Virgin plans London rail link

Shropshire travellers could be set for a boost after proposals for another direct rail link to London were revealed.

Virgin Trains has put in a bid to Network Rail to run two services daily each way between Shrewsbury and London Euston.

The proposed service – which would call at Wellington and Telford before going via Walsall, Wolverhampton and Nuneaton – would take just over two hours 45 minutes.

Shropshire travellers could be set for a boost after proposals for another direct rail link to London were revealed.

Virgin Trains has put in a bid to Network Rail to run two services daily each way between Shrewsbury and London Euston.

The proposed service – which would call at Wellington and Telford before going via Walsall, Wolverhampton and Nuneaton – would take just over two hours 45 minutes.

The county's direct rail link to London was restored in April last year when train operator Wrexham & Shropshire began its service to London Marylebone. It runs five trains each way per day, from Wrexham to London. In December, Arriva Trains Wales revealed it was looking at restoring an old route to provide three trains a day between Aberystwyth and London Marylebone, via Shrewsbury, Wellington and Telford.

Ken Gibbs, Virgin Trains spokesman, said the firm was preparing a business case for the service which could be up and running by December if all goes to plan.

It wants to run trains leaving Shrewsbury at 6.42am, which would arrive at 9.30am, and 1.42pm, and two leaving Euston at 10.33am and 5.46pm. Mr Gibbs said Network Rail would decide on the proposal "within the next couple of months".