Alstom to Launch Direct Rail Service Connecting London with North Wales and Midlands in 2025

The Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway aims to offer quicker journeys, competitive fares, and improved connections without taxpayer subsidies.

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.