Commuter alarm as vital Shropshire trains face axe

Arriva Trains Wales plans to stop running the morning service from Wrexham to Birmingham – which includes stops at Chirk, Gobowen, Shrewsbury and Telford – and a feeder service which leaves Shrewsbury at 7am and runs to Wrexham.

It comes at the same time as passengers are being warned of amendments to timetables on the Chester to Shrewsbury line to allow for improvement work to be carried out.

Rail user groups have reacted with horror at the plans to cut services, which they say will affect commuters across the county. The issue will be discussed at a meeting of Oswestry Town Council's amenities committee on Wednesday after the proposals were brought to the authorities attention by campaigners.

In a report to councillors, Sheila Dee from the Chester-Shrewsbury Rail Partnership says it is being proposed to remove the "well used and long standing" morning commuter service from Wrexham through Shrewsbury to Birmingham. The train leaves Chirk at 8.01am and Gobowen, Oswestry's nearest station, at 8.07am, arriving in Birmingham New Street at 9.29am.

Mrs Dee says: "Also removed would be the feeder service which leaves Shrewsbury at 7am calling all stations to Wrexham.

"In its place they plan to have the current Holyhead to Cardiff service, which runs earlier, stop at Ruabon, Chirk, and Gobowen.

"However this train runs to Cardiff and not to Birmingham and would require passengers to start out 15 minutes earlier and wait for 20 minutes for a connecting train to Birmingham.

"The Chester-Shrewsbury Rail Partnership and the Shrewsbury-Chester Rail User Group are most concerned at the impact these changes will have on passengers from this area and look to overturn these proposals which are planned for implementation on May 2015."

The amendments on the Chester to Shrewsbury line will take place from August 2 to August 10 due to major track work being carried out.