Council leader backs bid for London rail service

Lezley Picton said Shropshire could "benefit enormously" from the new service

The leader of Shropshire Council has written to the transport secretary calling for the county's direct rail link to London to be reinstated.

Lezley Picton told Mark Harper the decision by Avanti West Coast to withdraw its daily service to the English capital was "met with great disappointment by businesses and residents across Shropshire".

In her correspondence, Ms Picton, Conservative, supported a bid by Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR), backed by French firm Alstom, to operate a new five-a-day rail service from Wrexham to London Euston via her county.

Avanti said its service linking Shrewsbury and Telford to London would end in June due to "very low" passenger numbers.

The current service, which ends in June, leaves Shrewsbury once a day

Between 40 and 60 passengers a day use the current direct service, which has been running since 2014.

It consists of only one train a day in each direction. It leaves Shrewsbury at 07:04 BST and returns at 18:16, also calling at Telford Central and Wellington.

Writing to the transport secretary on behalf of the Shropshire Economic Partnership, she said they were "delighted" WSMR had put forward plans last year to introduce a new service between Wrexham and Euston, adding Shropshire would "benefit enormously from this new ‘open access’ train operator if it is successful in its application to the Office of Rail and Road".

“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," she wrote.

She also confirmed the local authority was in discussion with operators regarding a new railway station in the east of Shrewsbury.

WSMR submitted an application to Office of Rail and Road in March and hopes to begin services in 2025.

WSMR, a new venture backed by Alstom and rail consultancy firm SLC Rail, has said if approved, the service could create up to 50 new jobs.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, X, and Instagram, Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]