Direct Shropshire rail link with London could be back on track as plans for service to be resubmitted
An application for a direct rail link between Shropshire and London is set to be resubmitted, an MP has revealed.
The Wrexham Shropshire & Midlands Railway's (WSMR) application for an open-access service between Wrexham and London, via Shropshire, was rejected by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in July.
However, following the latest meeting of the Shrewsbury Transport Integration Group - which WSMR representatives attended - the meeting's chair, Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley, announced on social media that the company intends to resubmit plans soon.
The original proposal would have introduced five trains a day between Wrexham General and London Euston, stopping at Gobowen, Shrewsbury, and Telford. It aimed to re-establish a direct rail connection between Shropshire and the capital, following the scrapping of Avanti West Coast’s services from the county town last year.
The ORR rejected the application, stating that the proposed service would be "detrimental to performance on the West Coast Main Line". Network Rail also objected, warning that the additional services would make it "extremely difficult" to accommodate new trains without significant disruption and a potential increase in delays.
In response, Julia Buckley MP said she would push for a revised proposal to be resubmitted as soon as possible, and it appears this is not too far down the line.
"When I was elected last year, I was struck by how little joined-up discussion there was around transport in our area," the MPs post last Sunday (September 28) said.
"I’m proud to have now got this moving and grateful to all partners for their keen and productive work and support.
"We received an update from Wrexham Shropshire & Midlands Railway representatives on the direct service to London, and I’m pleased to confirm that they will be resubmitting imminently."
Mrs Buckley previously said the service's introduction would see Shrewsbury become "the vital economic hub between Wales and the capital".
In May, the proposed service also received the backing of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
However, the WSMR's proposal was one of three applications turned down by the ORR.
Outlining the reasons for the scheme's rejection, a statement read: "In the case of these three applications, lack of capacity and the anticipated impact on performance alone meant we could not approve them. As such, our duty to have regard to the funds available to the Secretary of State was not relevant to this decision.
"ORR’s assessment of these applications included their operational viability, the benefits the services would generate, and the often-supportive views of passengers and local stakeholders. These factors did not alter our fundamental conclusion that the proposed services cannot be introduced due to insufficient space on the network and the likely detriment to train performance."
Julia Buckley MP and WSMR have been approached for further comment.
