New Railways Bill should pave way for train services to Oswestry and step-free access at Whitchurch Station, MP says
The new Railways Bill should pave the way for train services to Oswestry and step-free access at Whitchurch Station, an MP has said.
Speaking during a Parliamentary debate, North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan described access to rail services in her consistency as "very poor".
The Liberal Democrat MP called for Oswestry to be connected to the railway line at nearby Gobowen and highlighted the ongoing campaign for step-free access at Whitchurch Station.
Frustration has grown after plans to install a lift at Whitchurch were given the green light last year, but funding for the project has yet to be released.
Mrs Morgan has urged that the Government's new Railways Bill, which would see the creation of Great British Railways, address these issues. She argued that without improvements to local services, residents may not feel the benefits of a national rail system upgrade.
She said: "In constituencies such as North Shropshire, where access to the railway is very poor indeed, we have initiatives for step-free access at Whitchurch Station and to connect Oswestry, which is the second largest town in Shropshire but has no rail connection, to the line at Gobowen.
"Does my honourable friend agree the Bill really needs to take up those types of opportunities? Otherwise, many people will fail to recognise the benefits of hopefully improving the rail system."
Liberal Democrat spokesperson Olly Glover responded: "She is quite right to point out that some of the more sparsely populated parts of our country have been neglected in their rail offer. It is important that the spending recognises that and does not just follow large towns or cities or inter-city routes."
The Railways Bill aims to establish Great British Railways (GBR) as a new public body responsible for both infrastructure and most passenger services in England, putting the majority of passenger under public ownership and control.
During the same debate, Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley called for the county town's railway station to be "more than just a museum piece," adding that there is a "latent demand" for more services in Shropshire.
