Prestigious award for Leamington railway station

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OLD and new combined to help Leamington Railway Station secure a prestigious heritage award.

Chiltern Railways, which runs the station, along with the Friends of Leamington Station, the Leamington Spa Town Council, Network Rail and the Railway Heritage Trust worked together to improve the booking hall, station frontage, platform canopies, toilets and staff facilities - and it won them a National Railway Heritage Award for the conservation work.

The work included the characteristic teak and stainless steel fittings of the waiting rooms being restored and fireplaces stripped back to their former art deco glory.

And while the refurbishment reflected the 1930s heritage, the waiting rooms were also brought right up to date with modern departure screens, loudspeakers, and accessible automated doors.

Malcolm Holmes, General Manager Mainline of Chiltern Railways was honoured to receive the award.

He said: “The project is a result of partnership working to respect the heritage of the station while maintaining all the modern characteristics that passengers require in the 21st century. We’re looking forward to continuing to develop the station with the opening of a café in the former refreshment room on platform 3.”

Archie Pitts, Chairman of the Friends of Leamington Station, said that the Friends were delighted to have contributed the railway posters now in the revamped waiting rooms, and to have helped fund the GWR Art Deco style mirrors with a grant from Leamington Town Council.

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