Chiltern Railways to Kenilworth and Coventry?

[evergreenadam]

Given Chiltern's appetite for new rail services and routes, what is the likelihood of a new Coventry-London Marylebone service via the new station at Kenilworth when it opens? Such a service would provide an affluent area around Kenilworth with a direct train service to London in much the same way as Chiltern have already to sought to increase rail patronage along the M40 corridor. Access to Coventry would allow Chiltern to compete via Virgin Trains for a bigger slice of the West Midlands conurbation-London traffic as well as opening up onward connections to Birmingham International.

Which TOC would operate the Coventry-Leamington Spa via Kenilworth service under the current proposals? Is there sufficient track capacity for a Chiltern service as well?

 

[sonic2009]

It's planned for London Midland to run the service, I don't think Chiltern would be able to run a service there just isn't the space at Coventry.

 

[swt_passenger]

I'd disagree that Chiltern actually have an appetite for new routes.

Their specific long franchise, uniquely required them to arrange a number of infrastructure improvement projects that met the DfT's approval. (No other TOC has had to do this.) That requirement has been met once Bicester - Oxford (part of Evergreen 3) is complete. They have no contractural need to extend themselves further, and I wouldn't expect them to.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

I don't think it would be too difficult to have a pair of units combine or divide at Leamington Spa if the signalling allows for it.

Front part: Moor Street, Rear Part: Coventry. It would give VT some price competition.

 

[higthomas]

I'd disagree that Chiltern actually have an appetite for new routes.

Their specific long franchise, uniquely required them to arrange a number of infrastructure improvement projects that met the DfT's approval. (No other TOC has had to do this.) That requirement has been met once Bicester - Oxford (part of Evergreen 3) is complete. They have no contractural need to extend themselves further, and I wouldn't expect them to.

Although it's quite possibly bluster, they are still looking into extending themselves.

 

[swt_passenger]

Although it's quite possibly bluster, they are still looking into extending themselves.

Should that really be seen as a 'new route' in this context - or a way of removing platforming conflicts during layover time at Oxford?

 

[FQ]

I don't think it would be too difficult to have a pair of units combine or divide at Leamington Spa if the signalling allows for it.

Front part: Moor Street, Rear Part: Coventry. It would give VT some price competition.

I don't think there is any point for that, as passengers would just go for VT from Cov, or drive to Warwick Parkway.

 

[Bald Rick]

Coventry already has price competition to London in the form of LM.

Chiltern are interested in opening new routes where it makes money. I can't see this doing so.

 

[The Planner]

It will be ran by LM. Plan is for a new link into the bay at Leamington to allow parallel moves, Coventry requires the shuttle to go back out into the engineers sidings before the XC behind it arrives. Chiltern wont be going that way.

 

[fgwrich]

And isn't Chiltern looking to extend the Aylesbury services up to Milton Keynes with the formation of East > West Rail in the future as well?

 

[swt_passenger]

And isn't Chiltern looking to extend the Aylesbury services up to Milton Keynes with the formation of East > West Rail in the future as well?

That isn't Chiltern going off looking for random new routes though, it has been decided by others, and in the case of that route only they have been deemed to be the most suitable operator. Of course Chiltern may not run any other EWR services, they are still up for grabs and could easily go to GW or LM

 

[mister-sparky]

Is Chiltern still considering re-opening part of the old Great Central up to Rugby? Or was that just a pipe dream?

 

[Cherry_Picker]

It was in the franchise bid for possible future expansions, as was an interchange station with London Underground, Overground and Thameslink trains at West Hampstead. The company has changed hands twice since then, so I wouldn't hold your breath on being able to catch a direct train from Aylesbury to Rugby Central or an M1 Parkway station at Lutterworth any time soon.

 

[swt_passenger]

Is Chiltern still considering re-opening part of the old Great Central up to Rugby? Or was that just a pipe dream?

It was only an option on quite a long shopping list of potential projects, early in the 20 year franchise, none of which were committed when first mentioned.

To keep the franchise at the ten year break point, Chiltern had to have made progress on the 'decided and agreed' infrastructure enhancements. At that time, about ten years in, the original shopping list had been whittled down and altered to what became known as the Evergreen 3 projects. In hindsight between Chiltern and the DfT they have basically settled on line and station capacity improvements on the Birmingham route overall, and eventually the spur to Oxford via Bicester. The latter was first described as being via Thame - that possibility was discounted as part of the optioneering.

 

[paddy1]

Coventry already has price competition to London in the form of LM.

Chiltern are interested in opening new routes where it makes money. I can't see this doing so.

Many parts of Coventry are also only within a few minutes drive of Warwick Parkway via the A46 motorway type road.

 

[Martin_1981]

Is Chiltern still considering re-opening part of the old Great Central up to Rugby? Or was that just a pipe dream?

I do recall this being mentioned a while back, with a longer term possibility of extending to Leicester, joining up with the Leicester-Birmingham line near Whetstone.

 

[BlythPower]

Many parts of Coventry are also only within a few minutes drive of Warwick Parkway via the A46 motorway type road.

There's no part of Cov that's "within a few minutes drive of Warwick Parkway"! Why drive there, pay high parking fees (if you can get a space) and pay more for your rail ticket when you can park for free within 10 minutes walk of Cov station and choose from more and faster trains, which are much cheaper to Brum due to the journey being entirely within the Centro area?

 

[Cherry_Picker]

South Coventry (CV3/CV4 Willenhall/Cheylesmore and surrounding areas) are all 10-15 minutes from Warwick Parkway and in the peaks you are driving away from the flow of traffic which clogs up the roads between those areas and the city centre. For those people Warwick Parkway is a very useful railhead, especially for a London commute. You are right about Warwick Parkway being unable to compete with Coventry for commuting into Birmingham but I don't think that was ever a serious intent when the business case for Warwick Parkway was drawn up.

 

[nuneatonmark]

In a previous RUS there was talk of through services between Nuneaton and Leamington i.e to further south, so it might be possible. There are the restrictions of the single track sections between Leamington and Coventry and of Coventry station itself. However the recent intention was to incorporate the Kenilworth services in to the NUCKLE (NUneaton, Coventry, Kenilworth, LEamington) project as phase 2 to link up with phase 1 between Coventry and Nuneaton which is now being 'built'.

 

[The Planner]

We have done this one to death, there will be no service that crosses Cov in the forseeable future.

 

[swt_passenger]

We have done this one to death, there will be no service that crosses Cov in the forseeable future.

Also, and as we've discussed before, if it was at all practical they probably wouldn't be bothering to build an independent line into a new west facing bay on the up side at Coventry?