"The track was lifted and relaid next to the platform" - so is there not a loop and two platforms? If not is the single line going to cope with two extra train movements an hour, given that it's already a potential source of delay for Cross-Country?
The existing Kenilworth loop remains, but the loop is about half a mile north of the station (roughly where the former line to Berkswell diverged). The station is situated on the single-line section south of the loop."The track was lifted and relaid next to the platform" - so is there not a loop and two platforms? If not is the single line going to cope with two extra train movements an hour, given that it's already a potential source of delay for Cross-Country?
The local needs to be reliable or the down XC will get nobbled, yes."The track was lifted and relaid next to the platform" - so is there not a loop and two platforms? If not is the single line going to cope with two extra train movements an hour, given that it's already a potential source of delay for Cross-Country?
Will be interesting to see how the train competes against the X17 bus service, which I think runs every 15 minutes and penetrates most of Kenilworth quite well.
The local needs to be reliable or the down XC will get nobbled, yes.
The No. 11 bus's route to Coventry is a tortuous one through Warwick University and Canley (~1/2 hour). If someone really had a problem with the short walk from Coventry station to town they could always get a bus from the station.
Still no news on what will be driven up and down this line and by whom. Apparently the class 230 trials were made by freight drivers who know the route.
Trouble is the 11 and x17 buses can take up to an hour in thWill be interesting to see how the train competes against the X17 bus service, which I think runs every 15 minutes and penetrates most of Kenilworth quite well.
I suspect it's more cock-up than conspiracy at this point. Isn't the station build:
a) the bit that's now running late
b) paid for by the people who most want this finished on time?
For those who remember how rail projects can be difficult to believe in terms of new projects being subject to delays for differing reasons, I would put forward the example of the "Todmorden Chord" which had NetworkRail infrastructural works time extensions then when all these were finally completed, Northern then claimed they had no units to run on the proposed new services for many months.
the government will provide £2 million to develop options to address key constraints on the Coventry – Leamington Rail Corridor
£2M buys you another set of consultants, another set of options and no shovels in the ground!
£2M buys you another set of consultants, another set of options and no shovels in the ground!
How many more studies are needed for this project!...but gives you much more confidence and justifucation that you're building the *right* thing.
Money no object, you'd double the whole lot and be done with it. But money is an object, so which bit do you double? North of Kenilworth? South of Kenilworth? A bit more north of Milverton or south of Gibbet Hill? Do these mean you can run the trains you want to run, given doubling the whole lot (or the 'wrong' bit) may be pointless anyway if you've still got capacity constraints somewhere else? Or does doubling the lot give sufficient benefits to justify doing so?
All will be very different for technical feasibilty (e.g. soil conditions to widen embankmemts for doubling, the need to double track the A46 bridge, number of bridges to be widened, impact on Kenilworth station etc.) thus cost, and all will potentially very different in what train services they can deliver. Moreso in a world of evolvimg timetables pre and post HS2.
The two of those combined prove (through a BCR etc. for the posdible options based on costs and benefits in each case) that this is a better thing to spend money on than something else (railway or non-railway).
Which then justifies the money getting spent, as schemes like this have to wash their own faces these days to justify stumping up the money for the "shovels in the ground".
How many more studies are needed for this project!
and by Railtrack and BR before that.Its been looked at by NR many a time!
No I agree but it’s about the amount to get a dozen people on site to do a bit of head scratching then disappear of to an office to drink tea and eat biscuits!£2 million isn't going to get you the track and signalling required for the second platform. Its purely getting it to the end of GRIP 2 again I would suspect and telling everyone what they already know.
Kenilworth station not due to open until February now apparently...The opening of Kenilworth Station with a full service is ‘severely in doubt’ according to a Warwickshire county councillor.
Cllr Keith Kondakor (Green, Weddington), asked a question to council officers about whether the station would be delivered by its planned opening date of Sunday December 10 at recent Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting.
He said: “I believe there’s issues over the timetable and getting access to slots on the network, which will result in potentially not having a service starting on December 10 as planned.”
The officer replied to Cllr Kondakor by saying the timely delivery of the station was a ‘daily task’ the council was working on, and said it was working with Network Rail and rail operators to make sure this happens.
Chris Grayling is expected to be attending the new station on the 16th of December.