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Kenilworth railway station

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Coordinates: 52°20′34″N 1°34′21″W / 52.3429°N 1.5726°W / 52.3429; -1.5726
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For the station in Kenilworth, Illinois, see Kenilworth station (Illinois).

Kenilworth
National Rail
The main building of the reopened Kenilworth station, opened in 2018
General information
LocationKenilworth, Warwick
England
Coordinates52°20′34″N 1°34′21″W / 52.3429°N 1.5726°W / 52.3429; -1.5726
Grid referenceSP291716
Managed byWest Midlands Railway
Platforms1
Other information
Station codeKNW
History
Original companyLondon and Birmingham Railway
Pre-groupingLondon and North Western Railway
Post-groupingLondon Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
9 December 1844Opened
1884Rebuilt
18 January 1965Closed
30 April 2018Reopened
18 January 2021Rail services suspended temporarily
26 April 2021Rail services resumed
Passengers
2018/190.170 million
2019/20Increase 0.211 million
2020/21Decrease 41,900
2021/22Increase 78,960
Location
Map
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Kenilworth railway station is a railway station in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England on the Coventry to Leamington Line. The original Kenilworth station opened in 1844 before being rebuilt in 1884 and closed in 1965.[1] In 2013 it was announced that the station would reopen in 2016.[2] That was revised several times, but the station finally reopened on 30 April 2018.[3][4]

History

Historic station

The original station opened on 9 December 1844 along with the line, it originally had a single platform, but soon after a passing loop and second platform was added. The original station was of sandstone construction, and built in the Italianate style. It was designed by Robert Dockray, the resident engineer of the London and Birmingham Railway. Part of the stone façade of the original 1844 station still exists, as it was reused as the entrance to the Kings Arms' Assembly Rooms on Station Road nearby.[5] The station was rebuilt in 1884 when the line was upgraded to double track and a new cut-off line was opened from Kenilworth to Berkswell. The rebuilt station was built of brick in a Gothic style, and was designed by Mr. T W. Jones, of the London and North Western Railway Engineer's Office.[1]

Passenger services were withdrawn from the line on 18 January 1965 as a result of the Reshaping of British Railways report, and the station was closed, although the line remained open for goods traffic.[1] The cut-off line to Berkswell was closed in 1969, and much of the remaining line was singled during 1972, although some double track was retained through Kenilworth to form a passing loop a short distance north of the station site. Passenger services over the line were restarted in 1977, but as these were long distance, and not local services the station was not reopened.[6]

The station's former goods yard and station buildings were let out to a local builders merchant, and remained in place until they were demolished in the 1980s. Two stained glass windows and a sign were salvaged from the old station building, and later incorporated into the new station after being donated by local residents.[6][7]

  • The remaining facade of the 1844 station, dismantled in 1884, reused on the Kings Arms assembly rooms on Station Road.
    The remaining facade of the 1844 station, dismantled in 1884, reused on the Kings Arms assembly rooms on Station Road.
  • The second Kenilworth station in the late 19th century
    The second Kenilworth station in the late 19th century
  • The remains of the station in 1977, twelve years after closure: one platform had been removed and the line had been singled
    The remains of the station in 1977, twelve years after closure: one platform had been removed and the line had been singled

Reopening

Coventry–Leamington line
Legend
Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford Line
to Birmingham New Street
 Berkswell
Berkswell Loop
Coventry to Nuneaton line
 Coventry
Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford Line
to Rugby
Gibbet Hill Junction
Kenilworth Junction
Kenilworth
A46
Milverton Junction
 Warwick (Milverton)
Chiltern Main Line
to Birmingham Moor Street
link added after
Avenue station closed
 Leamington Spa General
Leamington Spa (Avenue)
Leamington–Rugby line
Chiltern Main Line
to Banbury

In 2008, train operator CrossCountry and Warwickshire County Council supported the reopening and started to prepare a business case.[8] It was included in the 2008–09 Warwickshire Local Transport Plan.[9][vague] 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.[10][11] Planning permission was granted in April 2011[12] but funding was refused.[13] 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.[14] In June 2013 the Department for Transport approved funding for the new station.[15] Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin identified a potential opening date of 2016.[16] 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.[17] On 4 October 2014 test runs were made between Leamington and Coventry to check timings along the route.[18]

Design and construction

The design selected for the new station was a 'traditional' building based on the former station closed in the 1960s. This design was selected in 2014 from three possible options following feedback from the public.[19]

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.[20] As only a single track now runs through the site, the new station was built with only one platform initially, but has been built with future-proof provision for a second platform if or when the line through it is re-doubled. Plans for re-doubling the line from Milverton Junction to Kenilworth were put on hold by Network Rail in 2016.[21][22] In April 2018, it was announced that plans for a second track on the line were back on but would not be completed until 2027 with the arrival of HS2.[23]

Opening of new station

Although the initial completion date was August 2017, which was due to be delivered on time by the county council, the start-of-service date was moved to 10 December 2017 owing to a delay in track and signalling work by Network Rail.[24] Subsequently, Network Rail completed the necessary track and signalling interventions required to facilitate the station opening by 10 December 2017, but the station build was not complete.

As part of the franchise agreement with West Midlands Trains, effective from December 2017, a new hourly service between Leamington Spa and Coventry would call at Kenilworth.[25] The service was supposed to commence on Sunday 10 December 2017[26] but was delayed for a third time, to start on 26 February 2018,[27] as the Department for Transport stated that no rolling stock or drivers would be available until that time.[28] However, in February 2018, it was revealed that the station's opening had been delayed for a fourth time and the station would not open until 5 March at the earliest.[29]

On 20 March 2018, correspondence from the Office of Rail and Road was released into the public domain which appeared to show that Warwickshire County Council had failed to submit essential safety information – necessary for final sign-off to be issued – thus delaying the project.[30]

The Office of Rail and Road authorised the opening of Kenilworth on 12 April 2018,[31] although initially with no Sunday service.[32] On 20 April 2018 Warwickshire County Council confirmed an opening date of 30 April 2018.[33] It was reported that the first train would be the 6:44 West Midlands Railway service towards Leamington Spa,[34] but it was subsequently announced that the 6:16 service towards Coventry was due to call before that.[35]

Suspension of services

In January 2021, less than three years after the station opened, all rail services calling at the station were suspended by the operator, West Midlands Trains due to staffing shortages as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[36] The move was condemned by the mayor of Kenilworth, the MP for Kenilworth and Southam and the local community.[37][38] A reduced service resumed on 26 April 2021.[39] In December 2021 West Midlands Trains once again declared their failure to run services on the Coventry–Leamington line and the Coventry–Nuneaton line until at least the end of January 2022.[40] Services were restored on 27 February 2022.[41]

Services

An hourly service operated by West Midlands Trains runs southbound to Leamington Spa and northbound to Nuneaton via Coventry. Services originally ran to Coventry only, but since the May 2019 timetable change, northbound services were extended to Nuneaton on Mondays to Saturdays, and a Sunday service which terminates at Coventry was added.[42] The service was initially operated by a single-coach Class 153, but was subsequently operated by a two-coach Class 172.

  • Site of the station in 2005, looking south
    Site of the station in 2005, looking south
  • Platform of the new station, looking south
    Platform of the new station, looking south
  • Platform of the new station, looking north
    Platform of the new station, looking north
  • Interior of the station building
    Interior of the station building

References

  1. ^ a b c "The Railways of Warwickshire". Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2008.
  2. ^ "Kenilworth railway station plan receives £5m backing". BBC News Coventry & Warwickshire. Rail Media. 3 June 2013. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  3. ^ "Kenilworth station to open at end of April". BBC News. BBC. 20 April 2018. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  4. ^ "WATCH: First train in 53 years finally serves Kenilworth Station". Leamington Courier. Archived from the original on 30 April 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  5. ^ McKay, Stephen. "She Bar and Brasserie, Kenilworth". Geograph.org. Archived from the original on 18 February 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  6. ^ a b Hurst, Geoffrey (1993). LNWR Branch Lines of West Leicestershire & East Warwickshire (First ed.). Milepost Publications. pp. 44–51. ISBN 0-947796-16-9.
  7. ^ "First train to roll into Kenilworth since the 1960s on Monday". Kenilworth Weekly News. 27 April 2018. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  8. ^ "Rail firm backs new town station". BBC News. BBC. 4 April 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ "John Laing picks up NUCKLE station build contract". Transport Briefing. Acumen Intelligence Ltd. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  11. ^ "Contracts signed to build new Kenilworth rail station". Coventry Telegraph. Trinity Mirror. 24 July 2009. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  12. ^ "Planning Application WDC/10CC067". Warwickshire County Council. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  13. ^ "Kenilworth railway station funding refused". BBC News. BBC. 26 April 2011. Archived from the original on 2 March 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  14. ^ "£5m bid for new Kenilworth railway station". BBC News. BBC. 26 February 2013. Archived from the original on 2 March 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  15. ^ "Funding pledge for Kenilworth railway station". Global Rail News. Rail Media. 3 June 2013. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  16. ^ Reid, Les (4 June 2013). "New Kenilworth train station to be open by 2016, says Minister". Coventry Telegraph. Trinity Mirror. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  17. ^ "Green light for Kenilworth Station". Press release. Department for Transport. 12 December 2013. Archived from the original on 13 October 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  18. ^ "Test train checks timings are on track for Kenilworth Rail Station". Warwickshire County Council. 8 October 2014. Archived from the original on 13 October 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  19. ^ "Kenilworth railway station design is selected". BBC News. 21 November 2014. Archived from the original on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  20. ^ "Work on Kenilworth Station officially begun". Kenilworth Weekly News. 29 July 2016. Archived from the original on 30 July 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  21. ^ "KENILWORTH APPROACHES DECEMBER DEADLINE". Railway magazine. 19 December 2017. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  22. ^ "Kenilworth Station plans dealt a blow". Kenilworth Weekly News. 7 July 2016. Archived from the original on 21 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  23. ^ "Second track plan for Kenilworth Station could be back on". Kenilworth Weekly News. 4 April 2018. Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  24. ^ "Kenilworth Station opening delayed until December 2017". Kenilworth Weekly News. 5 January 2017. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  25. ^ "West Midlands franchise". Department for Transport. Archived from the original on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  26. ^ All The Stations (24 December 2017). "I Just Got A Snowflake In My Eye! - Kenilworth Station". YouTube. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
  27. ^ "Train operator casts doubt on Kenilworth Station opening date". Kenilworth Weekly News. 13 February 2018. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  28. ^ "'No trains' at Kenilworth's new railway station 'until 2018'". BBC News. 5 December 2017. Archived from the original on 9 December 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  29. ^ "Yet another delay to Kenilworth Station's opening date". Kenilworth Weekly News. 19 February 2018. Archived from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  30. ^ "Kenilworth Station's opening delay down to county council, rail regulator confirms". Kenilworth Weekly News. 20 March 2018. Archived from the original on 20 March 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  31. ^ "Top official of rail regulator 'authorises Kenilworth Station'". Kenilworth Weekly News. 13 April 2018. Archived from the original on 13 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  32. ^ "No Sunday service as Kenilworth finally set to open". Rail Magazine. 19 February 2018. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  33. ^ "Warwickshire News". Kenilworth Weekly News. Archived from the original on 22 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  34. ^ "First train service from Kenilworth on track for 6.44am Monday". Leamington Observer. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  35. ^ "Timetable for Kenilworth Station released". Kenilworth Weekly News. 25 April 2018. Archived from the original on 1 May 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  36. ^ "Timetable for Kenilworth Station released". Leamington Courier. 11 January 2021. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  37. ^ Wright, Jeremy (28 January 2021). "Meeting with West Midlands Trains". Jeremy Wright. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  38. ^ "Kenilworth mayor and secretary of regional rail user group express concerns over rail services being cancelled for town due to Covid-19". Leamington Courier. 12 January 2021. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  39. ^ "26 April Timetable Update | West Midlands Railway". Archived from the original on 8 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  40. ^ "Trains suspended at Kenilworth Railway Station 'until further notice'". kenilworth.nub.news. 22 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  41. ^ Smith, Roger (25 February 2022). "Nuneaton to Leamington Spa train service to resume". RailAdvent. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  42. ^ "Train times Nuneaton to Leamington Spa" (PDF). West Midlands Railway. 15 December 2019 – 16 May 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 February 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Coventry   West Midlands Railway
Coventry to Leamington Line 		  Leamington Spa
  Historical railways  
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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