Wrexham and Shropshire - Slowly Does It
Following on from my earlier post on the launch of the Wrexham and Shropshire Railway Company, Wrexham to London, 41 years late, Rail Professional Magazine has an article in it's June edition by Peter Pilsner on a 'hesistant start' to the rail service.
As I noted in my previous post, it is the first direct service to London from Wrexham since 1967 with Shrewsbury and Telford reconnected after losing their connection since 2001. Pilsner notes that Virgin and Network Rail failed to make enough money to continue the service previously so questions are already being asked about the future of the service which takes 4 hours from Wrexham to London and patronage levels.
Initial setbacks have affected the service so far with the first train breaking down in Wellington and therefore being delayed into London and the loan of old British Rail stock while it's own trains are refurbished together with the limted 5 trains per day service.
The service, however, offers an alternative to the residents of the West Midlands in a direct service stopping at Tame Bridge Parkway. This link was lost 40 years ago and it's reinstatement follows West Coast Trains objection to the service picking up passengers at Wolverhampton. The stop at Tame Bridge Parkway should save the residents of Walsall needing to travel to Birmingham or Wolverhampton to get direct services to London and with planned improvements to the Chiltern Line in the future a speedier journey.
As I noted in my previous post, it is the first direct service to London from Wrexham since 1967 with Shrewsbury and Telford reconnected after losing their connection since 2001. Pilsner notes that Virgin and Network Rail failed to make enough money to continue the service previously so questions are already being asked about the future of the service which takes 4 hours from Wrexham to London and patronage levels.
Initial setbacks have affected the service so far with the first train breaking down in Wellington and therefore being delayed into London and the loan of old British Rail stock while it's own trains are refurbished together with the limted 5 trains per day service.
The service, however, offers an alternative to the residents of the West Midlands in a direct service stopping at Tame Bridge Parkway. This link was lost 40 years ago and it's reinstatement follows West Coast Trains objection to the service picking up passengers at Wolverhampton. The stop at Tame Bridge Parkway should save the residents of Walsall needing to travel to Birmingham or Wolverhampton to get direct services to London and with planned improvements to the Chiltern Line in the future a speedier journey.
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