Farewell, Wrexham & Shropshire trains

Above: Wrexham & Shropshire staff pose for last-day photos at London Marylebone station

Today was a sad day. A rail company that was loved by its passengers closed, ending the short lived revival of train services from Wrexham to London. Wrexham & Shropshire achieved the best rail customer satisfaction ratings in Britain. But not enough people used the service to make it pay. 

We enjoyed seeing the Wrexham trains race through our local station in the days when Karen and I commuted to London. It was a nostalgic reminder of the days when expresses were hauled by locomotives (Wrexham & Shropshre used class 67 freight engines and sleek British Rail Mark 3 coaches, many still in 1970s blue & grey livery). I hoped to take Owen on the Wrexham train when he was a little older, but we won't get the chance now. 

We were always concerned that the coaches looked empty. Just a year after the service started, W&S ran a successful campaign against Virgin Trains, which threatened to launch a rival service, as I blogged in May 2009. W&S survived that threat, but the writing was on the wall. The Guardian's John Vidal reported that same month that the service was wonderful but slow. W&S was forbidden from calling at busy stations en route but had to crawl through them. But he waxed lyrically about the North Walian train crew and the lamb shank, veg and wine.

By chance, I was in London today and witnessed the sad scenes as W&S staff posed for photographers at Marylebone. I hope they find new jobs, as they will be a huge asset for any organisation that cares about its customers. As I write this, the very last train is on its way north to Wrexham. 

Here are some scenes from Wrexham & Shropshire's last day, including a mug they gave me at Marylebone!

 

 

 

Comments

[Brother-in-law]

The closing of Wrexham and Shropshire was a great disappointment. I used it intermittently from Leamington Spa, one of the few stations at which it was allowed to stop. The service was no quicker or slower than the Chiltern trains, but the legroom was vastly superior - at no additional cost.

[Rob Skinner]

Thanks, Jeremy. I know Chiltern is still using the W&S stock on some services, so with luck you'll still get the chance of stretching your legs if you take the train to London.

[Shropshire Jobs]

I absolutely love your blog.I get stuck jumping from blog to blog and already spend way too much time on my computer. Your approach really resonates with me. Many thanks.

[Hornby Direct]

Model railway enthusiasts may be interested to know that Hornby Railways have marked the end of the Wrexham & Shropshire line with a model of the Class 67 Bo-Bo Diesel Electric Locomotive used on that line.
This new model is product code R3038 and bears the name "A Shrophire Lad" The model is due to be released at the end of 2012 but can be pre-ordered now.