EMR Reviews 

994
TrustScore 2 out of 5

2.0

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 383 reviews, most reviewers were unhappy with their experience overall. People frequently complain that trains are constantly delayed or cancelled, leading to extremely crowded carriages, poor amenities, and generally filthy onboard conditions. Consumers also feel that ticket prices are completely extortionate, while customer support teams are frustratingly unhelpful and difficult to reach. Some reviewers were happy with the staff, noting that employees on board and at stations are often extremely helpful, polite, and kind during difficult journeys. Many passengers genuinely appreciated when team members provided clear information, offered reassuring support, and actively assisted them through deeply frustrating travel disruptions and delays.

What people talk about most

Service

People report negative experiences with service, frequently highlighting severe delays and constant... See more

Staff

Consumers find staff to be ambiguous, with highly mixed experiences reported regarding employee interactions.... See more

Location

Users describe ambiguous interactions with location, noting both smooth connections and stressful journeys to... See more

Price

Customers consistently note negative experiences with price, describing ticket costs as unreasonably high for... See more

Customer service

Clients share ambiguous opinions on customer service, with many consumers expressing extreme frustration over... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

First time using a train for 20 years and what a shambles. Booked online 15 minutes before travel only to find train had been cancelled and next train was over an hour later (and delayed). Site wou... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Without a doubt the worst train company!! Trains are often late or cancelled, trains are tired and dirty, you get better in a third world country… I’m am now an expert in their Delay Repay and at the... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

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... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

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 compan... See more


Company details

  1. Train Ticket Agency
  2. Taxi Service
  3. Transportation Service

Information provided by various external sources

Buy cheap train tickets and find the best deals on rail fares between London and the East Midlands


Contact info

2.0

Poor

TrustScore 2 out of 5

994 reviews

5-star
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1-star

No recent history of asking for reviews

This company hasn't invited customers recently, so reviews may not be representative

Hasn’t replied to negative reviews

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2.0

All reviews

(994)

377 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Another shambolic service from EMR…

Another shambolic service from EMR trains, with the 19:19 Lincoln to Peterborough service being cancelled at 19:30, when it was already packed full with passengers on board.

Next train not until nearly 10pm.. and no replacement bus available. With the only helpful information from staff, book yourself a taxi and try and claim the cost back. Over 200 people on their phones trying to book a taxi in the middle of Lincoln on a Saturday night.

Disgusting service EMR, they need stripping of their licence.

June 13, 2026
Unprompted review
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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Amazing customer service

Amazing customer service when my partner and I left our bags on a train.

The advisor contacted the train manager and arranged for the bags to be brought back to the station we got off at later the same night!

June 7, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

train from PBO to norwich and back…

train from PBO to norwich and back stuck more then 1 hour. we sit in hot train. they didnt let us to open the windowws to get fresh air.
they tell us to claim delay payment. im trying to apply since march 25 and its not letting me. Even we claim through LNER but still no answer.

May 25, 2026
Unprompted review
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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Reported a medical emergency and…

Reported a medical emergency and received no help.

I travelled with East Midlands Railway and experienced what I believed was an asthma attack on board. I informed staff that I was struggling to breathe, had my inhaler in my hand, and received no assistance whatsoever.

The train was overcrowded with no available standard class seats. I sat in a priority seat in First Class and was charged a £15 upgrade fee. What disappointed me wasn’t the charge itself, but the complete lack of concern for a passenger reporting a medical emergency.

After a 3-month investigation, EMR concluded that the correct procedures had been followed and refused any refund or compensation. Despite my concerns being referred to management and the safety team, there was no acknowledgement that the response I received may have been inadequate.

A simple “Are you okay?” would have made a huge difference. This is not okay.

March 15, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I have noticed the racism is on a rise…

I have noticed the racism is on a rise since the incidents that have circulated the media.
I was on a EMR train from Kettering Leicester. (DELAYED 21:22 SERVICE)
A young attendant was going around with a food trolly. She saw me and kept looking to see what I was doing. I had got on near the first class and was going to find a quiet place to pray. The young lady came and saw I sat on a seat in the first class where I explained I am just going to pray and then move. She said OK and walked off but as was I getting up the lady sent her colleague to come and speak to me. The other came with a very intimidating demeanor and said I needed to move which I explained that's what I am doing. There was no need for this kind of behaviour and its concerning that there appears to be prejudices from train staff. Staff need to be diverse which does not appear to be the case here.

June 9, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

CONFIDENCE IN TRAVELLING

It has taken a great weight off of my mind knowing that I can rely on first class passenger assisstance from this company. This has given me the freedom to still be able to visit friends and family again. On 4 different journeys I was treated with friendly respect and dignity which made my journey a delight.

May 8, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I want to thank the staff at Skegness…

I want to thank the staff at Skegness on 8th June at 4pm. I was in the queue and fainted. They helped me and got me safely on the train. During the journey the ticket collector Tom made sure I was okay. Many thanks. Sheila Farr

June 8, 2026
Unprompted review
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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

There is no zero star to give

There is no zero star to give
I am using trains almost weekly for years, but today was exceptional experience with emr staff member very rude unprofessional treating people differently based on cultural background, I stood for my rights but good luck if you can get anything sorted, you will get headache and stress and your time will be wasted, unfortunately there is many routes with no competitive train lines apart from emr, will try my best not to travel through them again, what a horrible experience.

June 9, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I was working in London and whilst…

I was working in London and whilst there i got some sad news that a friend had passed away. I was travelling on my own and was upset which I was trying to hold in but I had the most amazing train manager that could see i was sad he took the time to ask if was ok and could he get me anything it didn't take the pain away but it did make a massive difference to my journey. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Just wish more people was like him x

May 15, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I think I'd rather walk

Easily the most disgusting trains on the UK rail network. On the rare occasion you are able to find a seat (because they've gone with a 20/80 first to standard class ratio) you wouldn't dare sit on it. Not without a tetanus at least.

The management should be ashamed. The sooner this service is renationalised the better.

June 7, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Can you give less than one star?!

If only there was a way to do minus stars! Writing this, standing in a vestibule, again, with a first class ticket in my pocket.
Not a chance of a seat there, so glad I paid the extra. Was meant to be a bit of a treat to end a nice weekend away and maybe mean we got a somewhere to sit.

EMR has never been great, but has now slipped into 'do not use!!!!' territory. Filthy, overcrowded trains, never with enough carriages. Never used to pay attention to operator, I will now be booking with any other company, even if it costs more.

Also has the slipperiest delay repay process out of any company - a portal THAT bad must be design, not by accident, to ensure you get so fed up trying to use it, as it throws up every fault under the sun, that you give up. Still waiting in June for delay repay from a service delayed on April 1st. Thieving incompetents.

The whole operation makes me utterly furious. Nothing like coming back from some time elsewhere to a spot in the vestibule to make you feel ashamed of the whole country.

Poor staff having to deal with the absolute shambles of this operator.

June 7, 2026
Unprompted review
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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

1 star and that's generous....

1 star is the lowest available here, would have given less if it was an option.
Talking specifically about the EMR Connect service here, the one several thousand commuters paying record fares rely on.
Terrible service, routinely late, delayes, cancelled or cut short. Carriages are filthy inside - they're the old Thameslink rolling stock from 30 years ago.... over crowded, just total total Sh*te.
If you can avoid using EMR Connect do. It's the worst.

June 5, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great experience

We travelled from Chesterfield to Derby and back with our son who use a large wheelchair. The EMR staff were at each stage to ensure that our journey was seamless. They were very cheerful and friendly and made the journey very easy and enjoyable.

June 5, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

79% of Reviews are 1% for a reason

Under the National Rail Conditions of Travel and their Passenger’s Charter, all passenger train operating companies are legal obliged to compensate for late trains, Repay Delay is a legal duty. So, does East Midlands Railway deliberately make it so difficult to exercise that legal right that many passengers just give up? I have an account with EMR and it is so difficult to claim Repay Delay and it is such a drawn out process. 79% of EMR reviews are 1%, that surely paints a dreadful picture of this company, but, if they can still fill trains with passengers paying extortionate fares why should they care? All the evidence says they do not.

May 25, 2026
Unprompted review
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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Passenger assistance

I booked the train to go up to Burton on trent also with passenger assistance due to disability. When the train got to Burton the lad put the case and bag down he went to help me off the train unfortunately as I went to get off the the train my legs buckled and I fell I was very fortunate that the assistant managed to catch me he held me until my legs sorted themselves out he was brilliant. Also on the return journey the passenger assistance were great I had a change at Birmingham then off at Plymouth. One of the carts had been taken off so I had to move it was actually the train manager that helped me in Plymouth. The whole experience was brilliant and has been every time I used passenger assistance the staff that do that job are amazing I would give more stars if I could

May 10, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Awful, rude & refusing to pay us delay repay.

We had to re-route due to East Coast Mainline cancellations 01/06. You would think that EMR would be prepared for the additional crowds. There were no staff welcoming/guiding on arrival towards the platform. Giving such little time for turn around for boarding, there was a near stampede at the gates. We shouted over to a member of staff to confirm where the access gate was (as we had pushchairs and luggage) no response. Then we had to run up the platform to find a carriage (again staff not helping at all). As we tried to throw our luggage (literally) on board, EMR attempted to shut the doors on us! On board there’s no aircon and the WiFi doesn’t work…

To top it all off, EMR are saying they won’t accept my daughter’s ticket for Delay Repay. Hideous experience.

June 1, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Everyone that helped us did so with a smile

Everyone that helped us did so with a smile on their faces and seemed to be happy in their jobs.
They were able to guide us when there was platform change which helped my husband as he is not able to walk too fast as far. They made our journey a little pleasant as we were travelling to Halifax to attend a funeral. Please ensure that the staff concerned our heart felt thanks.

February 5, 2026
Unprompted review

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