Twenty Five years of Warwick Parkway marked as part of Railway 200 celebrations

"Warwick Parkway station is a key asset to the West Midlands region as well as supporting the local economy of Warwick and Leamington Spa.”

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 special celebration with Chiltern Railways, October 25th also marks the 25th anniversary of the opening of Warwick Parkway Station.

The station opened on 25th October 2000 on a site near Budbrooke to the west of Warwick, close to the A46 and M40 which provide access from the Strategic Road Network. The station catered for unmet demand for rail travel across the wider Warwick and Leamington Spa area, with an emphasis on medium and longer distance trips to Birmingham, the Thames Valley and London.

The total cost of the station was £5.5m, jointly funded by Laing Rail, the Department for Transport and Warwickshire County Council. The car park was originally 737 spaces; this was increased by a further 222 spaces in 2012 at a cost of £2.5m.

The station is currently served by Chiltern Railways with a half-hourly service between Birmingham and London Marylebone. New rolling stock is about to be introduced by the operator in early 2026.

The location of the station close to the A46 and M40 provides good access from the Strategic Road Network, allowing drivers to switch from car to rail for part of their journey.

See the speech from David Ayton-Hill, Director of Transport & Economy, here.

Cllr Jennifer Warren, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Plannings at Warwickshire County Council, said: “The anniversary of the opening of Warwick Parkway station is a key milestone for both us and Chiltern Railways, and provides a good opportunity to take stock of this council’s commitment to investing in and facilitating more rail travel. The Railway 200 celebration is another reason to celebrate the work we have done to help residents and visitors to Warwickshire have better rail facilities.

“Warwick Parkway has an excellent train service towards Birmingham and London and also provides rail users with access to the wider rail network for business, education/training and leisure trips. The station is a key asset to the West Midlands region as well as supporting the local economy of Warwick and Leamington Spa.”

Footfall at the station has been increasing since the low of 2020/21 when it dipped to 52,272 during the Covid lockdown. 2023/24 saw it used by 443,000 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/