Doubling Coventry-Leamington Spa & reopening the line to Weedon

[Philip]

Should the Coventry-Leamington line be upgraded for double track operation and then in conjunction the Leamington to Weedon line reopened? What is the viability of each project and would it be worthwhile?

Doubling the Coventry-Leamington would obviously bring huge capacity enhancements on a tightrope line which is part of an intercity route; more services between Oxford & Birmingham/North West. Reopening the closed line between Leamington & Weedon would restore the train service for Daventry, as well as serving smaller places like Stockton, Napton & Braunston. It could also relieve track congestion through Rugby if some semi-fast services and freights were sent via Daventry. Any thoughts?

Are there any major physical obstacles preventing either project from happening (other than cost)?

Should the Coventry-Leamington line be upgraded for double track operation and then in conjunction the Leamington to Weedon line reopened? What is the viability of each project and would it be worthwhile?

Doubling the Coventry-Leamington would obviously bring huge capacity enhancements on a tightrope line which is part of an intercity route; more services between Oxford & Birmingham/North West. Reopening the closed line between Leamington & Weedon would restore the train service for Daventry, as well as serving smaller places like Stockton, Napton & Braunston. It could also relieve track congestion through Rugby if some semi-fast services and freights were sent via Daventry. Any thoughts?

Are there any major physical obstacles preventing either project from happening (other than cost)?

 

[A0wen]

Should the Coventry-Leamington line be upgraded for double track operation and then in conjunction the Leamington to Weedon line reopened? What is the viability of each project and would it be worthwhile?

Doubling the Coventry-Leamington would obviously bring huge capacity enhancements on a tightrope line which is part of an intercity route; more services between Oxford & Birmingham/North West. Reopening the closed line between Leamington & Weedon would restore the train service for Daventry, as well as serving smaller places like Stockton, Napton & Braunston. It could also relieve track congestion through Rugby if some semi-fast services and freights were sent via Daventry. Any thoughts?

Are there any major physical obstacles preventing either project from happening (other than cost)?



Are there any major physical obstacles preventing either project from happening (other than cost)?

Doubling Leamington - Coventry is probably doable - the line is double track at either end, the structures are still in situ, however the question is not could Leamington - Coventry take more trains, but what happens to those trains when they arrive at Coventry? If you send them towards Birmingham that's already one of the most congested lines in the country. If you want to send them towards Nuneaton then they have to cross all the lines at Coventry station with the risk of any delays having a huge knock on across the WCML.

The only chance Weedon - Leamington has is as a candidate for the National Crayon Championship. The line closed in 1958, so long pre Beeching. The formation is gone in Daventry, the intermediate places you quote are small villages - the days of having a station at every village and hamlet are mercifully gone. Also, from a passenger perspective, there is limited demand for bus travel west from Daventry - the bus to Banbury was recently under threat of withdrawl and was only saved when LA funding was secured, IIRC there is one bus a day between Daventry and Southam / Leamington, aimed at students. The most frequent buses from Daventry are to Northampton or Rugby and they aren't full and standing.

On freight, again, I can't see what you're trying to solve. Weedon's on the WCML fast lines, freights get sent via Northampton on the slow lines, so merely getting freight to Weedon would mean pathing 70mph freights up a 125mph, heavily used line - don't forget London Midland only got permission to run class 350 EMUs along there once they were upgraded to 110mph. And again, where is this freight coming from / going to ?

Arguablly EWR helps fix some of this as freights arriving in Oxford from the south can be sent to the WCML at Bletchley or MML at Bedford, avoiding the Birmingham / Coventry areas.

 

[Philip]

Relating to the Leamington-Coventry project, it'd make sense to include a re-modeling of Coventry Station & Junction as part of upgrading the line to Leamington. With HS2 taking London trains off the NEC route into New Street; double track to Leamington Spa & a new layout at Coventry, you could at least double the current frequency from Oxford to Coventry and maybe add another Bicester line service from Marylebone to run into Coventry. Potentially a half-hourly Oxford-Birmingham-Manchester service and half hourly Oxford-B'ham-Yorks/NE.

Sending freight through Northampton is just compromising the capacity & level of service for Northampton. Once HS2 opens surely it'd be better to at least split the freight workings between via Northampton & Weedon?

 

[Energy]

Should the Coventry-Leamington line be upgraded for double track operation

Currently, it's double track from Leamington - Milverton, just outside of Coventry inwards, and a small section at Kenilworth Jcn to allow trains to pass. Originally it was double track from Milverton - Kenilworth Jcn but the track got lifted, as such few infrastructure works would need to be done with only a new bridge across the A46.

Re-double-tracking Kenilworth Jcn - Milverton is on the radar (though not high up on the list) but to allow all XC services to go via Coventry and Birmingham Intl as opposed to Bordesley

Kenilworth Jcn - just outside of Coventry has only ever been single-track with another single-track route to Berkswell. Doubling this section would need new bridges at Common Ln and Millburn Grange farm, plus a couple of gardens at the outside of Kenilworth might become a meter or two shorter. Nothing insurmountable though Millburn Grange farm has had to deal with HS2 right next door so a new rail bridge may be interesting. Hopefully, the HS2 overbridge is big enough for 2 tracks.

would restore the train service for Daventry, as well as serving smaller places like Stockton, Napton & Braunston.

I'm not convinced they need it over decent bus routes. Better buses between Daventry and Long Buckby would be more suitable.

It could also relieve track congestion through Rugby if some semi-fast services and freights were sent via Daventry.

In the olden days yes because the trains could go via Leamington Spa, Kenilworth, and Berkswell avoiding Rugby and Coventry. Now the line between Kenilworth and Berkswell is shut you'd have to go via Coventry still.

This would only be any use if you're going towards Birmingham, otherwise you'd have to go via Coventry and Nuneaton which is fairly pointless when Rugby - Nuneaton is all quad track. Post HS2 the congested bit is Coventry, a seperate thread on HS2 via Coventry might be interesting...


Historic map of railways around Coventry, Leamington Spa and Rugby.

 

[The Planner]

Should the Coventry-Leamington line be upgraded for double track operation and then in conjunction the Leamington to Weedon line reopened? What is the viability of each project and would it be worthwhile?

Doubling the Coventry-Leamington would obviously bring huge capacity enhancements on a tightrope line which is part of an intercity route; more services between Oxford & Birmingham/North West. Reopening the closed line between Leamington & Weedon would restore the train service for Daventry, as well as serving smaller places like Stockton, Napton & Braunston. It could also relieve track congestion through Rugby if some semi-fast services and freights were sent via Daventry. Any thoughts?

Look at GoogleMaps and you will see the obstacles for Leamington to Weedon, why not do that before asking? Others have stated the current postion. Milverton to Kenilworth is the planned re-instatement of twin track, as that would be enough for both XC trains to go via Coventry post Hs2. Again, look at a map to see what a massive dog leg and time penalty going via Daventry would be.

Relating to the Leamington-Coventry project, it'd make sense to include a re-modeling of Coventry Station & Junction as part of upgrading the line to Leamington. With HS2 taking London trains off the NEC route into New Street; double track to Leamington Spa & a new layout at Coventry, you could at least double the current frequency from Oxford to Coventry and maybe add another Bicester line service from Marylebone to run into Coventry. Potentially a half-hourly Oxford-Birmingham-Manchester service and half hourly Oxford-B'ham-Yorks/NE.

Sending freight through Northampton is just compromising the capacity & level of service for Northampton. Once HS2 opens surely it'd be better to at least split the freight workings between via Northampton & Weedon?

Coventry doesn't need remodeling to do what is proposed as HS2 will only likely take one train off the route. You can't do much there on a hugely constrained site anyway. Why would you run a train from Marylebone to Coventry when a change at Banbury or Leamington will suffice as it does now? How many extra trains are you sending through Northampton for freight to be an issue? There could well be some trains that go via Weedon post HS2, but not many.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Should the Coventry-Leamington line be upgraded for double track operation and then in conjunction the Leamington to Weedon line reopened? What is the viability of each project and would it be worthwhile?

Doubling the Coventry-Leamington would obviously bring huge capacity enhancements on a tightrope line which is part of an intercity route; more services between Oxford & Birmingham/North West. Reopening the closed line between Leamington & Weedon would restore the train service for Daventry, as well as serving smaller places like Stockton, Napton & Braunston. It could also relieve track congestion through Rugby if some semi-fast services and freights were sent via Daventry. Any thoughts?

Are there any major physical obstacles preventing either project from happening (other than cost)?



Are there any major physical obstacles preventing either project from happening (other than cost)?

Your first proposal makes sense as other posters have said - Coventry to Leamington Spa is a key link in the XC network.
There is sufficient population for a light rail link from Leamington Spa to Daventry via Southam, terminating on the western outskirts, but a better plan would be an integrated frequent rail link bus service running Leamington Spa - Southam - Daventry - Long Buckby (for onward rail connections) and Northampton.

While there is already a decent service Daventry - Northampton/Rugby, western connections are severely lacking.

 

[Magdalia]

Kenilworth Jcn - just outside of Coventry has only ever been single-track with another single-track route to Berkswell. Doubling this section would need new bridges at Common Ln and Millburn Grange farm, plus a couple of gardens at the outside of Kenilworth might become a meter or two shorter.

I studied at Warwick University, so I knew the area very well half a century ago, and remember when the Coventry-Leamington line reopened to passengers so that trains on the Oxford-Birmingham axis could call at Birmingham International.

This significantly underestimates the challenge of doubling the track between Coventry and Kenilworth. At Gibbet Hill the single line goes through a long and deep cutting that is only wide enough for one track, and includes a bridge with a single track arch at Stoneleigh Road. There is also a big bridge over a watercourse, variously known as Canley Brook or Tocil Brook, at Crackley Bottom, though I don't know whether this has been replaced as part of building HS2, which crosses the Coventry-Leamington line at Crackley Bottom.

My memory may be playing tricks on me but I think the line is also still single track where it goes under the Kenpas Highway in Coventry.

 

[swt_passenger]

Reopening the closed line between Leamington & Weedon would restore the train service for Daventry, as well as serving smaller places like Stockton, Napton & Braunston. It could also relieve track congestion through Rugby if some semi-fast services and freights were sent via Daventry. Any thoughts?

So you’re suggesting either a flat junction on the WCML where stopping trains will join and leave conflicting with the flow of fast trains to the north west? Or is it to be an unaffordable grade separated junction in the middle of Weedon where there’s no room? It‘s pure fantasy, it’s never going to happen.

I think merging these two proposals into a double question in the same thread is a mistake, the dualling of sufficient length of Coventry to Leamington to increase the XC timetable is effectively already in the works, it’s been discussed many times already and more importantly has been included in Network Rail route studies or strategies.

 

[Philip]

The idea about reopening the closed line through Daventry is really a way to relieve congestion through Rugby for WCML services to the North West & Scotland; if all remaining Birmingham-London via WCML services went non-stop this way along with some freight then it would improve capacity through Rugby & Northampton and possibly create new paths. Serving Daventry, Southam, Napton etc would be an extra benefit.

 

[The Planner]

My memory may be playing tricks on me but I think the line is also still single track where it goes under the Kenpas Highway in Coventry.

No, that is double and was likely done when the extension to Gibbet Hill Jn was put in.

 

[Falcon1200]

Now the line between Kenilworth and Berkswell is shut you'd have to go via Coventry still.

Would re-opening Kenilworth/Berkswell be a more realistic way of addressing the Kenilworth/Coventry capacity issue, allowing freight, and perhaps some passenger trains, to avoid Coventry?

 

[Energy]

At Gibbet Hill the single line goes through a long and deep cutting that is only wide enough for one track, and includes a bridge with a single track arch at Stoneleigh Road.

Yep, knew I forgot something. There's some space so it isn't a massive issue, though digging out the cutting would be time consuming

There is also a big bridge over a watercourse, variously known as Canley Brook or Tocil Brook, at Crackley Bottom, though I don't know whether this has been replaced as part of building HS2, which crosses the Coventry-Leamington line at Crackley Bottom.

I'm struggling to see this on Google Maps, possibly changed under HS2.

My memory may be playing tricks on me but I think the line is also still single track where it goes under the Kenpas Highway in Coventry.

Nope, double track.

Would re-opening Kenilworth/Berkswell be a more realistic way of addressing the Kenilworth/Coventry capacity issue, allowing freight, and perhaps some passenger trains, to avoid Coventry?

No, the freight trains are currently Southampton containers heading up the WCML. They go Leamington - Cov - Nuneaton to go up the Trent Valley so wouldn't go via Berkswell.

For passenger trains I cant see a use for deliberately avoiding Coventry.

 

[The Planner]

Would re-opening Kenilworth/Berkswell be a more realistic way of addressing the Kenilworth/Coventry capacity issue, allowing freight, and perhaps some passenger trains, to avoid Coventry?

HS2 is on top of it.

No, the freight trains are currently Southampton containers heading up the WCML. They go Leamington - Cov - Nuneaton to go up the Trent Valley so wouldn't go via Berkswell.

There are a good few Southampton to Garston/Halewood and East Mids that use it.

 

[etr221]

Coventry-Kenilworth was never double track throughout - it was left single so the LNWR could truthfully say there was no capacity for the GWR to run trains to Coventry over it, whenever they asked...
Kenilworth-Berkswell was double track throughout.

 

[SynthD]

I'm struggling to see this on Google Maps, possibly changed under HS2.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/e1dXzFTUZPtSMQ9K7?g_st=ic You can see the shadow of the viaduct.

A major road in Daventry is on the track bed. This is similar to the former line south of Stratford upon Avon.

 

[A0wen]

There is sufficient population for a light rail link from Leamington Spa to Daventry via Southam, terminating on the western outskirts, but a better plan would be an integrated frequent rail link bus service running Leamington Spa - Southam - Daventry - Long Buckby (for onward rail connections) and Northampton.

Bit in bold - There really isn't - there's nothing between Southam and Daventry and little demand for travel between them as the sparse bus service demonstrates.

A rail link bus as you suggest would also be pretty pointless. There is possible justification for a Daventry - Long Buckby link, but Southam's a quarter the size of Daventry and anyone wanting to access the rail network from there won't head for Daventry and Long Buckby - they'll either head for Leamington or Rugby and there is already an hourly bus service from Southam to both of those.

The idea about reopening the closed line through Daventry is really a way to relieve congestion through Rugby for WCML services to the North West & Scotland; if all remaining Birmingham-London via WCML services went non-stop this way along with some freight then it would improve capacity through Rugby & Northampton and possibly create new paths. Serving Daventry, Southam, Napton etc would be an extra benefit.

Whilst it might create capacity through Northampton and Rugby, it does nothing about capacity south of Weedon on the WCML, nor does it address the lack of capacity through Coventry, nor from Leamington to Birmingham. So the only capacity you actually "create" is a little bit between Northampton and Rugby which in isolation is absolutely pointless. If there needs to be additional capacity on the Northampton loop, then there are other ways of achieving that, without building a pointles new line - increase the linespeed on the loop might be one, grade separate the access to DIRFT might be another. In fact for less than the cost of rebuilding Weedon - Leamington you could probably add a 3rd line for most of the Northampton loop (might be a bit of a struggle through the tunnels and on the south side of Northampton) which would immediately add a chunk of capacity.

I'm not sure how much of a capacity issue Rugby is now - quite alot of work was done there during the West Coast Route Modernisation, which included adding new platforms and increasing line speed among many other things.

 

[Bald Rick]

The idea about reopening the closed line through Daventry is really a way to relieve congestion through Rugby for WCML services to the North West & Scotland; if all remaining Birmingham-London via WCML services went non-stop this way along with some freight then it would improve capacity through Rugby & Northampton and possibly create new paths. Serving Daventry, Southam, Napton etc would be an extra benefit.

Am I missing something? If all remaining Birmingham - London via WCML services went via Daventry, how woudl you get from Northampton / Rugby to Coventry and Birmingham?

A non-trivial point (aside from that the route is built over in many places with no obvious diversion available, so there would be much new railway and it would be in the order of £2bn) is that where the old junction was at Weedon now has track canted at maximum super elevation and maximum cant deficiency. If you want to put a junction there (even a grade sepersted one), the linespeed on the WCML would need to come down to about 60mph. Not ideal to say the lesst.

Would re-opening Kenilworth/Berkswell be a more realistic way of addressing the Kenilworth/Coventry capacity issue, allowing freight, and perhaps some passenger trains, to avoid Coventry?

We’re already building a railway from Kenilworth to Berskwell (extended either end a little )

 

[Energy]

We’re already building a railway from Kenilworth to Berskwell (extended either end a little )

It is only 7km, no idea why it's being built for 360kph

(For those not aware the alignment is being used for HS2, the Victorian engineers built it in a remarkable straight line)

 

[andrewgsavage]

Bit in bold - There really isn't - there's nothing between Southam and Daventry and little demand for travel between them as the sparse bus service demonstrates.

A rail link bus as you suggest would also be pretty pointless. There is possible justification for a Daventry - Long Buckby link, but Southam's a quarter the size of Daventry and anyone wanting to access the rail network from there won't head for Daventry and Long Buckby - they'll either head for Leamington or Rugby and there is already an hourly bus service from Southam to both of those.

Napton still has a bus to Leamington, the next village after Southam.

Taking a Daventry-Long Buckby bus usually gets you on the same train towards London as a Daventry to Northampton bus so is only valuable for those heading north. If you want to spend money on buses around Daventry to improve connectivity with rail it should be spent increasing the frequency Daventry-Northampton fast service from hourly to half hourly so you always get a 0min connection with a train, and would actually get used since it's Daventry's most used route.

 

[Energy]

Taking a Daventry-Long Buckby bus usually gets you on the same train towards London as a Daventry to Northampton bus so is only valuable for those heading north. If you want to spend money on buses around Daventry to improve connectivity with rail it should be spent increasing the frequency Daventry-Northampton fast service from hourly to half hourly so you always get a 0min connection with a train, and would actually get used since it's Daventry's most used route.

The D2 bus is about 40 mins Daventry to Northampton compared to 10 mins on the D4 from Daventry to Long Buckby.

Long Buckby to Northampton is 10 mins so even if you are heading south it's 20 mins quicker (if the trains and buses match up).

 

[AlastairFraser]

Bit in bold - There really isn't - there's nothing between Southam and Daventry and little demand for travel between them as the sparse bus service demonstrates.

A rail link bus as you suggest would also be pretty pointless. There is possible justification for a Daventry - Long Buckby link, but Southam's a quarter the size of Daventry and anyone wanting to access the rail network from there won't head for Daventry and Long Buckby - they'll either head for Leamington or Rugby and there is already an hourly bus service from Southam to both of those.

1) Little demand for public transport because the service is either non-existent or uncompetitive. Build and they will come, especially as Daventry is a growing commuter town.
2) You've actually made my proposal easier by pointing out Southam's preexisting connection to Leamington Spa, that means reduced initial capital investment to set up a rail link service.

A direct bus service giving both a quicker connection to London/MK/Northampton at Long Buckby and the Birmingham/XC med to Long distance/London services from Daventry and Southam will increase much needed connectivity for both towns, particularly as Daventry, by far the bigger town, has no direct connection to the important XC services.

 

[andrewgsavage]

The D2 bus is about 40 mins Daventry to Northampton compared to 10 mins on the D4 from Daventry to Long Buckby.

Long Buckby to Northampton is 10 mins so even if you are heading south it's 20 mins quicker (if the trains and buses match up).

The train waits at Northampton for 10 mins. Take a look at Google map journeys throughout the day and you'll see what I mean about similar timings

 

[A0wen]

1) Little demand for public transport because the service is either non-existent or uncompetitive. Build and they will come, especially as Daventry is a growing commuter town.
2) You've actually made my proposal easier by pointing out Southam's preexisting connection to Leamington Spa, that means reduced initial capital investment to set up a rail link service.

A direct bus service giving both a quicker connection to London/MK/Northampton at Long Buckby and the Birmingham/XC med to Long distance/London services from Daventry and Southam will increase much needed connectivity for both towns, particularly as Daventry, by far the bigger town, has no direct connection to the important XC services.

In response to 1 - there was until a couple of years back a regular Daventry - Leamington bus supported by S106 funding. When the funding stopped, the bus was unsustainable. Rather disproves your "build it and they will come" claim.

In response to 2, if you bothered to look at 'Bustimes' website, you'd see that is already a Leamington-Southam-Rugby service. So to do this with "reduced capital investment" would mean cutting the Southam - Rugby leg, which is clearly well used as it is a frequent service.

As for your final point about access to the "important XC" services you can get to Rugby from Daventry by bus, from Rugby you can get to Birmingham, Coventry, Manchester, Crewe and Stafford by direct train. If you want to head south on XC, then there *is already* a direct bus from Daventry to Banbury which would be a similar journey time as Daventry - Leamington, yet would put you on an XC train 20 miles further south......

 

[RT4038]

The idea about reopening the closed line through Daventry is really a way to relieve congestion through Rugby for WCML services to the North West & Scotland; if all remaining Birmingham-London via WCML services went non-stop this way along with some freight then it would improve capacity through Rugby & Northampton and possibly create new paths. Serving Daventry, Southam, Napton etc would be an extra benefit.

The Weedon-Leamington line didn't go through Southam or Napton - it had stations with those names in but they were far from the settlements they purported to serve.

The trackbed at the entrance to Leamington has been completely built over in places, to the extent that you wouldn't detect it had ever been there.

Napton still has a bus to Leamington, the next village after Southam.

In response to 1 - there was until a couple of years back a regular Daventry - Leamington bus supported by S106 funding. When the funding stopped, the bus was unsustainable. Rather disproves your "build it and they will come" claim.

Which highlights the differing views of Northamptonshire and Warwickshire towards bus service funding hitherto.

 

[A0wen]

Which highlights the differing views of Northamptonshire and Warwickshire towards bus service funding.

Not really. West Northants do support some routes, but it tends to be those which run in their area. The boundary between Northants and Warks is about 1 mile west of Staverton (a village of 500 people and only a mile or so outside Daventry) - so if West Northants funded a bus between Southam and Daventry, it would overwhelmingly be to the benefit if people who live outside their area. Warks supporting services is being done on a similar basis e.g. from Napton the service runs west to Southam and Leamington - all in their area.

 

[Falcon1200]

We’re already building a railway from Kenilworth to Berskwell (extended either end a little )

Indeed, so all that is needed is connections at either end..... (not a serious suggestion)

 

[RT4038]

Not really. West Northants do support some routes, but it tends to be those which run in their area. The boundary between Northants and Warks is about 1 mile west of Staverton (a village of 500 people and only a mile or so outside Daventry) - so if West Northants funded a bus between Southam and Daventry, it would overwhelmingly be to the benefit if people who live outside their area. Warks supporting services is being done on a similar basis e.g. from Napton the service runs west to Southam and Leamington - all in their area.

Overwhelmingly? I doubt Napton or Southam residents wish to visit Daventry very much, nor Daventry residents the other way round. Daventry residents may wish to travel through to Leamington, being a larger place, (but that would require some co-operation between two councils for joint funding) but Leamington residents going the other way not so much. Southam to Northampton would be over the journey time that people would likely make on a regular basis by bus, and Daventry-Leamington pushing the envelope!

Historically this route has always been sparsely served by bus (due to the sparsely populated countryside it passes through) and the Midland 'Red' withdrew their Wednesday and Saturday 2 return trip offering (no. 553) in the early 70s. As you pointed out, a regular service was operated for about 5 (?) years from about 2010 with some s106 funding from developments in Southam, but the take up was poor and it has withered away to a College bus only. The train service was extremely infrequent too, with about two through trains per day from Weedon and a turn back in the wilds at Stockton & Napton.

 

[A0wen]

Overwhelmingly? I doubt Napton or Southam residents wish to visit Daventry very much, nor Daventry residents the other way round. Daventry residents may wish to travel through to Leamington, being a larger place, (but that would require some co-operation between two councils for joint funding) but Leamington residents going the other way not so much. Southam to Northampton would be over the journey time that people would likely make on a regular basis by bus, and Daventry-Leamington pushing the envelope!

Yes, the majority of the service would run outside West Northants.

And for all your slight against Daventry - guess which one out of Daventry, Southam, Leamington and Warwick has a branch of Waitrose in its town centre ?

If you're in Daventry and want to go shopping elsewhere you'll head to Coventry, MK or Birmingham, not Leamington or Warwick.

 

[RT4038]

Yes, the majority of the service would run outside West Northants.

Mileage wise, but the population of Daventry (28,000) and Staverton (500) is about four times larger than Napton (1,100) and Southam (6,500), so a Daventry-Southam bus service would be overwhelmingly to the benefit of West Northants residents. ( I say 'overwhelmingly' not in the expectation that a bus on such a route would be overwhelmed with passengers......)

No slight intended to Daventry - it just doesn't have the size of attractions as Leamington/Warwick, whose residents wishing to go shopping elsewhere would go to Coventry/Solihull/Birmingham, [or possibly to Waitrose in Kenilworth or Stratford but by car, certainly not by bus!].

So the high road across the county line at that point is unlikely to see much in the way of public buses, and the disused line of east-west rail nearby even less likely to be awakened from its slumber.