A fresh set of train lines are set to transform travel from London to the Midlands and North Wales under new proposals by private rail operator Alstom.
The new plans will see services go from London Euston to the Welsh city of Wrexham five times per day.
These new trains will call at cities and towns such as Darlaston, Wolverhampton, Milton Keynes, Shrewsbury, Gobowen, Telford Central, Nuneaton, and Coleshill Parkway.
The new train line operated by Alstom will be known as the Wrexham, Shropshire, and Midlands Railway (WSMR) and is being developed in collaboration with SLC Railway.
What makes WSMR different from other railways is that it will work on an open-access basis which means it will not receive taxpayer subsidies and be responsible for taking on all revenue risk.
In comparison, other railway operators are paid a management fee by the UK government who hold responsibility for their revenue and costs. For example, Transport for Wales Rail and ScotRail are under part government ownership.
On this, rail minister Huw Merriman said: “Competition delivers choice for passengers and drives up standards, which is why we continue to work with industry to help make the most of open access rail.”
Mr Merriman added that the proposals had the potential to create “better connections for communities across North Wales and the Midlands, including direct services to London from Shrewsbury, Telford and Wrexham”.
Announcing the proposals, the managing director for the company’s UK operations Nick Crossfield said their current position in the UK market made them the perfect operator to propose this line.
He explained: “As the country’s leading supplier of rolling stock and train services, it makes perfect sense that we now move into operating our own fleet to serve passengers directly.
“Having been part of the fabric of UK rail for two centuries, we’re excited to enter this new era as an open-access operator.”
One of the benefits of these new proposals is that as well as being based out of London, they will improve travel links between Wales and the Midlands to make more journeys possible for more people.
Managing Director of SLC Rail Ian Walters commented: “From the Welsh borders to the Midlands, our routes will forge new connections, linking overlooked regions of England and Wales with direct services to and from London.
“Passengers will benefit from more competitive fares and new technology to simplify ticket purchasing for our new services.”
Chief executive of industry body Rail Partners Andy Bagnall commented that there should be more open access programmes in the UK and claimed that commercial freedoms led to better services for customers.
He said: “To deliver more benefits to passengers, the Government should make it a priority to remove barriers to open access operations now and during the next parliament, in parallel to wider reform that harnesses private sector operators within a new public body.”
