Plans for a direct rail route from Wrexham to London Euston are back on the table.
Alec Doyle, local democracy reporter
The Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway Company Limited – part of Alstom Group – has re-applied to the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) to operate services from Wrexham to London Euston via Shrewsbury, Telford, Wolverhampton, Walsall and Nuneaton, just five months after its last bid was rejected.
The July bid was built on two years of hard work and having taken on board feedback from the ORR – the independent economic and safety regulator for rail – on capacity and the safety of a number of foot crossings, WSMR has returned with a new bid.
Full details are yet to be published, however WSMR has confirmed that the revised plans include fewer train paths – it is proposing four daily services each way rather than the original five – and including a new stop in Wellington, Shropshire.
Part of the bid plans to utilise train path rights previously operated temporarily by Avanti West Coast services which ran from Chester and Holyhead to London Euston. These rights are due to end this month.
“Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway is committed to delivering the connectivity that communities across Wales and England need and deserve,” said a WSMR spokesperson.
“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 as it includes requesting fewer train paths and offering an additional stop at Wellington, enhancing connectivity for people in Shropshire.
“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.”
Avanti West Coast
The resubmission of the proposals – which intends to use train paths vacated by Avanti West Coast has been welcomed by Wrexham County Borough Council.
“Wrexham Council has continued to support improvements to rail services and it is now a priority to improve links to the Midlands and London Euston,” said Cllr David Bithell, Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead Member for Strategic Transport.
“Following positive discussions with WSMR we fully support their new application. The investment in Wrexham as a place and the success of Wrexham Football Club provides real opportunities to build major transport links to support the city’s aspirations.
“The Department for Transport has previously supported the application. The council will now lobby all our MPs and MS’ and will meet WSMR to help secure these vital services.
“Wrexham is a thriving and growing city and new rail services not only create jobs and growth but support the need for better connectivity to the Midlands and London Euston.
The news was also welcomed by Wrexham Council Leader Cllr Mark Pritchard.
“This is an exciting time for Wrexham as a city,” he said “Direct rail services to London Euston not only provide better rail services but investment opportunities for Wrexham and the wider region.”
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Interesting; avanti have been pushing for reduced trains to Chester and Holyhead for a while – my guess is they lose significant money on those routes. I might need WG funding to support this line.
The most sensible change would be to lay on extra trains to whichever team Wrexham are playing at home -trains are packed on match days. (Appreciate timetabling and train stock are massively complex issues beyond my mental capacity!)
How about a direct rail route from north to south Wales without having to go into England? How about a rail route that actually unites north and south Wales, and our communities? How about building a nation? How about actually treating us like a real country?
How would you do this, though? I know that a lot of folk advocate re-opening Carmarthen-Aberystwyth; I’m for that but it could never be a high-speed line. Going up the Wye Valley via Builth Wells and Rhayader might be a better option but, again, would be slow; I have no idea as to its feasibility. Sadly the geography and demography of Wales rather militate against a direct and sensible north-south route – as the A470 road attests!
There is a wonderful scheme from the Foryd Junction near Rhyl down the Vale of Clwyd, through Llandrillo, Llangynog and Llanymynech, Welshpool, Newtown, Llanidloes, Builth, Brecon, Dowlais, Cardiff. With this scheme, a lot of the old track infrastructure from the Beeching cuts is still in place. I don’t remember the exact timing but quicker then the current 4 hour+ journey from north Wales to Cardiff plus encompasses large population areas. Mountains don’t stop them in Switzerland. Neither did they stop the construction of the A55 – drilling through mountains and tunneling under the River Conwy. There is a political agenda,… Read more »
The taxpayer value for money option for achieving this is to move the border east so the line runs entirely within Wales.
A very good option! Egon for First Minister!