Services Suspended between Nuneaton and Leamington Spa from 27/12/21.

[Halish Railway]

Was Leamington to Coventry supposed to be doubled as part of the Electric Spine programme?

If so I’d have run a Leamington to Birmingham New Street via Coventry service to give Kenilworth a direct link to Birmingham and accelerate the Birmingham to Northampton and beyond services between Coventry and Birmingham International. Also this service would be less likely to be cancelled in the event of staff shortages due to its importance.

 

[Jimini]

Also freights to/from Southampton.

Aye, true. Passing loops available for those though, and not that many scheduled either in the grand scheme of things.

 

[The Planner]

Was Leamington to Coventry supposed to be doubled as part of the Electric Spine programme?

If so I’d have run a Leamington to Birmingham New Street via Coventry service to give Kenilworth a direct link to Birmingham and accelerate the Birmingham to Northampton and beyond services between Coventry and Birmingham International. Also this service would be less likely to be cancelled in the event of staff shortages due to its importance.

That was sort of the plan originally except it wasnt an extra service, it was going to be one of the three Northamptons to turn right at Cov. Re-doubling isn't dead and the HS2 bridge has provision for the second track.

 

[boxerdog]

The Kenilworth line isn't helped by it being a single track route also heavily used by XR services to and from Birmingham.

It really needs to be redoubled (or at the very least, an extended passing loop at Kenilworth) for any hope of a decent service provided to the residents of Kenilworth.

I've wanted to visit Kenilworth on a Sunday in the past, only to discover there were no Sunday services to the station.

I believe it is supposed to be redoubled, last I heard it was due to open on the same date as HS2. (This information is around 3 years old though, so things may have changed)

 

[Watershed]

I believe it is supposed to be redoubled, last I heard it was due to open on the same date as HS2. (This information is around 3 years old though, so things may have changed)

I'm not sure there are any concrete proposals for it to be doubled throughout. The term 'redoubled' is also slightly misleading, as most of the section between Kenilworth and Coventry was never double track to begin with.

That might seem a trite point but the earthworks and bridges there are accordingly sized for a single track railway, rather than the clearly double track formation further south.

One major obstacle to doubling would be the bridge over the A46 dual carriageway, which, as the line had already been singled by that time, was only built as single track when the bypass was built.

 

[Spaceship323]

Also freights to/from Southampton.

But not that busy, I've never seen a freight train on the single line section looped to allow a passenger service to pass and living in Bedworth I use that line a lot.

 

[Watershed]

But not that busy, I've never seen a freight train on the single line section looped to allow a passenger service to pass and living in Bedworth I use that line a lot.

I've seen it plenty of times. It's admittedly a more common sight when you're on a laterunning XC!

 

[RT4038]

I'm not sure there are any concrete proposals for it to be doubled throughout. The term 'redoubled' is also slightly misleading, as most of the section between Kenilworth and Coventry was never double track to begin with.

That might seem a trite point but the earthworks and bridges there are accordingly sized for a single track railway, rather than the clearly double track formation further south.

One major obstacle to doubling would be the bridge over the A46 dual carriageway, which, as the line had already been singled by that time, was only built as single track when the bypass was built.

From Kenilworth Junction to Gibbet Hill signalbox (about halfway) was only ever single track.

 

[boxerdog]

I'm not sure there are any concrete proposals for it to be doubled throughout. The term 'redoubled' is also slightly misleading, as most of the section between Kenilworth and Coventry was never double track to begin with.

That might seem a trite point but the earthworks and bridges there are accordingly sized for a single track railway, rather than the clearly double track formation further south.

One major obstacle to doubling would be the bridge over the A46 dual carriageway, which, as the line had already been singled by that time, was only built as single track when the bypass was built.

I had the Network Rail camera equipment in my train cab (this was when class 153s did the work), which I believe was to enable computer simulations for the works. A member of staff who is familiar with the project told me the date and what works were supposed to be happening. From what I remember about the conversation it was being double tracked everywhere and over the A46, but, with covid who knows what will happen to the project. You'll find out in due course, when the works proceed or not.

 

[The Planner]

It was not going to be the whole lot, last plan I saw was Milverton to Kenilworth.