Success of Chiltern leads to nearly 1,000 parking bays

When finished in December the extra deck will bring the total number of parking spaces at the increasingly busy station up to 959.

Passenger numbers have grown by 32 per cent year on year following the £250 million upgrade to turn the line into a Chiltern Mainline to London Marylebone.

To minimise disruption during the work, the company has opened an additional, temporary car park offering 171 spaces.

Free parking is already offered during peak times for those who share with three or more others.

The company is part of Arriva plc, the division of the Deutsche Bahn AG responsible for regional passenger transport outside Germany.

Michael Holmes, the general manager for Mainline at Chiltern Railways said: “The launch of Mainline has resulted in a dramatic increase in passengers travelling from Warwick Parkway with thousands of commuters using our service every week. The new deck will create an additional 222 spaces to meet the rise in demand.”

The expansion has been financed and delivered by Chiltern Railways with £1 million funding from the Department of Transport.

Government rail minister Theresa Villiers added: “We are delighted that we are able to announce the investment for this considerable car park extension - there is no doubt that this will encourage more people to travel by train. Adding additional car park capacity will mean more spaces for passengers, easing congestion and helping improve overall journey satisfaction.”

l For more details of the “three for free” parking scheme visit www.chilternrailways.co.uk