Wrexham & Shropshire services to cease

[62440]

Post deleted.
Regards 62440.

[Madcaravanner]

Wrexham & Shropshire railway to cease operations on Friday 28th January 2011.

It is with great regret that we announce that Wrexham & Shropshire will stop operating trains on Friday 28th January.
This very difficult decision has been taken following a full review of all possible alternatives, in which it was concluded that the business, which operates with no public subsidy, would not provide a return on investment.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your loyal and continued support. Without your assistance, our award winning service would not have been possible. We are very sorry that we have not been able to sustain it.

Until Friday 28th January trains will operate normally. The last train will be the 1830 from London Marylebone.

From Saturday 29th January, all Wrexham & Shropshire tickets already purchased will be valid on alternative routes into London Euston operated by Arriva Trains Wales, London Midland and Virgin Trains, and London Marylebone by Chiltern Railways.

If you have already purchased a Wrexham & Shropshire ticket for travel after 28th January, please click here for alternative travel arrangements.

If you have not yet booked a ticket for forthcoming travel, please be aware that you will need to book to travel with alternative train operators. You can book tickets for travel with other train companies via our sister company Chiltern Railways – please click here.

Our customer service centre will remain open to provide customer support. To contact them, email [email protected] or telephone 0845 260 5200.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you, our customers, for your loyal support.

__________________________________________________ ___________

Please note cutting and pasting has meant the links are lost if you go to http://email.faveoweb.com/T/ViewEmai...B3169DA1FD82E9 then the links are there

There is lots of banter on all forums about what will happen to the loco's and Stock since it is all DB/Arriva owned

[merryhampton]

Now that is very sad. I bet Arriva and Virgin are rubbing their hands though.

[ACE]

Very sad business, even less 'loco' hauled diagrams too...hmmm

[Madcaravanner]

the recent banter is that all the 67's will end up Red within weeks apparently one is already at Toton

This is hearsay and I DO NOT have confirmation yet

[HM181]

This is an Official Leter to all RMT Branches

www.rmt.org.uk

NEWS RELEASE

28th January 2011
Immediate


Last train tonight on Wrexham and Shropshire railways – the UK’s most popular rail service killed off by corporate greed

ALL STAFF employed by Wrexham and Shropshire railways will be on board the final 18.30 service from London Marylebone to Wrexham as corporate greed kills off Britain’s most popular railway.

The closure of the Wrexham Shropshire service was announced on Wednesday – the same day that Passenger Focus revealed it has been voted the best operator by passengers with a 96% satisfaction rating.

W&S is an 'open access' train operator set up about 5 years ago following a successful campaign led by RMT Wrexham branch with support from the Welsh Assembly government and DoT following a sustained campaign by communities and businesses in Mid and North Wales for a direct train to London other than Virgin's West Coast service.

RMT is demanding an inquiry into how German rail giant Deutcshe Bahn and their partners have been allowed to get away with pulling the plug on the Wrexham and Shopshire service leaving £1 million of public investment on infrastructure at the Wrexham end of the route to potentially rot into the ground. RMT this morning repeated the demand that the service be taken into public ownership.

The union is in discussions aimed at protecting the futures of the 55 staff employed by the company.
RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:
"The closure of the Wrexham and Shropshire service is an act of corporate vandalism and is a bitter blow to the UK rail industry. It is a scandal that a giant company like Deutsche Bahn can play fast and loose with our rail services in this way and then and cut run when they decide the profit margins aren't fat enough for their liking.
"The UK Government should now step in and nationalise the route to protect both the jobs and the popular Wrexham & Shropshire services and there should be a full inquiry into how this operation, set up with Welsh government and taxpayer support, has been ground into the dust by Deutsche Bahn. Public ownership would protect that public investment rather than allowing the private rail asset strippers to walk away from the wreckage.”