Revamp on the agenda as Minister visits Shrewsbury Railway Station

A Welsh Government Minister has raised the prospect of major improvements to the historic Grade II listed Shrewsbury Railway Station, prompting a Shropshire MP to say “this is great news for the town – and for the county as a whole.”

“I was so delighted to be able to persuade an influential Minister to meet myself and representatives from other organisations with an interest in the station this week,” said Julia Buckley, MP for Shrewsbury and the founder of the Shrewsbury Transport Integration Group.

Ken Skates, the Welsh government’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, was in Shrewsbury to meet a delegation of interested parties for a tour of the station’s buildings and platforms and to discuss potential developments.

Wide-ranging discussions during the visit focused on plans to greatly increase car parking capacity that’s walking distance from the station and double the number of rail passengers.

“It’s always a real pleasure to visit Shrewsbury Railway Station with its beautiful neo-gothic architecture,” said Mr Skates.

“And this visit provided a great opportunity to chat with the town’s MP Julia Buckley and other interested parties, discussing the fantastic potential of this station.

“We have a shared vision for better access to the station, exciting opportunities to improve and make better use of parts of the station, helping it to thrive in the years ahead.”

Julia Buckley MP said: “It was so good to welcome the Minister to Shrewsbury and to have a guided tour of the station buildings by Station Manager Shelley Lloyd. It was clear from the outset that Ken loves this station and wants it to continue to do well.

“This is great news for the town – and for the county as a whole, as these kind of improvements will make rail travel all the more attractive for businesses and for the public.

“The Welsh government has a strategic interest in Shrewsbury Railway Station, seeing it as a key gateway for the Wales and Borders network, providing vital cross-border connectivity.

Mrs Buckley added: “Ken and I agree that improvements to access to the station would definitely help in so many way, not least of all in relieving the terrible traffic congestion around Castle Foregate. And we have lots of other exciting ideas we’d like to see developed including better on-station facilities.

“It was also good to be joined by Tim Pritchard, Business Growth and Investment Manager at Shropshire Council; Paul Butters, Director of Stakeholder Engagement & Communications for Midlands Connect, and Robert Robinson of the Cambrian Line Rail Committee. We all want to see this station continue to thrive.

“In addition to discussing plans around this station, the minister and I also talked about the proposed new Shrewsbury Parkway station that would be situated on the outskirts of the town. This would be another big boost for Shrewsbury’s connectivity and future growth.”