New hope for direct rail link between Shropshire and London - and with a new county stop added
Proposals for a direct rail link between Shropshire and London have been resubmitted five months after their rejection - with plans for an additional stop in the county.
The Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR) has lodged a fresh application for an open-access service between Wrexham and London Euston. It comes after a previous application was rejected by the Office or Rail and Road (ORR) in July.
Subscribe to Shropshire Star Plus now for just £1 a month for 12 months for exclusive content and an ad-free website. Visit shropshirestar.com/subscribe for our Black Friday offer
The new submission aims to make use of spare capacity that was recently released on the Liverpool to London route. WSMR is now proposing to run four trains per day in each direction - one fewer than previously proposed - and is seeking a contract of seven years or longer.
As before, the service would stop at Gobowen, Shrewsbury, and Telford in Shropshire, with other stops at Wolverhampton, Walsall, Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton and Milton Keynes. In addition, the revised plans include a new stop at Wellington in Telford.
WSMR also says calls at Willenhall and Darlaston could be added once those stations open.
Under the proposal, the first train would depart Wrexham at 6.05am and arrive at London Euston at 9.32am.
A WSMR spokesperson said: "Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway is committed to delivering the connectivity that communities across Wales and England need and deserve. Our resubmitted application reflects stakeholder feedback and demonstrates how we’ve listened to MPs and regional partners who urged us to reapply.
"This application differs from our previous submission, which includes us requesting fewer train paths and offering an additional stop at Wellington, enhancing connectivity for people in Shropshire. Furthermore, by making better use of available capacity - including paths that have been released and remain unused - we aim to strengthen regional links and support economic growth.
"WSMR’s new open access service will provide faster, more convenient travel options for passengers in Wrexham, Shrewsbury, Wellington, Telford, Walsall and beyond, improving access to jobs, education and leisure opportunities. We remain committed to introducing this service for the regions we serve and delivering benefits for communities along the route."
If approved, the service would restore a direct rail link between Shropshire and the capital after Avanti West Coast's London trains from Shrewsbury were scrapped last year.
The ORR rejected WSMR's original application on the grounds that the proposed service would be "detrimental to performance on the West Coast Main Line".
Network Rail also opposed the plans, due to timetable capacity's, 'congested' infrastructure, existing passenger flows and increased traffic that the service would bring.
Comment Guidelines
Iconic Media encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.