Shropshire commuters are celebrating after a new rail service – dubbed the Shifnal Express – has proved to be a runaway success.
The new non-stop early morning express from Shifnal to Wolverhampton (and on to Birmingham) has been introduced as a direct result of a targeted lobbying campaign by local people.
Shifnal FORWARD Transport Group lobbied rail companies and the Department of Transport to introduce the new service and their efforts are now paying off, with more than 30 people catching the train every morning.
Local resident David Curtis, for the group, said: “We knew there was a demand for this extra non-stop service as there was a gap between trains of almost 90 minutes in the early morning, during which three fast trains rushed through Shifnal station.
“It was extremely frustrating for passengers as we had to wait for a later train which was always overcrowded and slow with numerous stops along the way. We approached Arriva Trains Wales, Virgin, and London Midland, asking them to stop one of the fast trains, even suggesting how they could do it and demonstrating the significant demand from our own survey findings.
“London Midland came up trumps and agreed to launch the new service which is the first non-stop Shifnal to Wolverhampton train since 1849.”
The new train service gets passengers into Wolverhampton at 7.30am (33 minutes before the next stopping train), into Birmingham well before 8am and, with one change, London by 9.30am – just two hours 17 minutes from Shifnal.
“We are delighted with the reception the service has received,” said David. “Working as a community, we identified the need and have achieved a much-improved service for a growing number of passengers thanks to the co-operation and commitment shown to our town from London Midland.”
The Transport Group is now also working hard to improve the area around the station entrance including the installation of a new driveway, six cycle racks, CCTV and an information board.
London Midland also plans to install a new ticket vending machine following a request from the Group, and members will help shape plans for improvements to the next West Midlands rail franchise which will begin in 2017.
Shifnal FORWARD is a community partnership with Shropshire Council, Shifnal Town Council and many voluntary local groups (including the Rail Action Group) who are all working to manage the impact of new housing developments in the area on local services. It’s estimated the plans will bring around 4,000 extra residents into the town resulting in more traffic and increased demand on the surrounding infrastructure.
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