Train operator West Midlands Railway has confirmed that later this month additional train services will be restored between Nuneaton and Leamington Spa.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a reduced timetable of one train every two hours has been operating on the line between the towns. Driver training has been impacted for several months during the pandemic and there are still additional drivers to train to cover all the services.
The Warwickshire towns will see an increase of over 40% in services on weekdays and more on Saturdays, after reductions came into place last year.
On weekdays, 8 extra services will be running from the 27th of September, with an extra 10 services running on Sundays.
Rail replacement buses will be used to supplement the train service. The additional train services will be available to view on the West Midlands Railway website shortly.
Jonny Wiseman, WMR customer experience director, said: “I would like to thank our customers on the Leamington to Nuneaton route for their patience and understanding while we have been forced to operate a reduced service.
“With more than 25,000 driver training days lost due to the pandemic it has not been possible to run the full timetable but I am pleased we are now able to bring in more peak trains.
“We are working hard to catch up our training programmes and remain committed to restoring the full hourly service on this route as soon as possible.”
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: “This is wonderful news and shows that, as a county, we are coming back from the effects of the pandemic. The resumption of train services is key to our ambitions as a county council that we provide an infrastructure that gives access to training and employment, that we create and sustain a vibrant economy and that we do so in a sustainable way that protects our environment.
“That is why I am so delighted. More people can now move around the county, stimulating local economies and they can do so without adding to the congestion on our roads. This is a very significant step both in our recovery and in our future ambitions for all of Warwickshire.”
Jeremy Wright, MP for Kenilworth and Southam, said: “I welcome this progress towards a resumption of the pre-Covid service through Kenilworth station, following extensive discussions with West Midlands Railway.
“I look forward to a full resumption of that service and improvements to it, so Kenilworth can reach its full potential to take my constituents reliably where they want to go and bring more visitors to the town.”
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