Fresh bid revives plans for new West Midlands to London rail link - see list of stops

Five months after its original bid was turned down, plans for a new rail link to London are back on the table, this time with extra station stops included. Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway has submitted a new application for an open-access service running between Wrexham and London Euston.

The Office of Rail and Road had rejected the first proposal in July.

The revised bid makes use of capacity recently freed up on the Liverpool to London route.

WSMR now wants to operate four trains each way per day, one fewer than before, and is seeking a contract of at least seven years.

The route would call at key stations including Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Telford, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton and Milton Keynes. The operator says it could also add Willenhall and Darlaston once those new stations begin operating.

A further addition is a stop at Wellington in Telford, included in the refreshed plan. The first train under the proposal would leave Wrexham at 6.05am and arrive at London Euston at 9.32am.

A spokesperson for WSMR said: "Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway is committed to delivering the connectivity that communities across Wales and England need and deserve. Our resubmitted application reflects stakeholder feedback and shows how we have listened to MPs and regional partners who encouraged us to reapply.

“This application differs from our previous submission, which includes us requesting fewer train paths and adding a stop at Wellington, improving connectivity for people in Shropshire. By making better use of available capacity, including unused released paths, we aim to strengthen regional links and support economic growth.

“WSMR’s new open access service will offer faster, more convenient travel options for passengers in Wrexham, Shrewsbury, Wellington, Telford, Walsall and beyond, improving access to jobs, education and leisure opportunities. We remain committed to introducing this service and delivering benefits for communities along the route."

The ORR rejected the earlier bid, arguing the proposed service would harm performance on the West Coast Main Line.

Network Rail also objected, raising concerns about timetable pressure, crowded infrastructure, existing passenger patterns and the extra traffic the service would generate.