New North Wales to London train service has been rejected
A proposal for new train services between North Wales and London has been rejected by the rail regulator. Train and rail infrastructure supplier Alstom wanted to run its own rail service in the UK for the first time.
Working in partnership with consultancy SLC Rail they proposed the Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR). This would have seen a service between Wrexham and London Euston of five trains per day in each direction Monday to Saturday, with four travelling both ways on Sundays.
The service received political backing from MPs in the areas of the route as well as local rail passenger groups and would have created 50 jobs, with the first trains departing this summer.
But those in the industry had objected on grounds of capacity, failure to account for paths allocated to other operators, impact on operational performance, rolling stock availability, and commercial risk and revenue implications.
The Office for Road and Rail, the independent economic and safety regulator for Britain's railways, has now rejected the proposal - citing a lack of capacity.
They said: "WSMR is of the view that there are nine 'unused' paths available on WCML(West Coast Mainline) South. We do not consider that these paths are 'unused' per se – while they are unoccupied in the timetable, they act as a buffer to a deterioration in performance, and it would not be possible to occupy these without worsening performance for all WCML users."
It was one of three applications being considered with others from Virgin for services between Manchester and London, and Lumo NW for services between Rochdale and the English capital.
Stephanie Tobyn, ORR's director of strategy, policy and reform, said: "After thorough assessment of each application, it was clear that there was insufficient capacity to approve any of the services without a serious negative impact on the level of train performance that passengers experience on the West Coast Main Line."
Sam Rowlands, Conservative Senedd member for North Wales, said: 'I am really disappointed to hear that plans for a three hour rail journey from Wrexham to London have been turned down. As the city continues to attract visitors from far and wide it really was essential that this sort of public transport is available.
'With the new Labour Government failing to commit to the last Conservative Government's planned investment in the North Wales mainline it was absolutely vital that everything possible is done to improve rail services for the people in my region.
'Not only would it have been great for residents but it was also be another way of encouraging visitors to visit Wrexham and the rest of North Wales.' Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘Wonderfully unspoilt' seaside town in Devon is one of the UK's best hidden spots
Plus, the hidden English beach that's the 'most beautiful place in the world' to close until next year SAND-SATIONAL 'Wonderfully unspoilt' seaside town in Devon is one of the UK's best hidden spots Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NESTLED in Devon is one of the UK's best hidden gems that is home to a Jurassic coastline, quaint seaside villages and pretty beaches. Budleigh Salterton is a "wonderfully unspoilt" seaside town in Devon, according to Sweetcombe Cottage Holidays. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Budleigh Salterton is a "wonderfully unspoilt" seaside town in Devon Credit: Alamy 4 It features a long-stretching clean beach and is about 20-minutes from Sidmouth Credit: Alamy Located just 20-minutes from Sidmouth, Budleigh Salterton is home to a huge beach and has fewer crowds than its popular neighbour. Just 7,000 people live in the seaside town. One person said in a Tripadvisor review: "Great scenery, friendly community, always clean, and great for the family." Another added that it is "wonderfully unspoilt". Alex Gwillim, a local expert from Sweetcombe Cottage Holidays said: "People often miss out on a visit to Budleigh Salterton because it is nestled between more popular destinations like Exmouth and Sidmouth which draw big crowds on a nice day. "Budleigh Salterton is a real hidden gem, boasting a beautiful pebble beach that stretches over two miles, the iconic red sandstone cliffs of the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic coast, and a small town filled with unique local businesses to explore." There are plenty of things to do in the town including watersports such as paddle-boarding and kayaking, and there is a number of beach walks with local tea rooms and cafes. And as usual with quaint seaside towns - there is a great range of independent shops too. "Budleigh Salterton is also the perfect spot for nature lovers. Head along the beach towards the Otter Estuary Nature Reserve, a popular spot for bird watching," added Alex. "There are also easy walking trails with fantastic views of the Triassic sandstone cliffs and their fascinating geology." The perfect Haven holiday park for a kid-friendly break - with direct beach access, indoor waterpark and neighbouring seaside theme park In fact, the whole region is bursting with wildlife including beavers - which were once extinct but thanks to a reintroduction programme, they are now thriving around the town. As for places to stay, there are also a good amount of options. "[Because the town isn't too big, everything is easily accessible, and the beach is right on your doorstep," she continued. What makes the destination even better is that Budleigh Salterton's beach is one of the top 10 beaches in the South West, according to The Times and Sunday Times. The waters have been rated as 'excellent' in the Bathing Water Classifications 2024 - so it is a great spot if you want to take a dip. 4 There are plenty of things to do in the town including water sports such as paddle-boarding and kayaking or beach walks with local tea rooms and cafes Credit: Alamy And if you are worried about the beach being busy - it stretches 2.5miles long, so you are bound to find a spot. If you happen to be in the town during March or September, you can also attend the Budleigh Salterton Literature Festival which is one of the UK's best loved literary events, according to Visit Devon. The town also has an interesting history with connections to Sir Walter Raleigh - who was born nearby - and the region's salt-panning industry contributing the name 'Salterton'. Devon is also home to a Victorian English seaside town with no arcades or loud rides that has one of the UK's best beaches and it is loved by celebs. Plus, the hidden English beach that's the 'most beautiful place in the world' to close until next year.
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
What was Mary, Queen of Scots' life really like in her English prison?
In hindsight, Mary's fate was sealed by her flight to England, after defeat by her enemies at the Battle of Langside in May, 1568. Expecting her cousin Elizabeth I to help her quell the Scottish rebels and regain her throne was a calamitous misjudgement since Mary had a strong claim to the English throne and her presence in England posed a deadly threat to Elizabeth and the realm. Nor was she in any way meek. Sir Francis Knollys, her custodian at Carlisle Castle, early in her captivity, described her as showing 'A great desire to be avenged of her enemies… The thing she most thirsteth after is victory.' Read More: Perhaps because what followed was in some respects inevitable, many historians have galloped through the period when she was held in captivity as if it holds little interest. Yet Mary's almost 19 perilous and eventful years as a prisoner were anything but a footnote. Between her arrival in England in 1568 and her execution in 1587, she lived in an almost perpetual state of agitation and dread, with an ongoing series of intrigues and dramas – including armed rebellions and daring plans for escape – keeping hopes alive that she might regain her liberty. There was even the possibility of her being restored to her throne with Elizabeth's blessing. As with my previous book Homecoming: The Scottish Years of Mary, Queen of Scots, Exile is told through the locations where Mary lived and history unfolded. Approaching it in this way offers an extra dimension to our understanding of what she experienced. It is one thing to know that after arriving in England she was constantly shuttled between residences, quite another to visit these buildings and stand where she stood. To gaze over the same countryside or streets as she once did is to share something of her experience, to find the connection between her age and ours. Exile: The Captive Years of Mary Queen of Scots (Image: Rosemary Goring) At times this is largely an exercise of the imagination, as at Chartley or Fotheringhay, where so few traces remain. At others, though, such as Bolton Castle in Yorkshire or St Mary's Guildhall in Coventry, the 16th century and its Machiavellian politics can almost be tasted in the air. Finding a fresh angle from which to view Mary's downfall is reason enough to revisit her life. So too is groundbreaking research. In the case of Mary, the announcement in 2023 by a team of international cryptographers that they had discovered a cache of ciphered letters written during the years 1578-1584 has reignited interest. These furtive missives shed further light on the queen's diplomatic manoeuvring and reveal the issues that consumed her in captivity. The day-to-day detail of Mary's imprisonment, as shown in these letters and in other sources, is enthralling. We see the nature of her friendships and alliances within her entourage, among her far-flung supporters and, most vividly, with her captors, especially the melancholy Earl of Shrewsbury and his shrewd, opportunistic wife, Bess of Hardwick. Equally fascinating is the gradual change in Mary herself. Suffering chronic ill health, she subtly changed from the headstrong, vivacious, open-hearted young woman who rode at the head of her army and danced the night away at the Palace of Holyrood into a far more cunning and calculating individual. Prematurely aged, she lost her youthful beauty and grace. In their place she gained a richness of personality, growing more thoughtful, pious and formidable. Exile traces these shifts in character as her focus narrowed to self-preservation and she learned to place her faith in God alone. Although this part of her tale is cloistered compared with the adventurous activity of her life in Scotland – more Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy than The Three Musketeers – it is even more compelling. The thread that runs through Mary's prison years is her duel with Elizabeth. Each was devoured by suspicion of the other, creating an atmosphere in which deception flourished. The machinations of Elizabeth's spymaster, Francis Walsingham, saw the English state conduct a campaign of undercover espionage unrivalled until the Cold War. With the full force of the English secret state acting against her, what chance did Mary have? For her part, Mary revelled in the chance to contact her supporters covertly by means of coded letters, and was happy to use anyone, be it a laundry maid or a biddable aristocrat, to convey her messages to the outside world. Beneath the dramas and the diplomatic jousting that enliven these years runs a constant undercurrent of secrecy and treachery. No matter in which of the grim fortresses or grand houses she was confined, Mary spent much of her time at her desk writing, petitioning, demanding. Countless candles were burned as she wrote into the early hours, the flickering light in her chamber visible evidence of her unquenchable spirit. Some of these letters are bread and butter, but many bring her into the room with us. On her forty-second birthday, 8 December 1584, Mary wrote to Elizabeth: 'may god give you as many happy years as I have had of sorrow these last 20 years!' To the last, she retained her wit and her dignity. Is it any wonder, then, that she has beguiled every generation since? Whether viewed as a woman unequal to the demands of the throne or as a ruler crushed by forces beyond her control, she remains a compelling figure whose tragedy has fired the imagination of novelists, poets, songwriters the world over. Even Bob Dylan is said to have written about her in 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue', supposedly a reference to the sky-blue stockings she wore on the scaffold. I can't see it in the lyrics, but the musician Richard Thompson makes a persuasive case that this is Dylan's homage, relocating events to Greenwich Village. If nothing else, 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue' would make a good title for the last chapter of Mary's life. Exile: The Captive Years of Mary, Queen of Scots, is published by Birlinn.
North Wales Live
5 hours ago
- North Wales Live
Millionaire's Row home with tunnel under road to private beach
An incredible home with a remarkable back story and its own underground tunnel to the beach has been put up for sale. St Petrocks is reputed to be the first house built on the south west side of the Great Orme in Llandudno. It sits on Marine Drive - known as Millionaire's Row - and has some amazing unique features. For starters there is the underground tunnel that links the property to its own private beach on the other side of Marine Drive. Many locals and visitors will have also seen the property's summer house overlooking the sea. It is in need of renovation but offers massive potential for a buyer. Estate agent Coast and Marina Properties said: "It is an architectural treasure offering uninterrupted panoramic views, a rich historic narrative, and the rarest of features, private beach access through your own underground tunnel - a magical feature few homes could ever claim at the end of which, is a beach house with electricity, requiring structural restoration but could become a fabulous guest house, studio or rental income opportunity (STP)." On its history, they added: "Built in 1897 for eminent surgeon Lawson Tait, the site had prehistoric associations and was known as Gogarth's Cave. The history books tell us the cave was occupied by a family for 37 years who reared 15 children until they were evicted in 1877 to make way to quarry the stone needed for a new road around the Orme, now known as Marine Drive." On its potential, they added: "From the moment you enter, this house stirs emotion. Original detailing throughout - high ceilings, panelled doors, decorative cornicing and feature turned staircase create a sense of permanence and grandeur. "The 1930s bathroom is a rare showpiece: a fully tiled turquoise retreat evoking vintage glamour. St Petrocks holds scope for careful enhancement preserving its glorious era while introducing contemporary touches. "Think boutique coastal retreat or even a unique B&B, the possibilities are endless! The gardens are a coastal dream and although now in need of love and attention, the terraces were designed to capture the sun and sea air with lawns ideal for relaxing and enjoying the serene location. "It has been a much loved home and has been in the current family since 1967. It is in good structural and decorative repair. "It has mains gas with central heating in the principal rooms. The property was rewired in 2002 and is also alarmed. "This isn't simply a home. It's an heirloom waiting to be revived. A haven by the sea, a home waiting for a new owner to begin their new chapter together." The five bedroom house is on for £1.2m with an open view on July 12 - 11am to 2pm. Join the North Wales Live
