Call for public support as petition pushes for Wrexham to London rail link

It's now been more than two years since the Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway Company (WSMR) proposed bringing back a direct service to and from London.

A former train operating company, Wrexham & Shropshire, ceased providing the service in January 2011 after just three years in what was described as a "shock closure".

The company blamed the "unprecedented economic environment" and said although it had tried to increase passenger numbers, "it has been determined that the business has no prospect of reaching profitability".

But the WSMR's recent bid was rejected last year, due to capacity issues on the West Coast Mainline. Since then, the company has submitted a revised proposal.

Now, a petition, launched by Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley, is calling on the Government, Network Rail and the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to support the bid and enable the trains to run.

If approved, the train would stop at Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Wellington, Telford, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton and Milton Keynes stations.

Rob Wilson, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for transport and economic growth, said the public’s backing could help secure the long‑awaited link.

“I encourage everyone to sign the petition and help make this new service a reality,” he said. 

“For too many years, North Wales and Shropshire have been disconnected from London. This is bad for business, bad for communities and bad for economic growth.

“Business thrives on certainty, and they need transport connections they can rely on. The stop‑start nature of our link to the capital over the past decade is a limiting factor to growth. Shrewsbury is once again one of the only county towns in England without a direct train to London.

“The new, improved bid would support economic growth and increase access to jobs, education, health facilities and leisure opportunities in the county.”

The petition is available to view online at: change.org