Shropshire to Birmingham fast train plan submitted

The business case predicts the work will generate an extra £1m in ticket sales

Plans to improve speeds on the Shropshire-to-Birmingham line have been submitted to the Department for Transport.

Midlands Connect, a partnership of councils and enterprise partnerships in the region, said it would improve ticket sales and help businesses.

The proposals involve straightening sections of track, alterations to the path and improvements to signalling.

If the plans are approved, work could begin in 2025.

Midlands Connect said the changes would allow trains to run at up to 90mph (145km/h) instead of 70mph (113km/h).

Speeds are currently limited because of bends in the track, and it said "some very minor realignment", within the track boundaries, would allow greater speeds.

Midlands Connect also predicted an extra £1m in ticket sales, with more people expected to choose to travel by train, and as a result reduced congestion on the roads and improvements to air quality.

In all, the organisation estimated the work would deliver about £23m of economic benefits.

Midlands Connect said it would continue to campaign for the electrification of the line

In its submission, Midlands Connect said the population of Shropshire was expected to grow by up to 12% by 2031, and that new jobs in Telford could increase by 22% in that time.

It also calculated that 337 jobs would be safeguarded and a further 81 skilled jobs would be created as a result of the work.

In the longer-term, it said it would continue to campaign for the electrification of the line and for hourly, direct trains to London.