Celebrating 200 years since the birth of the modern railway network.
This year, Warwickshire County Council is joining the wider rail sector 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, January 2025 also marks nine years since the opening of Bermuda Park station on the Nuneaton to Coventry rail line, one of five stations which the Council has been involved in opening in the privatised rail era – the others being Warwick Parkway, Coleshill Parkway, Stratford Parkway and Kenilworth.
Bermuda Park station opened on 18 January 2016 after a 15 month build as part of wider improvements to the Nuneaton to Coventry line, which also saw the opening of Coventry Arena station and improvements to Bedworth station. By the end of its first full year of operation (2017/18), passenger numbers had grown to around 28,000, which increased further to just over 38,000 in 2019/20.
While a combination of the COVID pandemic and wider challenges within the rail industry have since stalled that growth, Warwickshire remains committed to building its rail offer. The County Council is working with partners to develop and grow the rail market served by the Elephant & Bear Line which operates between Leamington Spa, Coventry and Nuneaton.
The station at Bermuda Park is part of that line and is vital in serving the surrounding employment in the Griff area of Nuneaton, allowing people to access jobs and training using a sustainable mode of transport for their journeys.
The station has recently benefitted from improved bus service connectivity to the town centre and across the borough following the opening of Bermuda Bridge, and work is underway to further improve cycle access to the station from parts of East Nuneaton.
Warwickshire County Council and Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council also have aspirations to improve Nuneaton Station as part of the wider Transforming Nuneaton programme, including better transport integration, car parking and access for pedestrians and cyclists from the north of the town.
A new parkway station between Nuneaton and Hinckley near the A5 is also in the early stages of planning, as is a potential station in the Galley Common/Stockingford area.
Details of these and other rail improvements can be found in the County Council’s Rail Strategy, which forms part of the adopted Local Transport Plan for Warwickshire.
Further celebrations are planned through the year by the Council and the Heart of England Community Rail Partnership as part of the Railway 200 milestone.
Councillor Jan Matecki, Portfolio Holder for Transport & Planning said, “This Council has a proven track-record of delivery in new and improved rail facilities and services across Warwickshire, working with partners including the Department for Transport, Network Rail, West Midlands Rail Executive, Midlands Connect and Train Operators. The 200 year anniversary is a great chance to take stock of that.
“Developing the rail network of Warwickshire is vital to supporting economic growth and housing delivery, whilst helping the County move towards a low carbon transport system that complements our net zero commitments.
“I’m also delighted to see that, as well as all of the work that has happened at Bermuda Station, rail travel in and around Nuneaton is set to receive a major boost. This sits perfectly with the ambitious Transforming Nuneaton programme where rail access to and around the developing town centre will bring people in with less traffic and further stimulate the local economy.”
More information about the Railway 200 celebrations can be found at: https://railway200.co.uk/.
Several other stations across the County have also been improved during that time with better facilities for passengers, including accessible lifts, cycle parking and enhanced interchange with bus services.