NORTH Shropshire ‘needs a direct line to London’, its MP has claimed.

Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrat member, in her second term as MP for the constituency, says the new Labour Government ‘needs to rubber stamp’ the proposed direct service.

Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR) has applied for a new rail service that would connect Shropshire directly to London, starting in Wrexham and stopping at Gobowen and Shrewsbury before travelling through the West Midlands to London Euston.

The company is keen to launch the new route as soon as possible, but can only do so once the Office of Rail and Road has given the go-ahead.

She said:  “North Shropshire is one of the worst connected places in England by public transport, and is in desperate need of investment.

“A new link to London – which brings extra services between Wrexham and Shrewsbury – would be a real boost for local businesses, and create real opportunities for our young people.

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“If the new Government is serious about growing the economy and growing opportunity then it should be encouraging new routes like the direct service to London and the reopening of the Oswestry to Gobowen line.

“I have written to the Office of Road and Rail, urging them to approve the proposals and get this service moving.”

This comes only a few months after the closure of the direct route from Shrewsbury to London, which has left Shropshire without any services that go direct to the capital.

Mrs Morgan says she has campaigned hard to improve transport links in North Shropshire since she won the election in 2021.

She has backed proposals to reconnect Oswestry’s rail to Gobowen as well as calling for better local bus services across North Shropshire. 

The MP has also called for step-free access at Whitchurch station, where Platform 1 is currently inaccessible for people with disabilities or mobility difficulties. 

In her letter to John Larkinson, from the Office of Rail and Road on August 9, Mrs Morgan said: “Gobowen, which would be served by the new route, is one of the largest villages in my constituency and serves as a key rail hub for the near-20,000 residents in Oswestry.

“Shrewsbury, which is included in the plans, is the closest station for many other Shropshire residents but has recently lost its only direct service to London.

“Rail travel is too often expensive, unreliable and difficult to access.”

She added: “Investment like that planned by WSMR  would start to address inequalities while delivering growth that the country so badly needs.”