HS2 rail workings in full swing at New Bilton

Rail traffic on the New Bilton branch from Rugby recommenced on August 1 2023, and there are now two trips daily, five days a week, from Willesden Euroterminal, with a path for a third service.

The trains carry construction waste from HS2 building sites that is being used to fill a disused quarry.

The New Bilton branch is part of the former London & North Western Railway through route from Rugby to Leamington Spa, which closed beyond Marton Junction in 1966.

The last scheduled traffic ran only as far as the Redland Tiles New Bilton Works, which ceased in July 1991. Since then, the line has been out of scheduled use until the start of the spoil workings.

The railway now terminates not far beyond the current unloading point, with double track and points providing a run-round loop. Acoustic screening has been erected to reduce noise affecting local housing.