Direct rail service to London to end

The Department for Transport said the daily service was used by only a "very low number" of passengers

Direct rail services between Shropshire and London are to end in June.

The Department for Transport (DfT) blamed poor passenger numbers for the decision.

The service, operated by Avanti West Coast, was relaunched by the previous operator Virgin in 2014.

An alternative operator, WSMR, is in the process of applying for permission to run a similar service.

Between 40 and 60 passengers a day use the direct service, which currently consists of only one train a day in each direction.

It leaves Shrewsbury at 07:04 GMT and returns at 18:16, also calling at Telford Central and Wellington.

Transport bosses said services on both legs of the journey - to Birmingham and on to London - would increase.

A DfT spokesperson said: "While Avanti will be withdrawing this service due to the very low number of passengers who use it, West Midlands Trains has plans to ramp up the number of trains between Shropshire towns and Birmingham.

"Avanti is looking to increase fast services between Birmingham and London. This will bring greater benefits to more passengers in the West Midlands."

The move was criticised by Telford & Wrekin Council, home to two of the stations on the route.

Lee Carter, the councillor in charge of economic development, said it flew in the face of government levelling-up policies.

"We know how important direct services are to improving the Shrewsbury to Wellington rail line and the economic benefits this could give. However it undermines any future rail investment," he added.

Chequered history

The history of direct trains between Shropshire and London is distinctly stop-start.

Avanti and its predecessor on the West Coast Main Line, Virgin, have both introduced, reduced and withdrawn services over the years.

The continuation of the service has been the subject of intense lobbying by MPs, local authorities and business leaders.

Open-access operator Wrexham, Shropshire & Marylebone Railway operated its own route independent of the national franchising system between 2008 and 2011.

A new company, also with the initials WSMR but independent of the former operator, is applying to run a new service.

It would serve stations from Wrexham, including Gobowen, Shrewsbury and Telford, before passing through the West Midlands en-route to Euston.

However, it would bypass Birmingham, with trains passing directly from Wolverhampton to Coleshill Parkway and Nuneaton.

The route is subject to approval by the Office for Rail Regulation, but ministers have expressed their support in principle.