Sadness at demise of Wrexham & Shropshire Trains

Rail lovers have reacted with shock at the announcement that the Wrexham and Shropshire Railway is to close.

The route, the only direct link between Shropshire and the capital, will run for the last time on Friday after owners DB Schenker revealed it lost £2.8million on the service last year.

Monty Python star and former Shrewsbury School pupil Michael Palin, who endorsed the service on its website, was one of many people to express sadness at learning the route was being closed this week.

He told the Shropshire Star: "It served an area that other railway companies didn't serve as well, and I'm very, very sad to think that it hasn't worked out. It looked after the passengers better than any other railway I have travelled on, and had great staff, too."

The service was established in 2008 after a pressure campaign to introduce a direct rail link to London.

The number of services were cut as the company struggled to make a profit.

Anthony Randall, president of Shropshire Chamber of Commerce, said: "It's a blow for the community as it was our connection to London, and was a direct route, and these things do not help with confidence."

Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said: "This is a bitter blow to the UK rail industry and it is a scandal that a giant company like Deutsche Bahn can play fast and loose with our rail services in this way and then cut and run when they decide the profit margins aren't fat enough.

"The UK Government should now step in and nationalise the franchise to protect both the jobs and the popular Wrexham & Shropshire services and there should be a full inquiry into how this route, set up with Welsh government and taxpayer support, has been ground into the dust by Deutsche Bahn."

Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, said: "We fought very hard to get this service and obviously I am very disappointed to hear that it's going to close."

Telford MP David Wright added: "It's very sad news. It would be good if they can reinstate the service, but I think they are suffering from the wider economic conditions."

Steve Boulding, spokes­man for Baschurch Station Group, which is campaigning to reopen the village station in rural north Shropshire, said: "It's a great shame that such a brilliant and pioneering service as Wrexham & Shropshire has folded."

He added: "We won't give up on reopening the station because some other operator is bound to appear in due course."

Steve Miller, chief executive of the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site, said: "They were a wonderful partner, particularly in our aspiration of encouraging people to discover the beautiful county of Shropshire for themselves."