Elephant & Bear Line
Rail line in Warwickshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Elephant & Bear Line is a rail route in the West Midlands, running from Royal Leamington Spa to Nuneaton via Coventry.[1]
.jpg)
| Elephant & Bear Line | |
|---|---|
Class 196 at Royal Leamington Spa. | |
| Overview | |
| Status | Operational |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Locale | Warwickshire |
| Termini |
|
| Stations | 7 |
| Service | |
| Type | Heavy rail |
| System | National Rail |
| Operator(s) | West Midlands Trains |
| Rolling stock | |
| Technical | |
| Number of tracks | 1 (Leamington to Coventry) 2 (Coventry to Nuneaton) |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
Route
History
The railway line opened in 1850 linking Nuneaton with Coventry with Leamington.[2]
However, in January 1965 the railway closed due to the Beeching Cut's.[2]
The railway line re-opened in 1988 with less stations and a direct service between Coventry and Nuneaton.[2]
In April 2018, Kenilworth Station located between Leamington and Coventry re-opened after campaigns since 2016. The railway station previously closed 51 years earlier.[3]
During April 2023, it was announced that the line was going to be called the Elephant and Bear Line, referring to the symbols of Coventry and Warwickshire, and station signage on the line can be seen with the lines named on.[4][5]
Rolling Stock
The railway line use to be operated by the class 153.[3] However today the line is run by the Class 196 (2 car variation).[6][7]