General information | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Location | Atherstone, Borough of North Warwickshire England | ||||
Coordinates | 52°34′44″N1°33′11″W / 52.579°N 1.553°W | ||||
Grid reference | SP304979 | ||||
Managed by | London Northwestern Railway | ||||
Platforms | 2 | ||||
Tracks | 4 | ||||
Other information | |||||
Station code | ATH | ||||
Classification | DfT category F2 | ||||
Passengers | |||||
2019/20 | 151,174 | ||||
2020/21 | 29,300 | ||||
2021/22 | 95,118 | ||||
2022/23 | 98,690 | ||||
2023/24 | 106,942 | ||||
| |||||
|
Atherstone is a railway station serving the market town of Atherstone in Warwickshire,England. It is on the Trent Valley section of the West Coast Main Line,exactly 102 miles (164 km) from London Euston station.
The station was designed by John William Livock and opened by the London and North Western Railway in 1847. The line through the station was originally double track,but was widened to quadruple track during 1901-1909. The original down (northbound) platform was demolished and replaced by the current one during this time to accommodate the extra tracks. [1] It was absorbed by the London Midland and Scottish Railway in the Grouping of 1923. The station passed to the London Midland Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948. When British Rail introduced sectorisation in the 1980s,the station was served by the Regional Railways Sector until the Privatisation of British Railways.
The Tudor style station building has been grade II listed since 1980. [2] All of the stations on the Trent Valley Line originally had similar station buildings in the same style,designed by John William Livock,however the one at Atherstone is the only remaining Livock designed building on a Trent Valley station which is still open;all the others having since been demolished and replaced. Other examples still exist at the closed Bulkington and Colwich stations. The station building was restored in 1985. [3] It has not been used for railway purposes since 1972,when the station became unstaffed,and is now in private ownership. [4] It is currently used by a veterinary practice. [5]
In 1860 there was a train crash at Atherstone that killed 10 people.
West Midlands Trains operating under the London Northwestern Railway branding,provide an hourly service in each direction (including Sundays);southbound to London Euston via Nuneaton,Rugby and Milton Keynes Central,and northbound to Crewe via Stafford. [6]
The hourly service was introduced by the previous operating company London Midland in December 2008. [7] The current hourly service is the best service Atherstone has ever received;historically the station received only an infrequent local stopping service,few of which went further north than Stafford or further south than either Rugby or Coventry;for example the May 1974 timetable shows six daily trains between Stafford and Rugby in each direction,calling at Atherstone. When the Coventry to Nuneaton Line was reopened to passenger trains in 1987,the service was diverted to terminate at Coventry instead of Rugby. By the time of the May 2000 timetable,the service had been reduced to five daily trains between Stafford and Coventry. [4] Passenger use at the station has grown rapidly since the introduction of the new service.
From May 2014 Atherstone was part of the previous operator London Midland's "Project 110" scheme which saw the speed of the Class 350 trains on the Euston-Crewe service increase from 100 to 110 miles per hour (180 km/h),and take the express train route via Weedon rather than travel via the Northampton loop line. As a result,Atherstone lost its direct link with Northampton but the journey time to/from London was cut by 30 minutes,with most trains now timetabled to take 82 minutes to reach the capital. However,a few trains do go via Northampton Monday - Sunday. [8]
Central Trains was a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by National Express that operated a variety of local and inter-regional trains from 2 March 1997 until 11 November 2007.
The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom,connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham,Manchester,Liverpool and Edinburgh. It is one of the busiest mixed-traffic railway routes in Europe,carrying a mixture of intercity rail,regional rail,commuter rail and rail freight traffic. The core route of the WCML runs from London to Glasgow for 400 miles (644 km) and was opened from 1837 to 1881. With additional lines deviating to Northampton,Birmingham,Manchester,Liverpool and Edinburgh,this totals a route mileage of 700 miles (1,127 km). The Glasgow–Edinburgh via Carstairs line connects the WCML to Edinburgh. However,the main London–Edinburgh route is the East Coast Main Line. Several sections of the WCML form part of the suburban railway systems in London,Coventry,Birmingham,Manchester,Liverpool and Glasgow,with many more smaller commuter stations,as well as providing links to more rural towns.
Birmingham International is a railway station known by code "BHI" in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the West Midlands of England,just east of Birmingham. It is on the Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line 14 km (8.7 mi) east of Birmingham New Street railway station. BHI serves Birmingham Airport,the National Exhibition Centre,the Resorts World Arena,and Resorts World Birmingham.
Rugby railway station serves the market town of Rugby in Warwickshire,England. The current station dates from 1885;two previous stations dating from 1838 and 1840 respectively,existed at locations to the west of the current one. It has been Rugby's only station,since the closure of the former Rugby Central station in 1969,on the now-abandoned Great Central Main Line route through the town. Between 1950 and 1970,the station was known as Rugby Midland before reverting to its original title. The station underwent an extensive remodelling between 2006 and 2008;new platforms were added and a new ticket office and entrance building were constructed. The original Victorian part of the station was retained in the upgrade.
Aston railway station serves the districts of Aston and Nechells in Birmingham,England. The passenger entrance is on Lichfield Road and accessible via the staircase or lifts to take you to the platform which is raised. The station is on the Cross-City Line and the Chase Line. It is one of two local stations for Aston Villa Football Club and near to the Aston Expressway and to Gravelly Hill Interchange.
Coventry railway station is the main railway station serving the city of Coventry,West Midlands,England. The station is on the Birmingham loop of the West Coast Main Line (WCML);it is also located at the centre of a junction where the lines to Nuneaton and to Leamington converge. It is situated on the southern edge of the city-centre,just outside the Coventry ring road,about 250 yards to the south of junction 6.
Nuneaton railway station serves the market town of Nuneaton in Warwickshire,England. The station is managed by West Midlands Trains. It is served by three railway lines:the Trent Valley section of the West Coast Main Line (WCML),the Birmingham-Leicester-Peterborough line and the Coventry to Nuneaton branch line. The station was known,during the period 1924–1969,as Nuneaton Trent Valley,to distinguish it from the now closed Nuneaton Abbey Street station;many local people still refer to it as Trent Valley.
Walsall railway station is the principal railway station of Walsall,West Midlands,England and situated in the heart of the town. It is operated by West Midlands Trains,with services provided by West Midlands Railway. The main entrance is situated inside the Saddlers Shopping Centre.
Tamworth is a split-level railway station which serves the market town of Tamworth in Staffordshire,England. It is an interchange between two main lines;the Cross Country Route and the Trent Valley section of the West Coast Main Line (WCML). It has four platforms:Two low-level platforms on the WCML,and,at a right-angle to,and passing over these,are two high-level platforms served by the Cross Country Route. Historically there were chords connecting the two lines,but there is no longer any rail connection between them.
Lichfield Trent Valley is one of two railway stations that serve the city of Lichfield in Staffordshire,England;the other being Lichfield City in the city centre. It is a split-level station:low level platforms serve the Trent Valley section of the West Coast Main Line,with a single high level platform being the northern terminus of the Cross-City Line.
Stafford railway station is a major interchange railway station in Stafford,Staffordshire,England,and is the second busiest railway station in Staffordshire,after Stoke-on-Trent. The station serves the market and county town,as well as surrounding villages. The station lies on the junction of the Trent Valley line,the Birmingham Loop/Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line,and the West Coast Main Line.
Alsager railway station serves the town of Alsager in Cheshire,England. It stands next to a level crossing and is approximately 600 yards from the town centre. The station is 6+1⁄2 miles (10.5 km) east of Crewe on the Crewe–Derby line which is also a Community rail line known as the North Staffordshire line. The station is owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Railway.
Alderley Edge railway station serves the large village of Alderley Edge in Cheshire,England. The station is 13¾ miles (22 km) south of Manchester Piccadilly on the Crewe to Manchester Line.
Polesworth railway station serves the village of Polesworth in Warwickshire,England. It is situated on the Trent Valley section of the West Coast Main Line.
Rugeley Trent Valley is a railway station serving the market town of Rugeley in Staffordshire,England. It is one of two stations serving Rugeley,the other being Rugeley Town. It is on the eastern side of the town close to the Rugeley Trent Valley Trading Estate and located close to the River Trent. West Midlands Trains operate the station,and all trains serving it.
Stone railway station serves the market town of Stone,Staffordshire,England. The station is located on a junction of the Colwich to Manchester spur of the West Coast Main Line,but has platforms only on the branch from Stafford to Stoke-on-Trent.
Tile Hill railway station is situated in the west of Tile Hill,Coventry,in the West Midlands of England. The station,and all trains serving it,are operated by West Midlands Railway.
Adderley Park railway station serves the Adderley Park area in the east of Birmingham,England. The station,and all trains serving it,are operated by West Midlands Trains. It was threatened with closure in 2004,but was given a reprieve. The station will become the main railway station for the proposed City of Birmingham Stadium,if that is constructed.
The Trent Valley line is a railway line between Rugby and Stafford in England,forming part of the West Coast Main Line. The line is 51 miles (82 km) long and is named after the River Trent which it follows. It was built to provide a direct route from London to North West England and Scotland,avoiding the slower route via Birmingham,which is congested and 7.75 miles (12.47 km) longer.
The Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line is a railway line in the West Midlands of England. It is a loop off the West Coast Main Line (WCML) between Rugby and Stafford,via the West Midlands cities of Coventry,Birmingham and Wolverhampton. The direct route between Rugby and Stafford is the Trent Valley line.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Nuneaton | London Northwestern Railway London-Crewe | Tamworth | ||
Nuneaton | London Northwestern Railway Northampton-Crewe | Tamworth | ||
Polesworth |