Telford MP Shaun Davies met with Rail Minister Lord Hendy to continue his long-standing campaign for much-needed improvements to Telford’s rail services.
The meeting forms part of his ongoing work, having raised concerns in Parliament and in previous discussions with Ministers about the quality, reliability and cost of local rail provision, and the need for better investment in Telford’s rail network.
In March Shaun hosted a roundtable in Telford with senior representatives from Network Rail and West Midlands Railway. The session brought together key stakeholders, including Telford & Wrekin Council to develop a joined-up approach to reducing the cost of trains between Telford and Birmingham, increasing the frequency and the reliability of trains and also to bring back a direct service to London.
During that meeting, Shaun highlighted the need to strengthen rail connectivity to Birmingham and London, addressed ongoing capacity pressures on services to Wolverhampton and Birmingham, and explored opportunities to improve and expand facilities at Telford Central station.
At Shaun’s meeting with the rail minister this week he raised the following:
- Fairer fares between Telford and Birmingham, with many commuters facing high costs for essential daily travel
- Urgent upgrades to signalling infrastructure between Telford and Shrewsbury, which continues to contribute to delays and cancellations
- The ongoing application for the direct rail link from Telford to London, following an application submitted to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), which he argues would deliver significant economic benefits for the town and its businesses
Shaun said: “It was good to have this meeting in person. These are issues I’ve raised many times before, both in Parliament and directly with Ministers, and they reflect exactly what residents are telling me about their frustrations with our local rail services. It was useful to get into the detail behind the changes we need to see.
“Telford is one of the fastest-growing towns in the UK, with huge potential, but our rail links have not kept pace with that growth which is why I’m continuing to work with Government, Network Rail and operators to secure the improvements we need.
“A direct rail link to London would be a major boost for our local economy, but we also need reliable, affordable and better-connected services day to day for residents and businesses.
“There has been some progress on plans for public ownership, but there is still much more to do. I will continue pushing for better rail services for people in Telford.”
