Leader: Direct link to London is needed now
It is outrageous in the 21st century that Shropshire is still treated as an outback where the pace of life is slow but perfectly adequate for the country bumpkins who, in the imagination of the metropolitan-based decision-makers and opinion-formers, inhabit this verdant part of Britain.
It is outrageous in the 21st century that Shropshire is still treated as an outback where the pace of life is slow but perfectly adequate for the country bumpkins who, in the imagination of the metropolitan-based decision-makers and opinion-formers, inhabit this verdant part of Britain.
In reality Salopians are crying out for the return of a direct rail link to the capital city. Can it really be so difficult to provide such a basic standard of service?
Hopes have been raised and dashed in the past. The much-praised Wrexham, Shropshire and Marylebone Railway failed because it laboured under inherent disadvantages.
Now, with all five of the county’s MPs acting in concert to apply pressure, there is renewed hope.
With the Government due to announce the winner of a new West Coast franchise, there is the chance to induce the winner of the contract to reinstate a direct Shropshire to London service.
Such a move would, in the words of Shropshire Council leader Keith Barrow, be a massive boost for Shropshire’s economy, and we agree with him.
Salopians pay their taxes like everyone else, and a darn sight more in a lot of cases due to the additional fuel costs which are part and parcel of living in a rural area.
Where is the transport payback? Why should Shropshire be blighted by the institutional disadvantage of being seen by officialdom as a backwoods – and backwards – area of the country?
Meanwhile millions are being funnelled into a high speed train service to and from London which will carve its way across the central and eastern parts of England in a route which pointedly points north. Bypassed Shropshire will see minimal benefit.
In comparison a direct link between Shropshire and the capital will cost peanuts and put this county’s businesses on the right track as they claw their way out of the recession.
Comments for: "Leader: Direct link to London is needed now"
H. St. John Peasbody
The previous direct services were underused. The Wrexham & Shropshire service went bust because, at the end of the day, it was underused and didn't make any money. Shropshire does not warrant a direct service to London. The demand is not there.
With regards to the leader's criticism of the planned high speed rail links from London to Birmingham and the north: high speed rail links are much needed. I regularly travel around Europe on Thalys (Benelux), TGV (France) and Ice (Germany) and I can declare that we are decades behind with our rail network. Basically, it stops at St Pancras.
Sam
Note that the systems you list as travelling on abroad are heavily subsidised and might otherwise not be provided were it not for the European attitude placing high social importance on public transport.
Doubter
In reality Salopians are crying out for the return of a direct rail link to the capital city"
Are they, did they use the Wrexham and Shropshire direct rail link which closed going down and losing £2.4million the answer is no, did they use the service before W/S the anwser is no, No PRIVATE company will sustain loses for an unforeseen.
Can it really be so difficult to provide such a basic standard of service?
No it cant but the service would have to be profitable in the long run, and going on past "tracks" it wont be ever due to rising cost and lack of use.
Benbow Tom
The reason people didn't use the service was because the trains were forced to go at slower speeds than the Virgin Trains. It was not a fair or level playing field. In addition passengers were not allowed to board at Wolverhampton even though it went via the station - again imposed by the company that owned the franchise.
These two issues would be resolved by having the franchise controlling the service making it more financially viable and quicker. The above two comments are misleading and unfair.
Doubter
What was the reason for the service before the Wrexham and Shropshire came online as that too faltered.
Bill
The original Virgin service failed because
(a) it had to change motive power at Wolverhampton, blocking a platform for 10-15 minutes and also necessitating an extra driver
(b) it had to 'run empty' out to Shrewsbury in the morning and back to the Oxley sidings in the evening - which was another extra cost
(c) of the passengers on the train leaving Wolverhampton in the evenings 90% boarded there or in Birmingham and I suspect 90% got off there in the mornings - the number of London - Shropshire travellers can never have exceeded 20
Peter Reynolds
To answer 1 and answer 2 ... wasnt't the take-up issue driven by the dreadful routing enforced by the other network franchisees, the need to stop at obscure places as a condition of funding by Advantage West Midalnds and a 3 hour journey time that put people off with draconian restrictions on just where the service could stop and which lines it could use ? (remember that 45 minute crawl around the Birmingham backwaters anyone ?)
Seemed to me like it was doomed to fail from day 1. Virgin pretty much had the competition cake and ate it.
d
What is wrong with a short train journey to Birmingham,change then straight to Euston? That is direct enough for me!
meadow matt
I'd tend to agree with this.
Went to London a few weeks ago from Shrewsbury via Birmingham and it was fine. Even with changes at Birmingham the journey took under three hours and was quicker than driving and I was in central london within minutes of leaving Euston.
OK it would be great not to have to change trains but I'm not convinced Shrewsbury and Shropshire is really missing out that much by not having a direct rail link. The fact the previous service wasn't that well used suggests there isn't a massive demand for such a service.
Nick
Yes, of coure Shropshire needs a direct rail link with London - to attract business and tourism to move the county into the 21st century. It seems that First Group have won the West Coast rail franchise and tomorrow we should hear details of their bid. There maybe a need for a further campaign to convince them of the need for a new Shrewsbury/Wellington/Telford to London service.
MarkB
The reason W&S went bust is that Virgin had an exclusivity clause which prevented W&S from competing. They were not allowed to pick up passengers from Wolverhampton. Hopefully the new west coast francise will not have a similar clause unless the winner provides the direct service we want..
Trev
Will never happen until (if) the line is electrified into Wolverhampton. Slower non-electric services will not be given access to the West Coast Main Line into Euston. Fact!
Almost all trains to/from Shropshire can connect with a fast train to/from London Euston at B'ham New st or B'ham International with only a 10-15 minute wait. Perfectly reasonable and adequate!
Roger
Agreed. The way forward is to ask why Virgin stopped the service in the first place and address that issue. I think it was the lack of electrification requiring Loco changes at Wolverhampton. It was just not an efficient operation.
The direct service only served to avoid changing at Wolverhampton or Birmingham which meant non dependance on connecting services. Beyond that is connections to services onward from Shrewsbury. There is no franchise issues on the Welsh coast to London line that the frachisees need address. It is of no interest to them how difficult it is to get a contiguous journey from Aberystwth to london and back in one day.
There is no doubt that a return to British Rail would imporove the argument considerably because whole journeys could be considered.
Bill
You're absolutely right
The only way Sropshire will get even a semi-fast service beyond Birmingham, let alone to London, is if the local authorities make some asset disposals and offer Network Rail a capital contribution to electrify the line.
A dozen 'infill' electrification schemes have just been announced - nothing for Shropshire
As examples Walsall to Rugeley will only happen because Centro is subsidising it, Coventry-Nuneaton because Warwickshire and Centro are chipping in. In the opposite corner, Barnt Green-Bromsgrove is 'on hold' because the councils won't pay towards building the relocated station, access roads and car park.
dr beeching
no chance, a non story. h st john peasebody sums it up well. the best shrewsbury can hope for in 40 years time is a sprinter to birmingham and hs2 from there cutting 8 minutes off the journey and costing 50 billion! wonder how long first group will run the west coast mainline for? 2 years!?
dr beeching
instead of calling for a direct route to london. salopians would be well advised to call for the reopening of stations in the county.
Woody
Trains.......
T = too expensive
R = rubbish franchises
A = always late
I = insufficient carriages
N = not enough seating
S = standing room only!
H. St. John Peasbody
Unless you use the Virgin West Coast service which is excellent in all respects.
Katherine de Gama
Let's hope we get a direct service. If so we need trains which allow us a day in town without having to stay over. That wasn't the case before.
Rob, Telford
I've been following this story for a few months without really commenting. I rarely travel by rail because I don't travel much, and when I do it's usually between places not served by convenient rail connections.
I'm not too sure about the obsession with direct services to London (can't stand the place but hey, that's just me) and think we'd be better served by better regional and local services, but being open-minded (and having a strong belief in fair play) a few points do spring to mind.
Shropshire is now the only English county without a direct rail connection to London - it is also the largest inland English county.
Whenever this subject is discussed electrification is raised as the major obstacle - so where are the electrified lines in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall - need I go on?
Meanwhile heavily subsidised (but lightly used) night sleeper services still connect London with Penzance and the far north of Scotland (the Caledonian Sleeper service is also known by railwaymen as "The Deerstalker").
If we really want a 21st Century railway then perhaps we need to drop the "all lines lead to London" attitude (still reflected in the "up" and "down" line naming for the direction to and from London, even if it's a minor branchline in the middle of Wales) and concentrate on providing a system that benefits the greatest number of our people.
dr beeching
so first great western are to provide 1200 more seats, all tables will disapear, airline seats where your knees touch your chin,buffet cars converted into seating,
in addition machines will replace staffed stations.
i venture to suggest virgin have the experience to run efficient swift trains already. if i had my way sir richard bransons team shouuld run the whole nationalised railway sytem.
as sir richard said virgin finished second to gner and national express, they all went bust. so what is stopping first from going bust, they have bid too high.
sometime someone in whitehall may realise britains railways run a service, and any profits should be set aside against taxpayers subsidies. and sir richard branson could head br, selling off redundant land, re-opening profitable stations and yes closing or rejuvinating loss making lines.
so once again our cash strapped coalition has grabbed 5 and half billion from first gw, and trains will run to telford shrewsbury and to bolton. i give it 3 years before sir richard branson is pleaded with by the department of transport how to run a railway.
diddly dee diddly dum. ooooooh ooooooh
BRUMMIE SHREW
As others have pointed out, no one used Wrexham and Shropshire because of the long journey times. So if this "new" direct link to the Capital, is on the same/similar route it s pointless.
However I think the main issue is diesel trains. Until the Line into Birmingham International is electrified, Shropshire will always going to have a 2nd class Service. It s too slow and too unreliable.
At the end of the day, we seem again to be having a Service provided before the appropriate infrastructure is in place. All because the latter is expensive and by it s nature, needs to actioned properly. As Arriva Trains Wales have demonstrated for years, you can getaway with a very, very poor level of Service and it does nt cost them a penny!