Businesses urged to have their say on Shrewsbury - Birmingham rail route

Midlands Connect has today launched an online business survey and urging firms to ‘make their voices heard’ as it explores options to improve rail service between Shrewsbury, the Black Country and Birmingham.

The survey builds on work released last year in Midlands Connect’s Rails to Recovery report, which also found that electrifying the route through Telford and the Black Country and extending London services to Shrewsbury could create up to £500 million of benefits for businesses and residents by making the trains hourly to London from Shrewsbury.

Improvements to the Shrewsbury-Black County-Birmingham rail line we hope could make it easier for your staff to commute, help your company grow and give you better access to the nation’s capital through a new direct train link.

Midlands Connect is urging local businesses throughout the route to complete a short survey, which will support our future strategy along this route.

Commenting on the survey’s release, Midlands Connect Senior Rail Programme Manager Tawhida Yaacoub said:

“We are calling on employers and businesses in Shropshire, the Black Country and Birmingham to get involved in our online consultation to make their voices heard. We want to know what the impact could be on them if we improve the rail route and specifically, if it could lead to more jobs and growth in the local economy.

“The data given to us by local firms will be weaved into the business cases we are submitting to government to help make the case for investment in this regionally critical rail route.”

This survey will close on Monday 5 September 2022, with results to be announced soon after.

Midlands Connect also plan to submit a business case to government in the coming weeks for improvements on the line.