Nottingham Station hosts interactive Aurora exhibit showcasing EMR’s new trains
East Midlands Railway has launched an immersive Aurora train pop-up at Nottingham Station, giving passengers a first look at the benefits of the operator’s forthcoming £400 million fleet. Set up on the main concourse, the installation will remain throughout February and forms part of celebrations marking the introduction of EMR and Transport UK’s new trains.
Two Aurora units are already running on the Midland Main Line, with the full fleet set to reach 33 trains once rollout is complete. When fully deployed, EMR expects total seating capacity on the route to rise by 46 percent. Each train is designed to offer 24 percent more seats and more than 19 percent extra legroom in a standard five-car formation compared with the outgoing Meridian stock.
The pop-up aims to familiarise customers with what the new trains will offer, including improved comfort, extra storage, enhanced connectivity features and greener bi-mode operation. Visitors move through several themed zones that showcase interior upgrades and design innovations.
Among the hands-on features are demonstrations of the expanded luggage areas, interactive challenges, and digital tools explaining how the trains were developed to be more spacious and environmentally efficient. A touchscreen tour offers a virtual walk-through of the new carriages, while a photo zone lets visitors pose in a mock driver’s cab. There is also a mini-cinema space showing a documentary on how the fleet was built and what it means for local communities.
Jenna Cowie, East Midlands Railway’s Head of Marketing and Revenue, said:
“We are delighted that the first two Aurora trains are now in service and have started to carry customers up and down the Midland Main Line. The new Transport UK and EMR trains are fantastic, and all the improvements they bring completely transform the experience we can offer our customers. The idea of these pods was to highlight some of these improvements in a more fun and interactive way. Customers can touch, feel and see for themselves the enhancements that the new trains will bring. So, if any customers are passing through Nottingham in the next few weeks, they should head over to the main concourse and try it out for themselves.”
The travelling pod is scheduled to visit Sheffield next year, giving more passengers the chance to preview the incoming fleet.
Image: East Midlands Railway