Rail firm disputes Sheffield star Dan Walker’s claim ‘not a single train has arrived on time’
Channel 5 newsreader Dan Walker publicly disputed East Midlands Railway's service quality on social media, claiming he had experienced zero on-time arrivals over a three-month period on his regular Sheffield-to-London commute, with only one in five trains departing punctually. The rail operator contested Walker's characterisation of their performance, stating his account was inaccurate and pointing to ongoing efforts to improve reliability on the route.
EMR's service has faced mounting challenges, including operational issues with newly introduced Hitachi Rail Class 810 trains and maintenance problems affecting existing Class 222 stock, leading the company to reduce Sheffield-London services in July. The situation has been further complicated by industrial action from the RMT union over safety concerns with the new fleet, a fatal collision between two EMR trains in June, and passenger frustration despite government-regulated ticket pricing that has been frozen until March 2027.
- Dan Walker claimed zero on-time arrivals over 3 months on Sheffield-London route; EMR disputed the claim
- EMR blamed Hitachi Rail fleet reliability issues and maintenance problems for service disruptions
- Ongoing safety strikes and a fatal June collision have compounded the rail operator's reputation challenges
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East Midlands Railway operates the Sheffield to London route that Dan Walker, a Channel 5 newsreader, uses for his regular commute. He has publicly criticised the service on social media, saying trains were consistently late over several months, and the company has pushed back on his figures. The dispute has drawn attention to wider difficulties on the line, including new trains that have had teething problems, older trains needing repairs, and a reduction in the number of services this summer.
These operational troubles sit alongside other pressures on the route. The RMT union has taken industrial action over safety concerns linked to the new trains, and two EMR trains were involved in a fatal collision in June. Ticket prices on the line are set by the government and have been frozen until 2027, meaning passengers cannot easily seek cheaper alternatives if reliability falls.
The row matters because it highlights a public disagreement between a well-known figure and a train operator over what "on time" performance actually looks like, at a moment when the wider service is already under scrutiny for safety and reliability issues.