Polesworth railway station
Encyclopedia
Polesworth railway station serves the large village of Polesworth
in Warwickshire
, England
. It is situated on the Trent Valley
section of the West Coast Main Line
.
In recent years the station has been gradually been run down. In the 1980s the station had 6 northbound and 6 southbound train per day running mainly between Rugby
and Stafford
. A few trains terminated at Nuneaton
and Lichfield
. Train services were operated using the Class 304
electric multiple units, which have long since been withdrawn from service.
With the re-opening of the Coventry to Nuneaton Line
in 1987, services terminated at Coventry
instead of Rugby. Train services were operated using the Class 153
diesel multiple units, yet these trains suffered from a low top speed and relatively poor acceleration on what is a very busy route.
In 2005, Polesworth received no train services due to the modernisation of the West Coast Main Line
. Scheduled trains were replaced by a bus service contracted to Central Trains
. The footbridge
to the up platform was removed by contractors and has not been replaced (as a result of the cost being unjustified); thus, the station currently only receives one Northbound parliamentary train
service per day, the 0723(SX) / 0721(SO) London Midland
service to Crewe, which starts at Northampton and is operated with a Class 350
.
called for Polesworth station to be closed, noting that each train that calls there receives on average less than one passenger.
Polesworth
Polesworth is a large village and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England. In the 2001 census it had a population of 8,439, inclusive of the continuous sub-villages of St Helena, Dordon and Hall End directly to the south...
in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated on the Trent Valley
Trent Valley line
The Trent Valley Line is a railway line between Rugby and Stafford in England, forming part of the West Coast Main Line.The line was electrified on 25 kV AC system during the 1960s, in the wake of the 1955 British Rail modernisation plan....
section of the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
.
History
Polesworth station was opened with the line in 1847 by the London and North-Western Railway.In recent years the station has been gradually been run down. In the 1980s the station had 6 northbound and 6 southbound train per day running mainly between Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
and Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
. A few trains terminated at Nuneaton
Nuneaton
Nuneaton is the largest town in the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth and in the English county of Warwickshire.Nuneaton is most famous for its associations with the 19th century author George Eliot, who was born on a farm on the Arbury Estate just outside Nuneaton in 1819 and lived in the town for...
and Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
. Train services were operated using the Class 304
British Rail Class 304
The British Rail Class 304 electric multiple units were built for suburban use on the first phases of the West Coast Main Line electrification between Crewe and Manchester/Liverpool/Rugby. Originally classed as AM4 units, they later became Class 304 under the TOPS numbering system, and could be...
electric multiple units, which have long since been withdrawn from service.
With the re-opening of the Coventry to Nuneaton Line
Coventry to Nuneaton Line
The Coventry to Nuneaton Line is a short branch line linking Coventry and Nuneaton in the West Midlands of England. All of the lines' Absolute Block Signal Boxes have been replaced, as of May 2009, by a new signalling centre in Saltley, Birmingham, controlling Coventry to Three Spires and Rugby...
in 1987, services terminated at Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
instead of Rugby. Train services were operated using the Class 153
British Rail Class 153
The British Rail Class 153 Super Sprinter is a single car diesel multiple unit converted from British Rail Class 155s.-Description:These units were originally built as two-car Class 155 units by British Leyland from 1987–88, but were converted by Hunslet-Barclay at Kilmarnock from 1991-92...
diesel multiple units, yet these trains suffered from a low top speed and relatively poor acceleration on what is a very busy route.
In 2005, Polesworth received no train services due to the modernisation of the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
. Scheduled trains were replaced by a bus service contracted to Central Trains
Central Trains
Central Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
. The footbridge
Footbridge
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
to the up platform was removed by contractors and has not been replaced (as a result of the cost being unjustified); thus, the station currently only receives one Northbound parliamentary train
Parliamentary train
A Parliamentary train or Parly is, nowadays, a British English term for a train that operates a Parliamentary service - that is to say a token service to a given station, thus maintaining a legal fiction that either the station or, in some cases, the whole line is open, although in reality the...
service per day, the 0723(SX) / 0721(SO) London Midland
London Midland
London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
service to Crewe, which starts at Northampton and is operated with a Class 350
British Rail Class 350
The British Rail Class 350 "Desiro" is class of electrical multiple unit built by Siemens AG from 2004–05 and 2008–09. Thirty of these units, designated Class 350/1, were built for use by Central Trains and Silverlink on regional express services and services on the southern section of the West...
.
Future
In its "West Midlands Route Utilisation Strategy" (2005) the Strategic Rail AuthorityStrategic Rail Authority
In existence from 2001 to 2006, the Strategic Rail Authority was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up under the Transport Act 2000 to provide strategic direction for the railway industry....
called for Polesworth station to be closed, noting that each train that calls there receives on average less than one passenger.