MPs and council determined Network Rail's verdict on Wrexham to London rail link won't bring scheme to the end of the line
MPs and council leaders have responded to Network Rail's verdict on the Wrexham to London Euston rail link plans.
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Network Rail said it is "not in a position" to support the Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway's (WSMR) application to introduce a new open access passenger service between Wrexham and London Euston.
The WSMR has proposed to introduce five trains a day to London, using nine vacant rail paths, and if approved, it would reinstate the county's direct link with the capital after Avanti West Coast's daily train from Shrewsbury to London was ditched in June last year.
The public body said it is not supporting the application due to timetable capacity's, 'congested' infrastructure, existing passenger flows and increased traffic that the service would bring.
And, MPs and council leaders have expressed their disappointment at the verdict.
North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan, Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley and Cabinet member for transport and economic growth at Shropshire Council Rob Wilson, have all urged the Office of Road and Rail to signal the green light for the scheme, despite what Network Rail has said.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer recently pledged his support to Mrs Buckley and other MPs in their drive for the direct service's creation and the scheme was also backed by the Department for Transport in February.
