County rail company Wrexham & Shropshire has announced new proposals to allow standard class passengers the chance to order full cooked meals to eat on their train journey before travelling.

First class passengers can enjoy a complimentary meal. Standard class passengers can currently buy a meal, subject to availability.

Wrexham & Shropshire’s onboard menu has received high praise nationally since it was launched in April 2008. All meals are freshly cooked on-board using ingredients sourced from the county.

Wrexham & Shropshire’s current most popular dishes are Welsh lamb in mint gravy, beef goulash, salmon in champagne sauce, hunters chicken, beef bourguignon and a full Welsh breakfast.

The news comes as the service was singled out for national praise for allowing people to step back in time and remember rail travel as it was in the 70s aboard the “Life on Mars Express”.

The praise for Wrexham & Shropshire, “perhaps the only commercial rail line in Britain with genuine cult appeal” has appeared in an editorial in the Mail on Sunday by reporter Sinclair Mckay.

The piece states: “Wrexham & Shropshire, which celebrated its first anniversary in April, is attracting a most devoted and growing clientele.”

The article states the train company is winning fans because of its friendly staff, cheap fares and the views from the windows.