Poor rail connections are a big missed opportunity, says Shrewsbury MP

And while calling for improved rail services to London and other cities around the country, she also sang the praises of the town she represents.

“I addressed the House of Commons this week on the need for direct rail connections between our great cities and our rural towns – but also just for better connectivity generally.

“The thrust of my message was – and is – that I represent the lovely constituency of Shrewsbury, county town of Shropshire, home to some 70,000 residents and many thriving businesses, but we still need better connections with our cities.

“Shrewsbury, with its multi-award-winning market, 600 listed buildings, historic streets, picturesque castle and riverboat cruises, has so much going for it.

“Indeed, once again Shrewsbury has just been named as one of Britain’s best places to live, according to the Sunday Times in its annual guide. But we really do need better rail connectivity to make the most of our town and our county.”

Mrs Buckley told the House of Commons: “Judges have praised our ‘period-drama backdrop’, our fabulous range of eateries and our cool suburbs.

“The Sunday Times says ‘the award-winning market is surely one of the most inspiring places to shop in the whole country, and the town centre has enough quirky delis, bakeries, bars and cafes to keep you in top notch flat whites and espresso martinis every day of the week’.”

She added: “A recent report on our visitor economy shows that Shropshire’s tourism sector is now worth over a billion pounds, supporting nearly 10,000 jobs across the county.

“Transport for Wales recognises us as a net contributor into the Welsh network, because we offer such fantastic employment, training and leisure opportunities to travellers.

“The Shropshire Chamber of Commerce’s quarterly business survey consistently reports the need for additional rail services and how much economic growth this would unlock.

“To fill the gap in existing services, there is a current bid for an Open Access operation from the Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (from Alstom UK) to offer up to four trains daily based on their economic modelling of the latent demand at Shrewsbury and to join a total of six rural towns – currently under-served like mine – with new connections to our capital.”

The MP told colleagues: “Our local transport partners, Transport for Wales and Network Rail have both committed their resources to a fresh Masterplan for Shrewsbury station that can explore the investment needed to unlock the greater capacity and support such a service. The potential could be enormous.”

She said: “This poor connectivity we have at the moment is a big missed opportunity. However, at the end of the debate this week I was heartened to hear from Transport Minister Keir Mather an assurance that there will be improvements for the railway in our constituency in the near future.

“It’s a start but there is still much work to do.”