Welcome to the new Rugby Rail Users Group Website!!!!
Rugby Rail Users Group Twitter account
Rugby Rail Users Group also has a Twitter accountJoin Us
You can join us by completing our new simpler Membership application form Please use this link for the membership form.
You can pay by Internet banking(BACS) or by cheque. Please send the completed form to the Membership Secretary (details on the form), enclosing your cheque if paying by this method.Travel Information
The travel information section contains items which will be useful to Rugby rail users, such as station facilities, seat reservations, car parking, bus services and fares and ticketing. Some of these items may have originally been published as news items.
The Travel information' section is accessible here.Newsletters
RRUG no longer publishes newsletters. You can find the archived Newsletters on the Newsletter page of this website.
RRUG is also a member of RailFuture. A link to their latest newsletter is on the same page.Transport Focus Newsletter for Rail User Groups
The May 2015 Passenger Voice Newsletter for Rail User Groups issued by the Passenger Focus watchdog is available here. Since then, Passenger Focus has become Transport Focus.News items
Renewal of West Midlands rail franchise - invitation to tender issued by DfT (posted 30.08.16)
The Department for Transport (DfT) has issued the invitation to tender for the new West Midlands franchise, covering train services currently provided by London Midland. This affects train services between Rugby and London (but not those provided by Virgin trains), as well as stopping trains to Birmingham, Northampton and Crewe. The Invitation to Tender document sets out the minimum requirements. Potential bidders have the option to increase this. The principal change in the specification appears to be that the Trent Valley stopping service will now run direct between Stafford and Crewe, and a new service will run from Birmingham and Wolverhampton to Crewe via Stoke as a replacement. This would give faster services between Rugby and Crewe, albeit with stopping trains, which has been something for which RRUG has been campaigning for some time. Other promised benefits include:- free Wi-Fi on all main line services by the end of 2019
- new ticket options for part time travellers which provide better value options for customers who travel fewer than 5 days a week
- new direct peak time services between Walsall and London
- longer peak time trains into Birmingham and London to give space for an extra 20,000 commuters.
Increase in car parking charges (updated 25.08.16)
Virgin Trains have announced substantial increases in car parking charges at Rugby station, which will take place on 5th September. Details of the increases are available here. RRUG has issued a press release, which can be seen on the Press Releases page. Mark Pawsey, our MP, has also taken the matter up directly with Virgin Trains - see the Rugby Observer news item.RRUG responds to West Coast franchise consultation (posted 02.08.16)
Rugby Rail Users Group has commented in some detail on the franchise consultation document for the new West Coast Main Line franchise. RRUG members who have logged in to this site can see the full response on the Correspondence page of this website.Former Underground train to increase capacity on Coventry - Nuneaton line (posted 22.07.16)
A prototype diesel train, which has been converted from former London Underground 'D' stock, is to be trialled on the Coventry - Nuneaton line later this year for a 12 month period. The new train will be formed of three coaches and therefore increase capacity from the single car diesel train which operates at present. It is also possible that this train will provide sufficient capacity to enable Coventry Arena station to remain open on match days, rather than close due to anticipated crowding problems as it does at present. For further details see the Coventry Telegraph news item and the Railway Gazette article.New through trains to the North West now in operation (updated 16.05.16)
The two new daytime trains linking Rugby with the North West direct via the Trent Valley line started on Monday 16 May. These trains, which run on Mondays to Saturdays, are as follows:- 13.04 to Crewe and Chester. A good connection is available at Crewe for stations to Preston, Carlisle and Glasgow Central, arriving 17.17.
- 10.40 from Glasgow Central, calling at Carlisle, stations to Preston and Warrington, then direct to Rugby arriving 14.23.
For a summary of all through trains between Rugby and the North West click here.
Virgin reduce super off-peak fares to London (posted 18.05.16)
Virgin Trains have advised us they have slightly reduced their super off-peak fares to London. A super off-peak single is now £31, and a super off-peak return is now £32. These are walk-up fares with no advance booking necessary. Full details of these and all other fares from Rugby area available from the BR Fares.com website, but a summary of the availability of these super off-peak tickets is as follows:Monday to Friday - outward
Valid only on Virgin trains arriving Euston between 13.00 and 15.20, or after 20.30.Monday to Friday - return
Valid only on Virgin trains leaving Euston between 11.00 and 13.40, or after 20.15.Saturday and Sunday - outward
Valid only on Virgin trains arriving Euston between 12.000 and 17.45 or after 20.00Saturday and Sunday - return
Valid only on Virgin trains leaving Euston between 10.30 and 16.30 or after 18.30.Bike Hubs now open at Rugby station (posted 04.05.16)
Two bike hubs are now open on platforms 2 and 4 at Rugby station. You will have to pay to use them, but your bike will be stored securely. A copy of the leaflet showing their location is available hereLondon Midland franchise extension brings improvements (updated 10.05.15)
London Midland have been granted a franchise extension which means they will continue to run train services throughout the West Midlands and on the West Coast Main Line until October 2017.
As far as Rugby is concerned, the following improvements will be made:
- two additional weekday evening services on the Trent Valley line
- an earlier train to Birmingham on Sunday mornings.
Coventry Arena and Bermuda Park stations now open (updated 10.05.16)
The new stations at Coventry Arena and Bermuda Park on the Coventry to Nuneaton line are now open. For the time being, these stations will be served by the existing hourly train service, pending further line improvements which would enable a more frequent service to be run.
The timetable for this line already included sufficient allowance for the stops at these two stations so it has not been altered. However, Coventry Arena station will close for an hour after Wasps Rugby matches, Coventry City football matches and other events at the Ricoh Arena, as the existing single coach train will not be able to cope with the expected crowds. London Midland say they do not have sufficient rolling stock to lengthen trains and that this situation will continue unless the organisers of events are prepared to charter special longer trains. Despite a trial on a couple of Saturdays with hired-in trains, these did not prove sufficiently viable to continue. This situation is unlikely to change for a couple of years, after which a rolling stock cascade caused by electrification elsewhere could result in some extra trains for London Midland becoming available.
For further information see the London Midland press release.