Kenilworth delayed

£13.6 million Kenilworth station still awaiting its first passenger service as opening is pushed back for a fifth time.

Kenilworth station’s opening date has been pushed back for a fifth time.

Having been slated to open in December 2016, August 2017, December 2017, February 26, and then most recently March 5 ( RAIL 847), the £13.6 million station had still not accepted its first revenueearning service as this issue of RAIL went to press.

Brief statements released to RAIL by station sponsor Warwickshire County Council and operator West Midlands Trains neither shed any light on the cause of the latest delay, nor committed to a revised opening date.

A Warwickshire council spokesman said: “We are working with rail partners in the rail industry to finalise the opening date, and beginning of services. We hope to confirm this date as soon as possible.”

WMT added: “There’s no confirmed opening date at this stage. All partners are working to achieve station opening as soon as possible.”

Responses sent to frustrated social media users from WMT’s official Twitter account appeared to indicate that March 19 is now being targeted as an opening date. It also attributed delays to “works that need signing off”.

Track access has been granted by the Office of Rail and Road for WMT to run an hourly shuttle service between Leamington and Coventry via Kenilworth on weekdays and Saturdays, using a single-car Class 153. No trains will call on Sundays.