Coventry to Leamington line

Overview

The Coventry to Leamington line is a railway line linking the city of Coventry with the town of Leamington Spa. It was completed in 1851 by the LNWR, with the loop to Berkswell opening on 2nd March 1884.

Stations served

The line currently serves two stations: Leamington Spa and Coventry with Arriva CrossCountry services. There are also two former railway stations along the route:

* Leamington Spa (Milverton) for Warwick
This station was closed in 1965 as part of the Beeching cuts. The station building was demolished some time later. Although the station land remains unoccupied, it is unlikely to be re-opened owing to its proximity to the main town station.
* Kenilworth
This station was also closed in 1965 as part of the Beeching cuts. Local debate continues with regards to the re-opening of a station in the town, however opposition remains fuelled by arguments that the town is already served by good bus services to Coventry and Leamington Spa.

Track layout

Throughout the late 19th century, most of the track layout was doubled to allow more trains to run along the route. Only a small section just outside Kenilworth, at Gibbet Hill, remained single line working.

Today, most of the line is single track, which limits the number of services using it. What remains of double track includes a passing loop at Kenilworth, and the lines out from Coventry and Leamington Spa to Gibbet Hill Junction and Milverton respectively, the former being extended back from Park Junction (now removed) on 29/08/2007 by 1.75 miles.

References

* [http://www.warwickshirerailways.com Warwickshire's Railways]