The leader of Shrewsbury Town Council has expressed concern over the loss of Shrewsbury’s only direct rail link to London.
Councillor Peter Nutting said Shrewsbury Town Council was “deeply saddened” by the ceasing of operations by rail company Wrexham & Shropshire – which ran its last service on Friday – less than three years after it launched in the county.
The shock news that German parent company, Deutsche Bahn, was axing the service came in the same week Wrexham & Shropshire received the highest ratings in the UK for passenger satisfaction in a study by Passenger Focus.
Ninety-six per cent of its users said they were satisfied with their journey to or from the capital. Rail bosses have blamed falling passenger numbers for the decision and said last year alone the service made a loss of £2.8 million. They said despite an investigation into “all possible alternatives” there was “no prospect” of the company being profitable and making a return for investors.
The news has devastated local business leaders who fear losing the link to the capital will have a negative impact on tourism and leisure.
Councillor Nutting said: “Having a direct rail link to the capital has directly benefitted the county’s tourism sector and, in turn, boosted the local economy. The closure of this service worries the Town Council considerably and members are deeply saddened to lose this connection to the south, particularly as the operator offered second-to-none customer service and competitive fares.
“The Town Council has been a long-standing supporter of the rail link and when members or officers needed to travel to the capital they would go via the Wrexham & Shropshire service whenever possible. We support the calls for action to reinstate this link as soon as possible.”
For further information contact Suzi Wilkinson, Marketing & Promotions Officer on: 01743 257654 or email suzi.wilkinson-stc@shropshire.gov.uk