This year, Warwickshire County Council is joining the wider rail industry in its celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary since passengers were carried for the first time...
on the Stockton and Darlington Railway and the modern railway was born.
In a double celebration, September 18th also marks the 18th anniversary of the opening of Coleshill Parkway Station in 2007.
The new station was built on the former site of Coleshill (Forge Mills) station which closed in March 1968. As well as serving the market town of Coleshill, it also brings employees to the industrial estates located in the vicinity of the station including the Hams Hall Distribution Park.
The total cost of the station was £9m, jointly funded by the Department for Transport, Warwickshire County Council, the John Laing Group and developer contributions secured by North Warwickshire Borough Council. It is currently served by Arriva Cross Country services between Birmingham New Street, Leicester and Stansted Airport.
The location of the station close to the A446 provides good access from the Strategic Road Network (M6 and M42), allowing drivers to switch from car to rail for part of their journey.
Cllr Jennifer Warren, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning at Warwickshire County Council, said:
“The anniversary of the opening of Coleshill Parkway station is a good chance to take stock of this council’s commitment to investing in and facilitating more rail travel, as set out in our adopted Rail Strategy. The Railway 200 celebration is another reason to recognise the work we have done at making towns like Coleshill available to rail travellers.
“Coleshill Parkway is conveniently situated near to the Strategic Road Network and offers convenient access for passing motorists who can access direct rail services to Birmingham, Leicester and the East Midlands. User figures have been steadily recovering in the years since the pandemic and the station continues to play a major role in the local economy. This is likely to increase further with the opening of HS2 and growth at UK Central.”
Footfall at the station has been recovering since the low of 2020/21 when it dipped to 38,466 during the Covid lockdown. 2023/24 saw it increase to 187,000 passengers.
Warwickshire County Council has been involved in the opening of five stations in the privatised rail era: Warwick Parkway, Coleshill Parkway, Stratford Parkway, Bermuda Park and Kenilworth. Plans are at an advanced stage for a new station to the east of Rugby near Houlton called Rugby Parkway.
More information about the Railway 200 celebrations can be found at: https://railway200.co.uk/