Old Shropshire railway line cycle path a muddy misery

For decades trains thundered on 14-mile stretch of line between Shropshire and Staffordshire – but nowadays even bikes can't manage the full journey.

Councillor Eric Carter on the county border where the gravel cycle track turns into a muddy track on the Staffordshire side

A short section of the 14-mile route – which is now a cycle path and is popular with walkers – has been branded "impassable" because it is so muddy.

It has prompted calls for officials at Staffordshire County Council to finish work on the final 400 metres of the path, which links Newport to Stafford.

Councillor Eric Carter, Telford & Wrekin councillor for Newport East, wants Staffordshire County Council to spend an estimated £10,000 to improve the section to link the two paths together properly. Once completed people will be able to cycle from Newport to Gnosall and Stafford.

Councillor Carter has agreed to meet with Telford & Wrekin Council officers on January 7 to see if there is anything the local authority can do to improve the stretch, even though it is owned by Staffordshire County Council.

Telford & Wrekin Council, backed by the Department for Transport, has completed work to improve the surface of the disused railway line between the border with Staffordshire and the A41 in Newport, close to the former Focus DIY store.

Work has also been carried out by Staffordshire County Council to improve a path near the Shropshire border into Gnosall and beyond.

Councillor Carter said: "If it is dry then you could cycle on it, but when it is wet it is a muddy mess.

"You have to jump off and push. It's that one bit which is unsatisfactory.

"It seems petty when it's a small section which means the project is not fully completed. "We want to get this done one way or the other before Easter."

Newport town councillor Tim Nelson said a digger had been out to clear the vegetation recently as a temporary fix but had made the surface worse.

Councillor Eric Carter looks back along the old railway track on the outskirts of Newport

He said: "I went out on Saturday and it is now impassable. They've made it worse.

"It's a massive frustration but the battle is by no means lost.

"We're absolutely desperate to get our family leisure off-road route from Newport to Norbury Junction."

Councillor Nelson believes that the cycle path will attract cyclists and walkers to the area.

Paul Boston, Gnosall Sustrans Volunteer Ranger, said: "Many people agree once this last stretch has been re-surfaced and the two towns joined, it will be one of the biggest and best sustainable transport resources in the area.

"We still need to campaign to get this last section resurfaced."

Staffordshire county councillor Mark Winnington, cabinet member for economy and infrastructure, said: "We are aware of the issues on the path and currently have a maintenance team working on site clearing the path.

"Our works are ongoing and the team will do what they can to make the best improvements with the resources available at this time.

"Longer term though, we remain committed to bringing this final link up to the same standard as the adjacent sections."

The Stafford to Shrewsbury line ran via of Newport from 1849 to 1966.

The last of the rail track was lifted in 1991.