Shrewsbury to London direct rail link refused
A direct rail service between Shrewsbury and London has been refused by the Office of Rail Regulation.
Virgin Trains had applied to Network Rail and the Department of Transport to run two trains a day direct from Shrewsbury to London Euston. Network Rail rejected the bid in June but Virgin Trains appealed against the decision.
The reason given by the Office of Rail Regulation is a lack of capacity on the line to run these extra services. It also said that such services could cause a further decline in punctuality and performance of the network.
Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski said he was bitterly disappointed to learn about the refusal and the direct service would have seen a potential rise in income to the local economy enough to outweigh any projected delays to travel on the network.
The MP has written to the Chief Executive of the Office of Rail Regulation and is set to table a request for a debate in the House of Commons, calling into question the decision. He has also asked for a meeting with the Office of Rail Regulation Chief Executive and other Shropshire and Mid-Wales MPs to discuss the issue.
Virgin Trains say they are committed to a direct Shrewsbury to London service and are extremely disappointed about the outcome.
