COVENTRY CITY Council has awarded a contract for further works on the NUCKLE (Nuneaton, Coventry, Kenilworth, Leamington) programme to TXM Plant.
The work for Phase One Package Two covers detailed design and construction work to allow a frequency increase on the route from one to two trains per hour. It includes the creation of a new bay platform at Coventry to the west of Warwick Road, a reconfiguration of Coventry North sidings track layout with associated signalling, overhead line and electrical and plant alterations. The project will also deliver a new crossover at Coventry Arena station, designed to allow additional services during events. The GRIP4 outline design work is currently under preparation, with the contract valued at £12.3 million.
The NUCKLE scheme was split into two phases following funding challenges during the initial procurement. Buckingham Group was the contractor for the provision of new stations at Coventry Arena and Bermuda Park along with a slight realignment of the track, while limited rail systems work was carried out by Network Rail. The two new stations opened in January 2016.
As we report in our timetable changes article (p72), from May West Midlands Trains is to introduce a through Nuneaton to Leamington service via Coventry operated by Class 172 DMUs. In a written Parliamentary answer, Rail Minister Andrew Jones told Coventry South MP Jim Cunningham that the Department for Transport is contributing £5 million towards the cost of the next phase of the NUCKLE scheme. He added that Midlands Connect is working with DfT and local partners to update the business case for enhancing capacity between Leamington and Coventry through the partial redoubling of the line, with the business case expected in the summer. Meanwhile, Coventry City Council has also awarded a contract to Buckingham Group for the design and build of a second entrance at the city’s station along with a multi-storey car park and bus interchange at the station. This deal is valued at up to £28 million and covers work as part of the Coventry station masterplan.
