Return of Wrexham to London Trains “a real possibility” – with a possible 50 jobs created

A three hour journey from Wrexham to London is “a step closer today” following a very positive meeting between Wrexham Council and the Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway Company Ltd who are proposing an Open Access Service that can get you to the heart of London in three hours.

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark Pritchard and Deputy Leader, Cllr David A Bithell both attended and heard proposals for the service which have been submitted to the Office of Rail and Road’s Chief Executive, John Larkinson.

Following the meeting a letter from Cllr David A Bithell, Deputy Leader with responsibility for strategic transport, in full support of the plans has been sent to the ORR Chief Executive David Larkinson. The letter outlined that since the last open access service operated in Wrexham the services offered were not fit for purpose with poor reliability, frequent cancellations and a substandard level of services to passengers.

The letter encourages the ORR to endorse the proposals as soon as practical allowing residents and visitors to Wrexham and the wider North Wales region a genuine public transport offer that will meet current demands and ambitions.

Cllr David A Bithell, said, “I am in full support of the application by WSMR which will see regular timetabled journeys from Wrexham to London Euston.

“The current service is inadequate and given the national and international interest in Wrexham a sustainable and reliable service is essential. I hope the Office of Rail and Road look very favourably on the application.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark Pritchard, who attended a recent meeting endorses the application and said, “Residents and visitors to Wrexham deserve a high quality rail service that will serve not only Wrexham but the wider North Wales area.

“I would like to thank WSMR for their valuable time in updating us on their proposals and fully endorse their plans for the future.”

If successful the new service will create 50 jobs and the first trains should depart in summer 2025.

The proposal is for a service of five trains per day in each direction Monday to Saturday, with four travelling both ways on Sundays.

Trains will stop at Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Telford Central, Wolverhampton, Darlaston, Walsall, Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton and Milton Keynes on their journey between Wrexham General and London Euston.

Darren Horley, WSMR Mobilisation Director at Alstom said, “We are delighted to receive further backing from Wrexham Council for our proposed railway service between North Wales and London. Our proposal is designed to not only reduce travel time between Wrexham and the English captial, but also to significantly enhance the passenger experience with a reliable and high-quality service.

“This project also represents a major investment in the connectivity between North Wales and England. We are excited about the positive impact it will have on the economy along the line of route and look forward to playing our part in helping Wrexham prosper even further.

“We are grateful for the strong support from local Council leaders – including Cllrs Mark Pritchard and David A Bithell – and are committed to making this vision a reality from next year.”

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