East Midlands Trains

East Midlands Trains (EMT) was a British train operating company owned by the transport group Stagecoach, which operated the East Midlands franchise between November 2007 and August 2019.

Following the Department for Transport (DfT) award of the newly created East Midlands franchise to Stagecoach, EMT commenced operations on 11 November 2007, taking over services previously performed by both Midland Mainline and the eastern parts of the Central Trains franchises. Based in Derby, the company provided train services in the East Midlands and parts of Yorkshire, chiefly in Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire. Its operations were initially divided between two sub-brands: Mainline for inter-city services, and Connect for urban and suburban services.

Numerous changes were implemented during EMT's tenure, including the introduction of additional trains between Sheffield and London along with infrastructure improvements to enable faster services to be operated. The franchise developed a reputation for its attention to customer service and public safety, winning multiple awards for these aspects. Passenger numbers also grew, necessitating the lengthening of several services to accommodate this. EMT's franchise period was extended on multiple occasions, before rival transport company Abellio was announced as the next franchisee in April 2019 after Stagecoach was disqualified from the bidding process for failing to meet employee pension obligations in its bid. Accordingly, EMT's services were transferred to East Midlands Railway on 18 August 2019.

In June 2006, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced its intention to restructure several rail franchises, which included an East Midlands franchise that combined the Midland Mainline franchise with the East Midlands services of the Central Trains franchise. In September 2006 the DfT announced that Arriva, FirstGroup, National Express and Stagecoach had been shortlisted to bid for the franchise.

In June 2007, the DfT awarded the East Midlands franchise to Stagecoach. Services operated by Central Trains and Midland Mainline transferred to East Midlands Trains on 11 November 2007.

During 2008, EMT introduced extensive timetable revisions; amongst other changes, journey times on the principal Sheffield-London route were reduced considerably, a feat that had largely been enabled by the high performance of its British Rail Class 222 Meridian fleet. One year later, in partnership with the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, EMT expanded its services on the route to encompass two trains every hour. A substantial growth in passenger numbers and associated revenue were recorded; in 2014, EMT observed that it only expected demand to continue increasing for the foreseeable future.

Further decreases in journey times were achieved by EMT during the 2010s. One particularly impactful change was the completion of infrastructure improvements on 9 December 2013 that enabled 125 mph (200 km/h) along major stretches of the Midland Main Line for the first time. To achieve this, EMT had invested £70 million into the improvement of almost 160 miles of track over the course of several years; the scheme was the route's biggest transformation in decades. The operator had worked closely with the national railway infrastructure company Network Rail on this and other initiatives to improve the route, such as a major re-signalling scheme performed in and around Nottingham station at a cost of £100 million largely performed during the summer of 2013.

EMT also implemented numerous schemes to enhance safety; consequently, the franchise was awarded the NRA Safety Award three years in a row. Such measures have included the installation of platform-end fencing and the presence of trespass guards at more trafficked stations; attention was also paid to reducing the risks associated with level crossings and great reduce their misuse via its work with the British Transport Police. EMT also cooperated with agencies including Network Rail, ASLEF, and the Samaritans in the prevention of suicides, which has led to extensive staff training, fund raising events, and campaign signage at several of its stations.