Overview

• Alstom, in partnership with SLC Rail, plans to launch the Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR) service in 2025, offering direct rail connections between London, the Midlands, Shropshire, and North Wales.
• The new service aims to provide passengers with quicker journeys, more competitive fares, and new technology to simplify ticket purchasing.
• WSMR will operate on an open-access basis, meaning it will not receive taxpayer-funded subsidies and will assume all revenue risk.
• The service will utilize the Sutton Park line to avoid the congested Birmingham area, serving an estimated 1.5 million people and creating around 50 jobs.
• The initiative has been welcomed by industry and government officials as a means to improve connections, competition, and service standards in the UK rail sector.