Michael Palin with North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson and Wrexham & Shropshire MD Andy Hamilton

Two MPs paid tribute to Shropshire’s direct rail service to London as Monty Python star Michael Palin unveiled the company’s £5.5 million refurbished fleet.

Both Montgomery MP Lembit Opik and North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson heaped praise on the new carriages launched by Wrexham & Shropshire Trains.

The train company, which runs direct services from Wrexham, through Shrewsbury and Telford, called in Mr Palin to unveil the new coaches.

• See also: Palin’s praise for railway

Mr Opik said the service was “leading the way in customer service and innovation”.

“They have recaptured the glory days of the railways. When you are in the train it is like being in the 1950s in terms of the quality of the service and the food.

“The staff are really proud of what they do. They bend over backwards to make the journey a genuinely enjoyable experience,” said the Liberal Democrat MP.

Tory MP Mr Paterson added: “Having a direct, comfortable and reliable link to London is immensely important to all my constituents.”

Several guest passengers were invited to travel down to London on the service for the launch, on Tuesday, January 19.

Campaigner Barry Taylor, from Shrewsbury, a member of the Shropshire and Mid Wales Rail First Group, described the trip as “excellent”.

Wrexham and Shropshire’s managing director Andy Hamilton said: “We believe travelling by train should be enjoyable, convenient and an affordable experience and have remained dedicated to listening to the feedback of our passengers to ensure we provide the very best.”

Each train has three refurbished coaches complete with 144 standard class seats and 30 first class seats, said to be designed with comfort in mind. There is plenty of storage room, plus CCTV cameras, modern lighting, free wi-fi and power sockets for lap-top users.

Mr Palin, a former Shrewsbury School pupil, said: “What I like about the Wrexham & Shropshire railway is that it embodies a lot of the things that the railways have lost in a bid for speed and volume – customer care, courtesy, a good meal, and the ability to look after the people for whom the railway is for.”