Written question WQ96842
- Asked by
- Sam RowlandsConservative
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 7 days
Question
What discussions is the Welsh Government having with the Office of Rail and Road and the UK Government regarding the rejection of Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway's proposed Wrexham to London rail service?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
I am disappointed by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) taking the decision to reject the application from Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway (WSMR) for their proposed service between Wrexham and London. However, I do recognise that ORR needs to balance available capacity and route performance alongside considering exciting proposals such as those from WSMR. Transport for Wales (TfW) responded to the consultation from the ORR regarding the proposed service and I have placed on record my support for the connectivity the new services would deliver. I have asked WSMR to work closely with TfW to ensure their proposal fully integrates with our plans for Network North Wales. It is clear from the ORR rejection letter that they believe that there is insufficient capacity on the West Coast Main Line to support further services on this line, noting that Network Rail have formally declared part of the route as congested infrastructure and therefore they believe the line requires some significant intervention and upgrade to enable further services. I continue to support WSMR’s efforts to develop their exciting proposal, and I will continue to engage with them on this.