Kenilworth railway station

Kenilworth

The remains of Kenilworth station in 1977, twelve years after closure. One platform has been removed and the line singled.
Location
Place Kenilworth
Local authority Warwick
Coordinates 52°20′32″N 1°34′21″W / 52.3422°N 1.5724°W / 52.3422; -1.5724Coordinates: 52°20′32″N 1°34′21″W / 52.3422°N 1.5724°W / 52.3422; -1.5724
Grid reference SP291716
Operations
Station code KNW
Number of platforms 2
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
History
Key dates Opened 9 December 1844 (9 December 1844)
Original company London and Birmingham Railway
Pre-grouping London and North Western Railway
Post-grouping London Midland and Scottish Railway
1884 Station re-built
18 January 1965 Closed
2017 Planned re-opening
National Rail – UK railway stations
UK Railways portal

Kenilworth railway station was a railway station in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England on the Coventry to Leamington Line.[1] In 2013 it was announced that the station would reopen in 2016,[2] but this was later revised to August 2017[3] and then December 2017.[4]

Historic station

The station opened in 1844, with both the line and the station then being closed to passengers in 1965[1] as a result of the Reshaping of British Railways report. Passenger services over the line were restarted in the 1980s but the station was not reopened. What remains of the double track includes a passing loop.

Proposals for reopening

In 2008, train operator CrossCountry and Warwickshire County Council supported the reopening and started to prepare a business case.[5] It was included in the 2008–09 Warwickshire Local Transport Plan.[6]

The site of the station in 2005.

In July 2009 it was announced that John Laing plc had been awarded a 20-year contract to design, build, and operate the new station, due to open in 2013.[7][8] Planning permission was granted in April 2011[9] but funding was refused.[10] In late 2011, John Laing successfully asked to withdraw from the contract as there was no funding available for the station construction to go ahead in the immediate future.

In November 2011 the upgrading of the Coventry to Nuneaton route was approved, renewing new hope for regeneration of the line through Kenilworth. In February 2013, Warwickshire County Council made a £5 million funding bid to the new fund the government had created to construct or renovate stations.[11]

In June 2013 the Department for Transport approved funding for the new station.[12] Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin identified a potential opening date of 2016.[13] In December 2013 the DfT reannounced its grant of £5 million toward the station's £11.3 million total cost, and gave the opening date as December 2016.[14] On 4 October 2014 test runs were made between Leamington and Coventry to check timings along the route.[15]

In early summer 2016 Graham Construction Ltd was awarded the contract to build the station. The official start of work on site took place on 29 July 2016 when Jeremy Wright, the local Member of Parliament, ceremonially broke ground.[16]

Opening of new station

Although the initial completion date was August 2017, which will still be delivered on time by the County Council, the start-of-service date is now 10 December 2017 owing to a delay in track and signaling work by Network Rail.[4]

Coventry–Leamington line
Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line
 Berkswell
Coventry-avoiding line
Coventry to Nuneaton line
Coventry
Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line
Gibbet Hill Junction
Kenilworth Junction
 Kenilworth
 A46
Warwick (Milverton)
 Milverton Junction
Chiltern Main Line
Leamington Spa General
Leamington Spa (Avenue)
Leamington–Rugby line
Chiltern Main Line

As part of the West Midlands Franchise deal a new service from Leamington Spa to Coventry will begin calling at Kenilworh.[17]

References

  1. 1 2 "The Railways of Warwickshire". Retrieved 14 September 2008.
  2. ↑ "Kenilworth railway station plan receives £5m backing". BBC News Coventry & Warwickshire. Rail Media. 3 June 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  3. ↑ "Kenilworth Station plans dealt a blow". Kenilworth Weekly News. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Kenilworth Station opening delayed until December 2017". Kenilworth Weekly News. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  5. ↑ "Rail firm backs new town station". BBC News. BBC. 4 April 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
  6. ↑ "2006–2011 Main LTP – Warwick, Leamington Spa, Kenilworth and Whitnash Urban Area". Warwickshire County Council. 2006. Archived from the original on 22 May 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
  7. ↑ "John Laing picks up NUCKLE station build contract". Transport Briefing. Acumen Intelligence Ltd. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  8. ↑ "Contracts signed to build new Kenilworth rail station". Coventry Telegraph. Trinity Mirror. 24 July 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  9. ↑ "Planning Application WDC/10CC067". Warwickshire County Council. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  10. ↑ "Kenilworth railway station funding refused". BBC News. BBC. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  11. ↑ "£5m bid for new Kenilworth railway station". BBC News. BBC. 26 February 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  12. ↑ "Funding pledge for Kenilworth railway station". Global Rail News. Rail Media. 3 June 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  13. ↑ Reid, Les (4 June 2013). "New Kenilworth train station to be open by 2016, says Minister". Coventry Telegraph. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  14. ↑ "Green light for Kenilworth Station". Press release. Department for Transport. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  15. ↑ "Test train checks timings are on track for Kenilworth Rail Station". Warwickshire County Council. 8 October 2014.
  16. ↑ "Work on Kenilworth Station officially begun". Kenilworth Weekly News. 29 July 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  17. ↑
Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Coventry
Line and station open		   London and North Western Railway
Coventry to Leamington Line		   Warwick (Milverton)
Line open, station closed
Berkswell
Line closed, station open		   London and North Western Railway
Berkswell Branch		  


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