Latest news with #OfficeforRoadandRail
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Business
- Wales Online
New North Wales to London train service has been rejected
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info 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
North Wales Live
2 days ago
- Business
- North Wales Live
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.'
Leader Live
2 days ago
- Business
- Leader Live
Plans for direct Wrexham to London rail service rejected
The Office for Road and Rail has turned down Shropshire & Midlands Railway Company Limited's bid to create a new open access service from Wrexham to Euston. The regulator ruled that there is not enough capacity on the West Coast Main Line southern section for the introduction of any of the proposed services. The Shropshire service was one of three services that were rejected on the grounds of capacity, along with others run by Virgin from Manchester to London, and Lumo NW between Rochdale and the 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. 'We recognise the potential advantages of competition on the West Coast Main Line, which is why we approved in 2024 the new London-Stirling services that First Group are due to start operating in 2026. TRANSPORT NEWS: "However, it is clear that the southern end of the route requires space in the timetable to provide resilience. "Additional services within the current timetable structure and planned capacity use would further weaken punctuality and reliability, not just at the south end of the WCML but elsewhere as well.' The ORR stressed that the decision was not based on finances. The Shropshire service would be 'open access', meaning it would operate on a commercial basis without government subsidy, and would include stops at Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Telford, Wolverhampton, Darlaston, Walsall, Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton and Milton Keynes. A spokesperson for Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway said: 'We are extremely disappointed with the Office of Rail and Road's decision to reject our application – the only current application to receive support from the Department for Transport. "We have spent the past two years demonstrating that capacity and performance concerns can and would be negated by the industry working together to deliver a better railway for passengers. WSMR would have set new standards for how open access operators can and should work alongside nationalised rail services. 'Since our application was submitted in March 2024, we have received overwhelming support from local people, businesses, councillors and MPs, who all recognise the urgent need for this connectivity. We will now urgently seek to reengage with the ORR and determine our next steps regarding the future of this vital passenger service.'
