Council welcomes news of direct rail link to Shropshire

The news that Shropshire could have a direct rail link to London from the end of next year has been welcomed by Shropshire Council.

Council leader, Keith Barrow, has been working hard with county MPs to lobby the various operators who tendered for the West Coast Mainline franchise, which will continue to be run by Virgin Trains until November 2014.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has announced that negotiations will take place with Virgin to introduce a direct service between Shrewsbury and London by December 2013.

Councillor Barrow said:

“This is fantastic news for Shropshire.  A direct rail service to London is really important for a number of reasons – it will be a massive boost for tourism because it will make it easier for people to get here, and it will be a huge help for businesses who need good links to the capital.”