SLC Rail and Alstom are proposing a new rail route between Wrexham and London. Let’s dive in… as there are some things we need to think about.
Wrexham General railway station (Credit – El Pollock) Image, Alstom
The new operator will be known as the Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR). It will provide direct connectivity to and from North Wales, Shropshire, the Midlands and London.
WSMR will offer passengers in Wrexham, Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Walsall and Coleshill a direct link with the capital, alongside Darlaston once its new station opens.
Meanwhile, journey times between Shrewsbury and Walsall will be dramatically reduced from the current alternative.
The planned route
The proposal envisages 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 (Bypassing Birmingham New Street), Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton (where it will join the West Coast Main Line) and Milton Keynes on their journey between Wrexham General and London Euston.
Here’s a map of the planned route
WSMR Planned Route, Image WSMR
In the West Midlands, WSMR trains will avoid Birmingham (and New Street station) by utilising the Sutton Park line, which is currently only used for freight services. This would enable Wolverhampton and Walsall to serve Nuneaton directly for the first time, offering new travel options across the West Midlands, North Warwickshire and beyond.
It is anticipated that WSMR services could begin as early as 2025, subject to paths and approvals.
WSMR estimates it would serve a core catchment area of around 1.5 million people outside London, a population which is set to grow by 16 per cent over the next decade.
Fleet
Currently, details about the fleet remain unannounced, although we can make some safe assumptions – given the rolling stock market availability and that the route will require either a bi-mode train (electric and diesel) or a diesel-powered train – given the route between Wrexham and Wolverhampton is unelectrified, as well as the Sutton Lines and stations to Nuneaton.
Given the only fleet that has capacity being released over the next year will be the Class 221 Super Voyager fleet and the Class 222 Meridians (provided that Hitachi manufactures and deploys the replacement trains) will probably be the preferred choice.
Of course, they could surprise us and use a Class 68 locomotive and the Mark V rolling stock that was displaced from Transpennine Express.
In Quotes
Ian Walters, Managing Director at Midlands-based SLC Rail.
“From the Welsh borders to the Midlands, our routes will forge new connections, linking overlooked regions of England and Wales with direct services to and from London. Passengers will benefit from more competitive fares and new technology to simplify ticket purchasing for our new services. Delighting the customer will be at the forefront of what we do; we want WSMR passengers to experience a new excellence in customer service onboard our intercity trains,”
He added:
“Our proposal will support sustainable housing growth, nurture communities, and unite business, leisure, and commerce along the corridor. This will enhance economies and bring a positive impact to both communities and the environment – and we can’t wait to get started!”
Nick Crossfield, Managing Director UK and Ireland at Alstom said
“As the country’s leading supplier of rolling stock and train services, it makes perfect sense that we now move into operating our own fleet to serve passengers directly. Having been part of the fabric of UK rail for two centuries, we’re excited to enter this new era as an open access operator,”
He added:
“Alstom is also committed to embedding sustainability into every element of our organisation, and WSMR will help drive a modal shift from road to rail by offering a greener alternative for travellers across England and Wales.”
Huw Merriman, Rail Minister said
“These exciting proposals could see better connections for communities across North Wales and the Midlands, including direct services to London from Shrewsbury, Telford and Wrexham,”
He added: “Competition delivers choice for passengers and drives up standards, which is why we continue to work with industry to help make the most of open access rail.”
Sarah Atherton, MP for Wrexham said:
“I am excited that plans are progressing to deliver rail services that will improve Wrexham’s connectivity to the Midlands and London. Wrexham deserves better than the current rail options from Transport for Wales and Avanti. These services would mean choice for customers and a boost for our city’s economy – more investment, tourists, and jobs.
“As one of the UK’s newest ‘Investment Zones’, bolstering connectivity both to and from Wrexham will enable our city to take full advantage of the many opportunities that lie ahead, and these plans will undoubtedly help in facilitating that. I am pleased to be working with Wrexham, Shropshire, and Midlands Railway and partners to make this happen.”
Next Steps for WSMR
WMSR has submitted its proposal to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) for its open-access operation. As it will be an an open access operation, it will have no recourse to government funds for rail, nor will receive any subsidy from the Tresurary (compared to the franchised rail operator).
From there, the ORR will need to analyse with Network Rail, as well as take in inputs from incumbents (Transport for Wales, West Midlands Trains and Avanti West Coast), as well as understand the revenue abstraction numbers.
Because they love numbers.
Wait. Haven’t we been here before?
We have. Wrexham and Shropshire Railway had existed in the past, with it being an Open Access operator. It was operated by Arriva Group (DB Regio).
The service in the past operated via the Chiltern lines, stopping at Wrexham General services ran via Ruabon, Chirk, Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Wellington, Telford Central, Cosford and Wolverhampton to Tame Bridge Parkway. From here services would proceed to Banbury and London Marylebone.
This used locomotive-hauled rolling stock (A Class 67 Locomotive with, Mark 3 carriages for passengers and a Driving Van Trailer so that the locomotive did not need to be ran-around).
Wrexham and Shropshire operated the route between April 2008 and January 2011, upon which it was deemed that the route would never make any money, and thus shuttered.
We’ll see
As this is very much a proposal, rather than a guarantee that WSMR will operate services, we’ll have to see what the Office of Road and Rail decides, along with the input from existing operators who will no doubt enjoy additional completion on the route, now that Grand Union Trains has got the green light to operate.
Suffice it to say there’s one thing that bugs me about this – and it’s going via the West Coast Main Line – which is one of the busiest railways in the country – especially south of Rugby.
This leads me to one important question – are there enough paths for WSMR to operate services that are commercially viable?
We’ll have to see.
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