Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway

Last updated

Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway
Overview
Franchise(s) Open-access operator
Main region(s)
Stations called at
Parent company Alstom
Dates of operation2025 (proposed)–
Other
Website www.wsmr.co.uk OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway (WSMR) is a proposed open-access train operator in the United Kingdom, to operate passenger train services between Wrexham General and London Euston via Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton and Milton Keynes Central.

Contents

The open-access operator would be run by Alstom, with SLC Rail as consultants. It will be Alstom's first rail service operation in the United Kingdom if approved.

History and description

The proposed service was officially announced on 14 March 2024, [1] following the operator submitting its formal application to operate, to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). [2] If approved, it hopes to operate services from May 2025 and creating a possible 50 new jobs, mainly in North Wales and the English Midlands. [3] [4] [5] WSMR estimates its proposed service would have 1.5 million people in their catchment area outside London. [3] [4] The plans received support from Huw Merriman, Minister of State for Transport. [6]

If approved, it would reinstate a Shropshire–London direct service, following Avanti West Coast's Shrewsbury–London Euston service being terminated on 2 June 2024. [7] [8]

The open-access operator would be operated by Alstom, and it would be its first passenger rail operating service in the United Kingdom if approved. [3] [9] [10] The Birmingham-based [11] consultancy firm SLC Rail would advise Alstom in the development of the project. [7] [5]

The proposed operator was compared to a previous train operating company, Wrexham & Shropshire, which also operated Wrexham to London services via Shropshire between 2008 and 2011. [5] [9] Although Wrexham & Shropshire operated along the Chiltern Main Line to London Marylebone. [11] while WSMR proposes to use the West Coast Main Line to Euston. [12] WSMR has no links to Wrexham & Shropshire. [11]

The plan is for a daily, Monday to Saturday service between Wrexham General and London Euston of five trains in each direction, reduced to four on Sundays. Trains would call at Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Telford Central, Wolverhampton, Darlaston James Bridge (when re-opened), Walsall, Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton and Milton Keynes. It would use the current freight-only (since 1965) Sutton Park line to bypass Birmingham, particularly the Wolverhampton–Birmingham New Street–Rugby corridor. The service would allow direct trains between Wolverhampton and Walsall to Nuneaton for the first time. [3] [4] [11] [13]

The estimated travel time between Wrexham and London is three hours, while between Shrewsbury and London is two hours. [13]

Telford and Wrekin Council have requested that trains also call at Wellington. [14] A new station at Aldridge may be opened; the line passes through the site of the former Aldridge railway station. [15] Members of Parliament in Shropshire and Wrexham, stated their support for the proposal following its announcement. [16]

In March 2024, Alstom stated that details on the operator's fleet, branding and service timetable would be announced at a later date. [7] Although it was later reported that the operator's train fleet would have "infrastructure monitoring equipment", and are planned to have first and standard class seating. The company's mobilisation director, Darren Horley, stated WSMR is planning to have features such as "instant delay repay" if any of their trains are delayed, a "seat selection facility", and possibly an "advance ordering" system for food and drinks before passengers travel on their trains. The company also stated they aspired to invest in infrastructure, such as funding enhancements at stations, and possibly a new parkway station near Shrewsbury to ease congestion. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arriva Trains Wales</span> British transport company that operated in Wales, United Kingdom

Arriva Trains Wales was a British train operating company owned by Arriva UK Trains that operated the Wales & Borders franchise. It ran urban and inter-urban passenger services to all railway stations in Wales, including Cardiff Central, Cardiff Queen Street, Newport, Swansea, Wrexham General and Holyhead, as well as to certain stations in England such as Hereford, Shrewsbury, Chester, Crewe, Manchester Piccadilly and Birmingham New Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Driving Van Trailer</span> British control car

A Driving Van Trailer (DVT) is a British purpose-built control car railway vehicle that allows the driver to operate with a locomotive in push-pull formation from the opposite end of a train. A key benefit of operating trains with DVTs is the requirement for fewer locomotives; for example, a second locomotive would otherwise have to join at the other end of the train after arrival at terminal stations to lead the train's onward journey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiltern Main Line</span> British railway line

The Chiltern Main Line is a railway line which links London (Marylebone) and Birmingham on a 112-mile (180 km) route via High Wycombe, Bicester, Banbury, Leamington Spa and Solihull in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail transport in Shropshire</span> Overview of rail transport in Shropshire, England

The English county of Shropshire has a fairly large railway network, with 19 National Rail stations on various national lines; there are also a small number of heritage and freight lines, including the famous heritage Severn Valley Railway running along its eastern border with Worcestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welsh Marches line</span> Railway line

The Welsh Marches line, known historically as the North and West Route, is the railway line running from Newport in south-east Wales to Shrewsbury in the West Midlands region of England by way of Abergavenny, Hereford and Craven Arms and thence to Crewe via Whitchurch. The line thus links the south of Wales to north-west England via the Welsh Marches region, bypassing Birmingham. Through services from south-west Wales, Swansea and Cardiff to Manchester and from Cardiff to Wrexham, Chester, the north coast of Wales and Anglesey constitute the bulk of passenger operations on the route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolverhampton–Shrewsbury line</span> Railway line serving between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury

The Wolverhampton–Shrewsbury line is the railway line from Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury via Wellington; it was originally built by the Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway. The line is double track throughout, with rarely used relief sidings at Cosford and four tracks through Wellington station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walsall railway station</span> Railway station in the West Midlands, England

Walsall railway station is the principal railway station of Walsall, West Midlands, England and situated in the heart of the town. It is operated by West Midlands Trains, with services provided by West Midlands Railway. The main entrance is situated inside the Saddlers Shopping Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrewsbury railway station</span> Grade II listed railway station in Shropshire, England

Shrewsbury railway station serves the town of Shrewsbury, in Shropshire, England. Built in 1848, it was designated a grade II listed building in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrewsbury–Chester line</span> Railway line in England and Wales

The Shrewsbury–Chester line is a railway line between Chester and Shrewsbury in England, with the line passing through Wrexham County Borough in Wales. Passenger train services are operated by Transport for Wales Rail between the northern terminus of Chester and Shrewsbury in the south as part of the Wales & Borders franchise. Some additional services, starting part way along the line to London Euston via Chester are operated by Avanti West Coast. The line was built in 1846 by the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway, with the engineer for the line being Henry Robertson, a partner in locomotive builders Beyer Peacock, while the contractor was Thomas Brassey in partnership with William Mackenzie and Robert Stephenson. The line is part of Transport for Wales' North Wales Metro improvement programme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolverhampton station</span> Railway station and tram stop in Wolverhampton, England

Wolverhampton station is a railway station in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England on the Birmingham Loop of the West Coast Main Line. It is served by Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Trains services, and was historically known as Wolverhampton High Level. It is also a West Midlands Metro tram stop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gobowen railway station</span> Railway station in Shropshire, England

Gobowen railway station is a railway station on the Shrewsbury to Chester Line of the former Great Western Railway's London Paddington to Birkenhead Woodside via Birmingham Snow Hill line, serving the village of Gobowen in Shropshire, England. It is the nearest station to the town of Oswestry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wellington railway station (Shropshire)</span> Railway station in Shropshire, England

Wellington railway station serves the town of Wellington, Shropshire, England. It is situated on the former Great Western Railway's London Paddington to Birkenhead via Birmingham Snow Hill line. Trains are operated by West Midlands Railway, and Transport for Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wrexham General railway station</span> Railway station in Wrexham, Wales

Wrexham General is the main railway station serving the city of Wrexham, north-east Wales, and one of the two serving the city, alongside Wrexham Central. It is currently operated and mostly served by Transport for Wales, with some additional services provided by Avanti West Coast to London Euston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wrexham & Shropshire</span> Former British passenger rail operator

Wrexham & Shropshire was an open access operator that provided passenger rail services in the United Kingdom. Services between Wrexham General and London Marylebone operated from April 2008 until January 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telford Central railway station</span> Railway station in Shropshire, England

Telford Central railway station serves the town of Telford, Shropshire, England. It is located on the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line 15+1⁄2 miles (24.9 km) north west of Wolverhampton and is operated by West Midlands Trains. It is situated close to the Telford Shopping Centre, the main commercial district of the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cosford railway station</span> Railway station in Shropshire, England

Cosford railway station is a railway station which serves the village of Cosford in Shropshire, England. It also serves RAF Cosford which is also home to a branch of the Royal Air Force Museum. The station is served by West Midlands Trains, who manage the station, and Transport for Wales. Between 2008 and 2011 it was also served by the direct London operator, Wrexham & Shropshire.

Renaissance Trains is a company formed in August 1997 by former British Rail managers Mike Jones and John Nelson with the purpose of promoting and investing in open access passenger and freight rail businesses in the United Kingdom, as well as promoting and investing in rail industry innovation. Mary Bonar and Peter Wilkinson are also shareholders. It is based in York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutton Park line</span> Railway line in the UK

The Sutton Park line is a freight-only railway line running from Walsall to Castle Bromwich and Water Orton in the West Midlands, England. It is an important and strategic route, as it enables most freight trains to avoid congestion at Birmingham New Street station. It gets its name as it runs through Sutton Park at Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands.

The Stafford–Shrewsbury line is a former railway line in England, which ran between Stafford in Staffordshire and Shrewsbury in Shropshire, via Newport and Wellington, from 1849 to 1966. The Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company (SUR&CC) constructed and ran one of the few railways in England ever built by a canal company. The line served Newport and Wellington stations. The SUR&CC were solely responsible for the section from Stafford to Wellington; but the building and operation of the 10.5 mile (17 km)-long Shrewsbury-to-Wellington section was shared with the Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avanti West Coast</span> British train operating company

Avanti West Coast is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup (70%) and Trenitalia (30%) that operates the West Coast Partnership.

References

  1. ↑ "Direct train from Wrexham to London Euston on the table". ITV News . 14 March 2024.
  2. ↑ Gascoigne, Emma (14 March 2024). "WSMR submits formal application to the ORR with passenger service sought from 2025". WSMR. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "New direct train service planned between Shropshire and London". BBC News . 14 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 Longhorn, Danny (14 March 2024). "Alstom plans to run new direct train services between North Wales, Shropshire, the Midlands and London". RailBusinessDaily. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Mansfield, Mark (14 March 2024). "New rail services planned between London and Wrexham". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  6. ↑ Atack, Patrick Rhys (14 March 2024). "Alstom moves towards service provision in the UK". Railway Technology. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 Stubbings, David (14 March 2024). "Five Shropshire to London trains a day proposed as new operator submits plans to regulator". www.shropshirestar.com. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  8. ↑ Avanti to yield direct Shrewsbury - London services to WSMR] Rail issue 1004 6 March 2024 pages 16/17
  9. 1 2 Topham, Gwyn; correspondent, Gwyn Topham Transport (14 March 2024). "Hollywood connection: Wrexham lines up three-hour direct rail service to London". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  10. ↑ Hughes, Owen (14 March 2024). "New train operator proposes fresh service between North Wales and London". North Wales Live. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Miles, Tony. "Plan to welcome open access back to Wrexham". Railway Gazette International . Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  12. ↑ "Train manufacturer announces ambitious plans to run 5 a day service between Wrexham and London". Deeside.com. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  13. 1 2 3 "Alstom and SLC partner for open access bid". www.modernrailways.com. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  14. ↑ Jones, Megan (1 February 2024). "'Don't forget Wellington' message to train operator hoping for new Shropshire to London service". www.shropshirestar.com. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  15. ↑ "Work under way to pave the way for the construction of new Aldridge Railway Station". www.wmca.org.uk. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  16. ↑ Robertson, Dominic (15 March 2024). "County MPs back new train service linking Shropshire to London". www.shropshirestar.com. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.