New lifts improve passengers’ access to trains at Warwick Station
Warwick passengers now have easier than ever access to train travel thanks to new lifts which have opened at the town’s main station.
The lifts, which connect to the station’s subway and provide step-free access between platforms 1 and 2, opened to passengers today (10 October).
Network Rail, and its contractor Murphy, have been on site at Warwick station since spring 2024 to complete the Access for All upgrade which will transform access to trains for passengers with reduced mobility, people with prams, and those carrying heavy luggage.
Work initially began in 2023 but the discovery of unexpected building foundations, believed to be from the first station built on the site in 1852 that was destroyed by fire in 1894, meant a significant redesign was needed before work could continue.
As well installing the two new lifts, the station and subway have also been upgraded with improved handrails and better lighting.
Martin Colmey, Operations Director for Network Rail Central route, said: “Installing lifts at Victorian stations is complex and challenging but the railway should be accessible by all, which is why upgrades like this are so important for passengers and local communities.
“Access for All schemes, like these new lifts at Warwick, are helping to make rail journeys easier for everyone, meaning more people can travel by train more often.
“This upgrade has taken some time, and I thank passengers and local residents for their patience while the work took place.”
Michael Stewart, Commercial and Customer Strategy Director at Chiltern Railways, said: "We would like to thank customers for their patience during disruption as Network Rail has worked to improve access to the platforms at Warwick station.
"The opening of the lifts will improve accessibility which is vital for our customers travelling through the station."
Redesigning the scheme was a major job and and involved driving 56 piles into the ground, to a depth of 17 metres, and needing to dig out hundreds of tonnes of earth to stabilise the underground conditions.
The new subway was then built from 40 precast concrete panels, which were made off site and transported in, and the new lift shafts were finally lifted in by crane earlier this year.
Passengers should check www.nationalrail.co.uk for the latest journey information and travel advice.
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Notes to editors
- Chiltern Railways is part of the Arriva group, one of the leading providers of passenger transport in Europe, employing around 36,200 people and delivering around 1.5 billion passenger journeys across 11 European countries.
- Chiltern operates commuter/regional rail passenger services from its Central London terminus at London Marylebone along the M40 corridor to destinations in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, as well as long-distance services to the West Midlands along two routes. Services on the Chiltern Main Line run from London Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill, Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford, with some peak-hour services to Stourbridge Junction.
- Chiltern also runs trains on the London to Aylesbury Line to Aylesbury (with some trains terminating at Aylesbury Vale Parkway instead), on the Princes Risborough to Aylesbury and Oxford to Bicester branch lines.