Wrexham & Shropshire Timetable and Services - D

Wrexham & Shropshire Timetable and Services - D

Wrexham & Shropshire's initial timetable was for five trains per weekday between Wrexham and London with a journey time of approximately four hours and 15 minutes. This timetable had been formulated several years prior to the service's launch, largely by planners at John Liang.

In March 2009, the weekday service was reduced to four trains per day with one cut back to only operate from London to Shrewsbury, Wrexham & Shropshire citing the wider economic downturn for the cancelled services. From July until September 2010, a fourth Saturday service was operated. In December 2010, the weekday service was reduced further to three per day, with insufficient customer demand being cited as the reason.

Wrexham & Shropshire Rival Services

In February 2008, Virgin Trains announced that its intention to operate a direct service between Wrexham General and Euston on a trial basis from December 2008, with a morning southbound and evening northbound service. Virgin's service operated from Wrexham General via Chester and Crewe to London Euston along the West Coast Main Line using Class 221 Super Voyagers, with a journey time of approximately two and a half hours, compared with Wrexham & Shropshire's average of four hours. As this was an extension of a Chester - Euston service, it did not serve stations in Shropshire or the West Midlands.

Arriva Trains Wales lodged an application with the Office of Rail Regulation to operate two daily trains from Aberystwyth to London Marylebone. The application was rejected in February 2010 because the Office of Rail Regulation was concerned about the financial viability of the service. DB Regio had stated that if the application was successful that it would cease funding Wrexham & Shropshire and operations would cease.

Wrexham & Shropshire Overview

Wrexham & Shropshire Franchise(s): Open access operator
Not subject to franchising
28 April 2008 – 28 January 2011
Wrexham & Shropshire Main Route(s): Wrexham - Shrewsbury - Wellington - Tame Bridge - London Marylebone
Wrexham & Shropshire Other Route(s): None
Wrexham & Shropshire Fleet Size:
5 Class 67 locomotives
16 Mark 3 carriages
5 Driving Van Trailers
Wrexham & Shropshire Stations Called At: 12 (also called at Wembley Stadium during events)
Wrexham & Shropshire Parent Company: Arriva
Wrexham & Shropshire Reporting Mark: WS

Wrexham & Shropshire Route Map

Wrexham General
Ruabon
Chirk
Gobowen
Shrewsbury
Wellington
Telford Central
Cosford
Wolverhampton
Tame Bridge Parkway
Leamington Spa
Banbury
Wembley Stadium - events only
London Marylebone