MP Mark Pritchard demands explanation as direct rail link scrapped

The Tory MP has written to the chief executive of Network Rail asking why it has blocked a Virgin Trains plan to reintroduce a direct rail link from Dec-ember. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said earlier this year a direct rail link would be reinstated.

Mr Pritchard said: "We have all worked tirelessly to get a new direct rail link reinstated.

"The Government agreed that this would be a good idea and thankfully gave the green light. Now we have an unelected rail body blocking the bid, which would bring so many benefits to residents and businesses. I will be fighting Network Rail's decision all the way."

Mr Pritchard's pledge was backed by politicians and business leaders across Shropshire after Network Rail dropped its bombshell yesterday. David Wright, the Labour MP for Telford, said: "MPs from across the county have been campaigning on this and this is a very worrying development."

The Office of Rail Regulation said today it would be reviewing the move following an appeal from Virgin.

Network Rail said it had rejected Virgin Trains' bid to run the service, which Sir Richard Branson's company had been planning to bring in from December, because there was no capacity on the network.

The contentious decision comes just days after Virgin issued a strongly-worded statement demanding Network Rail compensate customers for poor punctuality. Network Rail said the decision to prevent the plans for a direct link between Shropshire and London going ahead was "purely on the basis of performance".

Brian Clarke, a spokesman for the ORR, said: "We have had an application from Virgin and we will be reviewing that alongside other applications about the West Coast Main Line to check whether they make best use of capacity on the network."

Network Rail said allowing more services on the West Coast Main Line would put the route under greater strain and result in more late services. Under the Virgin proposals, two trains would have run each way between Shrewsbury and London every day, stopping at Wellington and Telford .

Environment Secretary and North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson said he sees the latest announcement as a "delay" rather than an end to hopes for the link.