Council 'frustrated' by 'lack of progress' on accessibility improvements at Wellington Railway Station
Council bosses are reeling at a "lack of progress" on improvements to accessibility at a county railway station.
In 2019, Wellington Station was chosen as one of 73 across the country to benefit from a £300 million government fund.
With this, a new accessible route at the station was planned, as well as to and between each platform.
However, Telford & Wrekin Council said it "remains frustrated by the lack of progress on accessibility improvements" at the railway station.
The council said some 700,000 passengers used the station prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and that it will continue to "press for action" to bring about better support for passengers with mobility impairments.
Council leader Councillor Lee Carter expressed his dismay, saying: "There’s a clear case for Wellington’s inclusion, evidenced by the 700,000 passengers who used the station annually prior to the pandemic."
Telford & Wrekin Council had called for Wellington Station to become an additional stop along a proposed daily rail service between Shropshire and London.
The Office and Rail and Road (ORR) has rejected the Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway's (WSMR) application to introduce a daily rail service between the county and London due to "insufficient capacity".
WSMR had proposed to introduce five trains a day between Wrexham General and London Euston, stopping at railway stations including Gobowen, Shrewsbury and Telford Central along the way. The service would have reinstated services to the capital from Shropshire after after Avanti West Coast's services from Shrewsbury to London were scrapped last year.
But the scheme has hit the buffers, for now, having been rejected by the ORR, leaving council bosses dejected.
Mr Carter added: "This is a setback for our borough and the wider region. The issue extends beyond one service - it’s about unlocking vital economic, leisure, and commuter benefits for our communities.
"We’ll continue to make the case for improved connectivity via Telford Central and Wellington stations, while working closely with Shaun Davies MP [MP for Telford] to drive this agenda forward."
The ORR's decision comes after Network Rail opposed the plans due to timetable capacity, 'congested' infrastructure, existing passenger flows and increased traffic that the service would bring.
