London rail services slashed
Tuesday 3rd March 2009, 11:55AM GMT.
Two direct rail services between Shropshire and London are to be cut from next week as the recession continues to hit hard, train bosses said today.
Rail firm Wrexham & Shropshire said it was cutting its least popular services.
Bosses said they had to respond to customer demand “especially in the context of a recession” and as the firm does not get a government subsidy.
It means that from Monday the 18.07 service from Shrewsbury to London Marylebone and the 10.17 to the town from the capital will no longer run.
This means there will now be four direct trains from Shrewsbury in each direction on weekdays.
Andy Hamilton, managing director at Wrexham & Shropshire, which launched the service last April, said: “We are passionately committed to the Wrexham & Shropshire business, and are hoping that this is a temporary measure.
“We are already in discussions with Network Rail to create extra slots to run additional trains in time for an upturn in the economy.”
He said the firm would be contacting passengers where possible to offer them alternative arrangements or a full refund on tickets bought in advance.
Mark Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin, said: “This is an outrage. The Wrexham, Shropshire and Marylebone Railway made commitments when they won the franchise. They cannot take a pick-and-mix approach to this rail service.”
North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson said Shropshire and Wrexham MPs would be meeting the public transport minister, Lord Adonis, to urge him to prevent subsidised rail firms “strangling” the Wrexham & Shropshire service.
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Why dont the government help, instead of allowing virgin to have 2 direct services into london, why not help WSMR keep there 5 services a day.
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Referring to the article in todays Shropshire Star you will see criticism from Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard who uses the expression ‘Pick a Mix’ about reducing the services to and from London yet in a recent press release on his homepage it seems he is very much in favor of Virgin’s plans to give the area two direct routes to London.
Have you seen the prices on Virgin’s peak times services?!?! WSMR offer good value for money and excellent service, far better than Virgin. When was the last time you saw Mark Pritchard supporting his direct link to London? Besides we the tax payer are paying for his travel to London and how inconsiderate of him not to support the local economy. I rest my case!
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The Government won’t help simply because W&S are an open access operator, ie non franchised. Virgin operate the franchise basically for the government.
If you were Virgin, having won a franchise demanding certain service levels, and an operator simply starts a competing service with no franchise….. then struggles….. would you expect the government to bail them out….????
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I am sure that not long ago, the star was saying that two extra services were going to be added ?
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Regrettable but as an ‘open access’ operator they took it on without subsidy.
The situation is worse on the line between Wrexham and Shrewsbury because 4 trains are now cut and a day return London to Ruabon for Llangollen, for example, is no longer possible Monday-Friday. This is a blow to the hopes for improved tourism acces.
Use the trains or lose them has been proved right.
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I don’t think wsmr have taken the decision to cut services lightly! When the demand grows with a more stable ecomy;i believe that;services will return to full strengh to much delight! Wsmr are a fine service-let us keep supporting.
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Pritchard doesn’t have a clue, Wsmr does not have a franchise! Paterson obviously lives in the real world, Virgin running to Wrexham has hit your service from Shrewsbury, if Virgin are allowed to run to Shrewsbury itself then you’ll lose alot more than you have gained. Write to your MP!
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Looks like the dice are loaded against WSMR.
hope they pull through.
I find it outrageous some MP’s can’t get their facts right before going on the offensive !
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Mark Pritchard MP is clearly ignorant of the WSMR business which he is so ready to criticise. ‘Mr Pl’ has some interesting comments above. I think a public figure must brief himself properly before such vehement criticism.
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Mark Prichard’s unhelpful and damaging statement is what I would have expected from a “New” Labour MP, not a Conservative. I feel sad for the voters in his constituency, since it reflects how out of touch he is with reality. He should taken a positive and understanding stance on this issue. I have used the Wrexham & Shropshire since September of last year. The management and staff of the company have continually amazed me with their efforts to do all they can for their passengers. Instead of this damaging broadside, why don’t you use the service Mr Pritchard? After all, we taxpayers are picking up the cost of your rail ticket. You may change your mind when you experience for yourself the massive difference between the service provided by Wrexham & Shropshire and the “take it or leave it” stance by Virgin.
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im no vet but it looks like another classic case of foot-in-mouth disease.
looking forward to the obligatory lame apology given in such circumstances.
the fact still remains, if WSMR dont get bums on seats, the service will struggle even more so.
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Is it just a coincidence that with the current Virgin Franchise due to end in 18 months time that Virgin have suddenly applied for the two proposed trains per day each way from London Euston to Shrewsbury? Is this not just another way of preventing Wrexham and Shropshire from using stations like Wolverhampton and others as they are currently restricted, and will continue to be prevented from using, if Virgin are successful in their renewal application in 18 months time.
Wrexham & Shropshire have set the standard on how a rail company should be run. Ask any regular W & S rail user which rail provider they would prefer. Is it possible that Virgin are trying to force W & S into submission as they can not match the quality service that W & S provide. They say that competion is healthy, but at what cost ! BJB
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Clearly the politicians are meddling here – how can he be so biased towards one company adopting a pick and mix approach, while being so vehemently opposed to another? And I fear that the public is coming to come of second best.
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How wonderful that our politicians take such time and trouble to fully equip themselves with the facts before commenting…
Does Mark Pritchard even know who WSMR are?
The outrage is that he dare comment without knowing even the basics …
They have no franchise and no government money or subsidy to run their service … a service that for many many years did not exist. They saw a gap in the market and filled it with an excellent, well priced, high quality service.
WSMR are committed to the service and run it because it’s their ONLY business … it’s not a side line while they rake in the money on more profitable routes … it’s all they do.
If they go, as the service is “open access” and not a franchise there is no commitment by any other operator to continue the service (and why would they when they didn’t want it there in the first place)…
Use it or lose it …
I for one hope that WSMR are able to weather the storm and re-introduce the cut services soon … Good luck WSMR
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I used the Wrexham and Shropshire service to London for the first time this week.
I will not be using it again.
The train staff are very nice, the breakfast was good, but the train is so slow.
I can leave home in North Shropshire at 6:30 and be in London before 9 using Virgin Trains via Crewe. It might cost more, but it is quick.
Trundling through the countryside at 30mph on WSR is simply not going to cut it.
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as the welsh assembly seem to have pots of our money perhaps they could co sponsor luxury cambrian railways trains from say welshpool to london. they could use steam engines using coal from reopened collieries.
this news is banned until 1.4.09
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I imagine Mr Pritchard knows who W&S are considering he was one of the ones who worked so hard to get the trains to stop at Wellington and also met with them personally to discuss the service provision.
I imagine he is upset because having put that much effort in, it now seems to be being rescinded.
I imagine he supports Virgin simply because Wellington has been threatened with cuts by W&S and he knows how Wellington people feel about that particular matter, Wellington being Wrekin.
The letter we’ve had from W&S has called the cuts temporary, but has blamed its own technical problems, delay times, etc at the start (April to December) for delaying the growth of take up on their service. There was no mention of lack of interest, simply that they were cutting the trains that were least used.
I think its a pain and I don’t like how Virgin are acting because it’s blatant to me that they will come, destroy W&S then go again.
But I really don’t see how any of that is Mr Pritchard’s fault. Unless people had forgotten, Mr Pritchard is MP for Wrekin, not Wrexham, Shrewsbury, Ruabon, etc etc etc. I suspect he’s probably had his fill of his constituents complaining about the rumoured cuts to Wellington station…and since Virgin clearly mentioned stopping in Wellington, sees it as a solution if W&S ever do make those cuts.
The W&S service is not designed for day tripping, however much they’d like it to be. I’ve used it and I like it and I want us to keep it. But it’s been so restricted in its options that people have to be realistic.
The ones at fault are the government for allowing services to be so neglected here for so long. They’re the ones who need to step to and sort things out.
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should have got more outraged over MP,s having relatives working illegally for them,claiming dubious expenses and married MP,s claiming living allowances for the same property.If the banks as well had been more diligent we wouldn,t be in the mess were in today.Lets face it ,can the population en route sustain 5 trains a day;obviously not sad to say and its typical of the rantings of MP,s who don,t live in the real world to complain of a bussiness that has really tried to please.It would also have helped if the Co had been allowed to use Wolverhampton,dosen,t the same rules apply to dereg buses that fly every where theres people to pick up,lets face it WSR is really up against it;no time tables on stations,minimal facilities its a joke
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these leaches spunge off the tax payers subsidy, it should all be privatised and if we looked at it sensibly in cost effectiveness we’d all drive, beeching was right, railways are a waste of public money, build better roads instead i say
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Idiot, the railways are already privatised that is part of the problem. Key services like public transport and utilities should not be in the hands of those looking to make a profit, the services should be provided for the benefit of all people.
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we should all do more to support rail in shropshire, those that care, i urge you to buy a ticket and use the service or lose it
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Pritchard you are a fool, and DG he sounds very much like a Tory to me!
The Government really should have taken the opportunity to reprivatise the railways 10 years ago, they kept the option open by stating their intention during the tory privatisation but Blair (as always) ended up being swayed
I’d love to use the service myself, unfortunately it doesnt stop at the station that I need even though it passes through.
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tory boy you idiot tories privatised the rail and this is the problem – private sector cannot run good services, just look at the bin collections in shrewsbury, or the water in oswestry, they are rubbish at service delivery good at profit only
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