Sadness at demise of Wrexham & Shropshire Trains
Wednesday 26th January 2011, 7:30PM GMT.
Rail lovers have reacted with shock at the announcement that the Wrexham and Shropshire Railway is to close.
The route, the only direct link between Shropshire and the capital, will run for the last time on Friday after owners DB Schenker revealed it lost £2.8million on the service last year.
Monty Python star and former Shrewsbury School pupil Michael Palin, who endorsed the service on its website, was one of many people to express sadness at learning the route was being closed this week.
He told the Shropshire Star: “It served an area that other railway companies didn’t serve as well, and I’m very, very sad to think that it hasn’t worked out. It looked after the passengers better than any other railway I have travelled on, and had great staff, too.”
The service was established in 2008 after a pressure campaign to introduce a direct rail link to London.
The number of services were cut as the company struggled to make a profit.
Anthony Randall, president of Shropshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It’s a blow for the community as it was our connection to London, and was a direct route, and these things do not help with confidence.”
Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said: “This is a bitter blow to the UK rail industry and it is a scandal that a giant company like Deutsche Bahn can play fast and loose with our rail services in this way and then cut and run when they decide the profit margins aren’t fat enough.
“The UK Government should now step in and nationalise the franchise to protect both the jobs and the popular Wrexham & Shropshire services and there should be a full inquiry into how this route, set up with Welsh government and taxpayer support, has been ground into the dust by Deutsche Bahn.”
Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, said: “We fought very hard to get this service and obviously I am very disappointed to hear that it’s going to close.”
Telford MP David Wright added: “It’s very sad news. It would be good if they can reinstate the service, but I think they are suffering from the wider economic conditions.”
Steve Boulding, spokesman for Baschurch Station Group, which is campaigning to reopen the village station in rural north Shropshire, said: “It’s a great shame that such a brilliant and pioneering service as Wrexham & Shropshire has folded.”
He added: “We won’t give up on reopening the station because some other operator is bound to appear in due course.”
Steve Miller, chief executive of the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site, said: “They were a wonderful partner, particularly in our aspiration of encouraging people to discover the beautiful county of Shropshire for themselves.”
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No comment from anybody in Wrexham? It was WREXHAM & Shropshire after all!
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Perhaps the operational straight jacket that the regulator agreed to on set up of the service, did not help the service to function fully. Such as no routing through Birmingham New Street, can only set down at some stations and not pick up or vice a versa (eg Coventry), unable to operate from Chester or Birkenhead, when other stations in the UK have several operators serving London. The reintroduction of direct London services from Wrexham via another operator after that operator chose to walk away in 2000. Loosing the proposed North – South Wales route to the major player in Welsh Railways thus creating a stronger private monopoly. Plenty there for Welsh MP’s, OFRAIL, Office of Fair Trading and Welsh Assembly Members to investigate.
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Today’s news has hit me almost as hard as the loss of a close friend would. I’ve used the W&S service from Shrewsbury to London on an almost weekly basis since it started and have always appreciated the very fine service which the company has provided. I’ve bored my friends with my enthusiasm and my encouragement to them to use the service.
Now it will be back to the unpredictable Arriva/London Midland services which more often than not failed to connect with the uncomfortable and arrogant Virgin service.
Where has the public discussion of strategic alternatives for the route and the company been? I know that I would not be alone in wishing to help to find alternative ways of sustaining this service which is so important to Shropshire’s (and Wrexham’s) economic future, bringing income earned in London to the local economy, as well as showing that there IS a better, more human way of running a railway.
I wish all the excellent staff at W&S well as I look forward to a bitter-sweet return from London on the 18.30 tomorrow.
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I travelled to Oswestry from Marylebone shortly after Christmas and it was the most enjoyable and memorable train journey I have ever experienced. The train was running late but I was assured by regular passengers that this was unusual and it was a reliable and punctual service. The train was spotless and warm (take note first capital connect) the seats were comfortable and all the carriages had tables. A member of the crew stood in for one of the buffet staff who was unwell and served complimentary tea and coffee and apologised for the delay. Throughout the journey he assisted several elderly passengers with their luggage and was courtous and helpful when passengers requested information. The 3 1/2 hour journey passed quickly in such lovely surroundings and with amiable and appreciative passengers. It was the most extraordinary experience travelling in such comfort and with people who could only describe the service in such positive and warm terms! It was with great sadness that I heard of its demise on the news. It seems that only characterless companies motivated by greed and large profits survive in the present economic and political environment.
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Very sorry to see this go, we’ve used it quite a few times and it felt like such a friendly stress-free way to travel to London.
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Bob Crow is spot on. Why was British Rail ever sold off? The service has been at the mercy of profiteers ever since.
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One cannot argue with the economics and the trains although excellent, cannot have been cheap to run – a loco designed to pull 800 tonne freight trains towing just four carriages albeit quickly and smoothly.
But if Deutsche Bahn own both companies they still have the ‘licence’ to operate the route – could we see Chiltern Railways seeking to extend some of its services further west, in the same way as they now reach Kidderminster?
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We would like to register my sadness that Deutsche Bahn have decided to close the Wrexham and Shropshire train service. We have used the service many times to Shrewsbury and the staff and service have been excellent. It does seem that the service has not been given a proper chance and maybe if the journey time had been quicker more people would have used the service. Please pass on our best wishes to all the staff and we hope they enjoy their new roles as much as they seemed to with the Wrexham and Shropshire. Arriva and Virgin Trains have a lot to live up to!
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rather coincidental as well that Chiltern Trains who are also owned by DB are looking for new trains and that Arriva who are to run a second express ‘WAG’ service from Holyhead to Cardiff in May are also on the look out for new stock to run it with. its all very political, DB who are WSMRs parent company were actually charging WSMR to hire its own trains and that running to Marleybone was actually causing competition for itself by daring to tempt customers off its franchised Chiltern service.
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2 Brian is correct.
The straight jacket placed on the service was designed to protect the ‘monopoly’ position established to benefit Virgin as a pay off for the West Coast main line investment.
As a regular user I would have paid double the ticket price to avoid returning to the nightmare journey through Birmingham New Street onto packed Virgin Trains.
I thought the service was building a regular client base and with more flexibility on pick up/drop off stations the service would have become sustainable.
It is very sad that the dedicated team of operatives will now lose their jobs, they have shown that good service is still possible in this country.
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This is so sad. It was and is an excellent service. I travel to and from London each week for work and the alternative can only be the car. I could not possibly afford the Virgin service each week. Not sure I can afford the car actually.
I hope the wonderful staff find new employment and they are helped to do so!
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What a great shame this has happened but this will come as no surprise to those who travelled regularly on this service. For the past few months passenger numbers have steadily declined and through December and January it was not uncommon to have 10-15 people on each carriage on some journeys. I raised my concerns with one of the stewards and suggested that the regular travellers would rather pay double then loose the service. My fare will now rise from £50 to £185 for the journey I make each week. Where is the incentive for me to take the train now as opposed to driving?
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Exerpt from letter I sent to Ian Lucus MP (Wrexham)
I was absolutely devastated to hear about the closure of the Wrexham to Marylebone train service. I have used this service on an almost weekly basis for the last year so have an insight into what has been lost. This service provided a lifeline for rural people living and working around Wrexham who need to also visit London to work.
I know the economic arguments will have been compelling in order to decide to end the service but what of the wider impact? This service provided a clean, comfortable and safe environment in which it was possible to work solidly for the complete journey. The customer service was always of the highest quality. I have used trains to travel in many areas across the globe and I have never had better customer service than I did on this service.
I understand that the figures have to stack up in the end, but why couldn’t the service pick up passengers in Wolverhampton? Why did we have to creep past so many stations full of people without being able to stop? Why wasn’t the option of raising fares mooted? I would gladly have paid double for the service I received. I really don’t understand.
We have lost something truly valuable and the socio-economic impact is bound to be significant, if not now, in the future. As a resident of the Ceiriog Valley many of us felt justly proud that we had such a good service, staffed with real people who really cared.
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Currently standing on wolverhampton station platform, enduring a 10 minute transfer time and further 25 minute delay. Tut tut London midland.
All that after having aggro with the virgin trains manager first thing who initially refused to accept my Wrexham and shropshire SMS ticket.
I’m disappointed but not surprised.
I’ll be doing all I can to avoid the wolves/new street route and, if possible, will also be going out of my to avoid virgin trains.
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