Warwickshire County Council puts in bid for government funding

Author: Deborah Bates - 26 February 2013

Warwickshire County Council has applied to the government for £5 million worth of funding, which it would put towards creating a new railway station in nearby Kenilworth.

According to bbc.co.uk, the council would want the station - which would cost over £11 million to build - to hop on board the local Leamington Spa to Coventry train service. The council would foot the remaining bill for the construction, if it was to receive the government funding.

It seems the local council wants to grab a piece of the £20 million pot the government has set aside to help support the renovation of old railway stations and creation of new ones. If successful in its bid, the council hopes to have building work started by autumn 2014. The expected train station design has even been made public, in the form of a computer-generated graphic.

Local council representative, councillor Peter Butlin, told warwickshire.gov.uk that he's feeling good about the bid. He also explained the many benefits that could come from such a project and added: "With the introduction of the new train service, the benefits are going to be felt over a much wider area as it will help relieve overcrowding on existing services.

"It is also going to provide better access to employment opportunities in the Coventry and Warwickshire sub-region and support economic growth."

The council believes the new train station could boast 446 return passenger journeys once up and running, which could really boost the local economy, as Butlin noted.