell my friend she will be arrested as if she didn’t know her rights even when she provided her tickets but because they are not smart and didn’t comprehend or try to listen and was more just wanting to fine them like they get a massive bonus. Others were seen having same issues and many fines being dished out so clearly it’s just a con scamming company! The woman Called KASIA (Revenue Officer) was rude and only started thinking she was top dog when she received payment silly woman I hope something like this happens to her child God forbid she has any she’d be a witch of a mother I hope she sleeps well at night knowing what a horrible human she is!! The company doesn’t need people like her with ZERO customer service! They tried to say my friend and child travelled to destination and back on 1 ticket (Return Ticket) instead of 4 bunch of stupid people like how is that even possible how would they have got to destination on a return ticket? Make it make sense! surely they would have been pulled up on the way going! But Ofcourse they wasn’t trying to listen and just kept wanting their details bunch of Creeps! My friend paid just for peace because they was not listening! AVOID This company they have Creepy Men who questions children like they are the Undercover cops lol working for them then Rude Women who thinks they Have shareholders in the company why they feel like they have such Authority to speak and deal with people in such ways.. Between the WORKERs and POLICE should all be sacked.. how can the officer tell my friend who has a child with them that he will arrest them for a day because they assumed the child didn’t have a ticket! Plus Their WiFi was sooo whack they wasn’t even able to message me or pull up emails to show them proof they found it later that day because they only used the screenshot given to them by me.. I hope they shove that money up their behinds and have their karma for the rest of their lifetime :) it’s people like them who drag the company name down hence why so many bad reviews I can see I’m NOT the only one who agrees with their bad customer service!!

AVOID!!

terrible service with delays and cancellations

Willing to take payment in an instant
but for refunds to come back takes quite a while

I purchased a ticket from King’s Cross to Kettering and made it explicitly clear to staff that I would be travelling with a bicycle. The ticket was issued with no warning of any restrictions. However, at Hitchin, I was refused boarding on the replacement bus because of my bike. No alternative offered, no support – I was simply stranded. I had to leave my bike behind and now must make a separate trip by car to retrieve it.

Had I been told that bikes weren’t allowed on the replacement service, I would never have bought the ticket. For a planned engineering weekend, it is shocking that no provision was made for cyclists. This was a complete breakdown in communication and customer care.

To make things worse, I submitted a formal complaint and request for a refund — the only response I received was a copy-paste generic message that didn’t address my situation. It’s clear my email was never properly read, and there’s been radio silence since.

This kind of service is completely unacceptable. Cyclists deserve better than being ignored and left to deal with the consequences of poor planning. I expect a full refund and real accountability — not automated responses and empty silence.

Has to be said, the more you use EMR, you realise how shit they have become, always have a first class ticket, never enough sandwiches on board, the service is really bad, cabins look old, the code has come straight out of the river. Not a good experience what so ever

I purchased a railcard nine months ago and recently needed to access the app. However, I discovered that my email address was no longer registered in the system—even though I received the confirmation email at this same address.

As a result, I was forced to spend an additional £30 to repurchase the service elsewhere, despite still having four months left on my original railcard.

In short, I bought a railcard and now can’t access it at all. It’s hard to believe a company offering this kind of service is still operating in 2025.

No wonder people get on train without buying tickets , brought a return ticket today and on the way back it was cancelled at the very last minute had to get on a different train and have some one collect me

My train was cancelled at the very last minute which caused me issues throughout the whole day as a result. The refund process was almost impossible. Tried several times online then had to call the helpline. It took 2 months to receive £3 for an almost £40 ticket. Absolute sham, Absolute scam & absolutely WON'T be seeing another penny from me. Terrible service top to bottom. 0/10

Had a Trip to Nottingham (ended at Leicester I believe) from Hykeham and back. The train was only 6 mins late, but it was ABSOLUTELY PACKED, we were literally like sardines and with every stop they asked us “squeeze down the aisles” so we could try and fit even more people on the train. This was not my first experience of this on this Train either, it seems to be the norm! Absolutely ridiculous that they majorly oversell the tickets (obviously cannot count), to the point where you have a really uncomfortable, hot journey and have to stand up the whole time!

It was made even more terrible by the fact that a disabled person with learning disabilities, who had paid for a ticket with their carer, had zero chance of fitting on the train so would’ve had to wait an hour for the next one (and that likely would’ve been packed too). There were also other people with clear disabilities, stood up the whole joinery…

How difficult is it to allocate almost as many seats and carriages as there are tickets sold! Basic maths and basic customer service. RIDICULOUS!!! considering the public are encouraged to use public transport, you don’t do a thing to help. If I pay for a train ticket, I expect to be able to sit down at least.

Had to use the Sheffield to St Pancras train after a suicide on my normal Leeds to King’s Cross line. Had a hell of a job to get to Sheffield and onto London. Never have experienced such rude and horrible staff as those onboard the 12.37 They were clearly put out to have extra passengers and work Made me appreciate the LNER teams who are generally cheerful and helpful.
Grateful I don’t live in Sheffield and have to use this substandard service

Waited 20 mins for the train to arrive at the station, announcement 5 mins before train was due to arrive that the service had been cancelled no reason no apology nothing, what a truly shocking way to run a business that’s so customer oriented.

Lovely staff awful service. 7.50 Loughborough to London, I am 75, must have been 30 plus people standing, seat reservation service still not working, could not stand all the way, first class half full but still charged to up grade up - completely unjust. Wi fi of course does not work.

The worst trains ever , they’re so bad that it’s unbelievable, don’t even think of getting this train unless you really have to, Nobody knows how to do their job, I would be ashamed to work for EMR

Couldn't run a race let alone a train service. Absolutely useless company. Renationalise the trains and take the money put of these crooks pockets.