View Full Version : Wrexham & Shropshire Railway


HollyBlack
01-16-2008, 03:37 AM
Apparently the Wrexham & Shropshire Railway is soon to open services from London (Marylebone) to Wrexham.

"Wouldn't it be nice if" - they added an overnight service to/from London and extended it to Birkenhead. Mind you, I've no idea whether their trains are capable of traveling to the Wirral?

That the route is slower than the mainline would be an advantage for overnight trains. Right now it is very difficult for anyone who wants to stay in London much later than about 8pm and then head back to Merseyside without the inconvenience (and considerable expense) of staying in London overnight. Something leaving London a little after midnight and arriving in Birkenhead around 7am would be ideal for clubbers theatre-goers and the like.

They invite feedback on their website at:-
http://www.wrexhamandshropshire.co.uk/contact.php
It would be great if some Yoliverpoolers would give them feedback , especially if you think you just might take advantage of overnight trains if there were any.
http://www.wrexhamandshropshire.co.uk/images/livery-popup-trainstation.jpg
http://www.wrexhamandshropshire.co.uk/admin/userimages/map.jpg

Waterways
01-16-2008, 05:19 AM
There is no station in Birkenhead capable of receiving long trains.

HollyBlack
01-16-2008, 06:25 AM
There is no station in Birkenhead capable of receiving long trains.
Hmmmmm :)

>> (W&S Railway website) "Wrexham & Shropshire expects to operate trainsets formed of a single class 67 diesel-electric locomotive, three air-conditioned MkIII carriages, and a driving van trailer (DVT) at the rear. ..."

>> (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Mark_3) "The (Mark 3) bodyshell is 75 feet (22.86m) long, ... "

That would make the rake a hair under 400 ft. long. Or thereabouts. Now since the locomotive does not necessarily have to be accommodated at the platform, it does not sound like train length is the issue.

Of course there may very well be other issues, such as weight, loading gauge, paths and most of all company politics and who-knows-what? Still, it should be possible to work-around the commercial politics (with Arriva Wales Trains).

The big thing is whether the demand exists and whether people would support it. I would think it does, at the very least for a once-a-week early Saturday morning train to test the waters.