The ticketing office and cafe at Kenilworth Railway Station is set to close this Autumn.

The decision has been made after the current owner of the business, Tony Freakley, decided to end his contract with West Midlands Railway.

Trains will continue to operate through the line whilst the operator looks for a replacement vendor.

A WMR spokesperson said: "The Kenilworth station retailer has informed us of his intention to close his business in the autumn. We are keen to hear from businesses with innovative ideas who may be interested in the site."

WMR, which halted the service through Kenilworth station for the first half of 2021, has said that the pandemic has increased the number of tickets bought online rather than in person, putting greater financial stress on individual ticket offices.

However, even after reinstating the service, trains through Kenilworth are yet to return to a full timetable, with a temporary bus service still operating along the line. WMR has also warned of further last-minute cancellations as staff continue to be forced to self-isolate.

WMR added: "With passenger numbers still at less than half pre-pandemic levels we recognise it is a challenging time for retailers across the railway network, with a third of premises yet to reopen since coronavirus struck.

"The pandemic has also accelerated the trend of customers buying rail tickets online, with more than two-thirds of journeys now purchased this way.

"We remain fully committed to our customers at Kenilworth and we are working hard to reinstate an hourly service on the Leamington-Nuneaton line as soon as possible."

Kenilworth Nub News has contacted Mr Freakley for comment.