West Midlands Mayor 'very keen' on improved transport links for Shrewsbury
The Mayor of the West Midlands is "very keen" on proposals for a partnership with Shropshire that would extend public transport links to include Shrewsbury.
Julia Buckley, MP for Shrewsbury, discussed the idea with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, along with a number of key stakeholders and transport providers, during the recent Labour Party conference in Liverpool.
A key part of her discussions focused on campaigning for better rail and bus services for Shrewsbury and the wider county.
Mrs Buckley met with international public transport operator Go-Ahead, rail industry specialists Angel Trains, and representatives from the global transport group ComfortDelGro, which operates more than 54,000 vehicles across 13 countries.
The meetings come after Mrs Buckley revealed that the Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway (WSMR) plans to resubmit proposals for a daily rail service to London from Wrexham General, which would also reinstate Shropshire’s direct link to the capital.
"I introduced this idea of what I call magic glue in communities - improved public transport that binds people and places together.
"I was also delighted to meet with Mark Greaves and Edward Thomas of the multi-national ComfortDelGro group to discuss opportunities and investment in public transport. The company currently supply public transport provision via Metroline across a number of places including London, Cardiff and Manchester.
"They are really keen to build connectivity in buses between rural and urban areas, and I spoke to them about the current challenges in Shrewsbury in this area and how their community-focused local bus services might improve this. We discussed how important bus services are for connecting local communities, improving access to jobs, education and public services, and delivering the Government’s growth mission.
"Another very positive transport meeting this week was with Angel Trains who lease rolling stock to train operating companies. We discussed my campaign for a direct rail service to London and the potential that nationalisation has to improve services for Shrewsbury.
"And I met with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker about potential benefits of a partnership with Shropshire, to roll out public transport links to include Shrewsbury, and he was very keen on this idea."
Ahead of the upcoming nationalisation of West Midlands Trains, Mrs Buckley has also arranged meetings with Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens and the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Transport Ken Skates.
She has repeatedly called for improvements to rail services in the county town, as well as enhanced bus services, including the introduction of a Sunday service.
"From day one, pursuing better rail and bus services has been a big priority of mine," Mrs Buckley added.
"I’m happy to meet with any company or organisation whose expertise, knowledge and experience might feed into my goals for better services in and around Shrewsbury. And I’m forging ahead on all fronts to make this a reality."
