Economic partners want new Shropshire train link to London 'as quickly as possible'

The Leader of Shropshire Council has written to Mark Harper, the Secretary of State for Transport, on behalf of the Shropshire Economic Partnership, to express support for a planned new direct rail service between Wrexham, Shrewsbury and London.

The Shropshire Economic Partnership (SEP), comprising of industry experts from the private, public, education and voluntary sectors, was formed in 2023 to drive economic growth in Shropshire.

It is using its collective voice to support the application from Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Rail Service. County MPs have also recently given their support to the proposal.

In her letter to Mark Harper MP, Councillor Lezley Picton says: “You will be aware that Avanti has recently cancelled Shropshire’s only direct train to London and this decision was met with great disappointment by businesses and residents across Shropshire.

“However, we were delighted that the Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR) put forward plans last year to introduce a new daily train service between Wrexham and Euston, and Shropshire will benefit enormously from this new ‘open access’ train operator if it is successful in its application to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

“This service will link Shropshire to London, but in addition will also provide a service to the east of Birmingham, an area which is difficult to reach without several changes.

"Shropshire Council is also in discussions with the operator regarding the possibility of a parkway station for Shrewsbury. This has been a long-held ambition not only for Shropshire Council but also for the West Midlands Combined Authority.

“These proposals, which have now been submitted to the ORR, will bring faster and more direct journey opportunities to our region. This is a must for Shropshire and our surrounding areas as to fully exploit our growth potential we need far better transport links.”

In her letter, Lezley Picton asks that the Secretary of State works with the Office of Rail and Road, and within the Department for Transport, to ensure the application is processed as quickly as possible “so that Shropshire’s communities can benefit from these services and wider benefits as soon as possible”.