Kenilworth Station plans dealt a blow
Network Rail had initially planned to install an electrified twin track through the station along with provision for a second platform some years after the station became operational with a single track.
These improvements have now been shelved as a result of the Hendy Review, which reviewed all of Network Rail’s planned upgrades across the country. However, the plans may yet resurface.
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Hide AdA spokesman for Network Rail said: “The track upgrade through Kenilworth has not been cancelled but was assessed as part of the Hendy Review.
“As a result the track work at Kenilworth is on hold and will be considered for funding in the coming years.”
The news confirms fears raised last year when Network Rail revealed it could not commit to billions of pounds of funding across the country.
However, at that time it was unknown whether Kenilworth would be affected by the savings it had to make.
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Hide AdBut the recent announcement now means Kenilworth Station will have an hourly service between Coventry and Leamington using diesel trains indefinitely, the bare minimum of what was hoped for the station when it was first confirmed to be going ahead.
Despite the setback to the station’s future, Warwickshire County Council has insisted the announcement will not delay the planned opening date of August 2017, which had already been revised back from December 2016.
A spokesman for the council said: “This will have no impact on the services currently being provided from Kenilworth or to the overall delivery of the project.
“The project plan states that there would be one service per hour and this is still the case.”
Workers from Graham Construction have started appearing on the station site to start work on the project.