Rail passengers in Shropshire could benefit from faster trains and lower fares under plans being considered by the Government to electrify the county’s main railway line.

The plans could also see an increase in the number of trains and less disruption on the line. Network Rail is currently preparing the report which it will hand to the Government at the end of August.

The report, which covers various parts of the rail network throughout the UK, includes plans to electrify the route between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton, which currently uses diesel powered trains.

Shropshire Council has been asked to consider the plans and comment on them to Network Rail before July 14.

Phil Crossland, the council’s assistant director for transport and highways, has welcomed the plans and said they had been an aspiration of the council’s transport plan for some time.

Mr Crossland said: “The electrification of the rail route between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton has the potential to reduce car travel and carbon emissions and improve air quality.”

Rachel Blackman, Network Rail spokeswoman, today said as well as environmental benefits, electric railways could be faster and required less maintenance because the trains were lighter meaning that cost savings could then be passed on to customers.

She said that Network Rail would attempt to avoid any delays to passengers if the changeover went ahead.

She said: “We are looking at keeping the railway operational and there are different ways that could happen.

“There are always two rails running parallel so we wouldn’t necessarily have to close the railway.”

She added that it was unknown at the moment what the scheme would cost.

The report also considers increasing the number of trains between Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street. Rail campaigner Councillor Mansel Williams, from Shropshire Council, today welcomed the move by Network Rail.

He said: “We would welcome this because we would be linked to the national electric network. We feel that Shrewsbury has got a strong case to be considered.”

By Emma Kasprzak