'The Borderlands line'
News from the line
150th anniversary of the Buckley Railway
Wrexham and Shropshire Railway cease trading
The very last WSMR service from Wrexham to Marylebone. 67013 with headboard leaves Wrexham on the 13.27 to Marylebone, January 28th 2011. The train left with the horns on the loco and DVT sounding continuously.
The WSMR service from Wrexham to London ended on January 28th 2011. It started on April 28th 2008, initially with 5 trains each way, later reduced to 4 and then just 3 from November 2010. Although winning awards for passenger service and the comfort of its rolling stock, in modern parlance the figures just didn't stack up. The travelling public of Wrexham and the Borderlands will be poorer for its demise.
In happier times 67013 is seen at London Marylebone on a service from Wrexham.
The new station buildings at Shotton high level were completed in November 2010.
The new Wrexham side shelter.
Looking up the ramp to the new ticket office on the Bidston side platform.
The new and old waiting shelters on the Bidston platform. I know which I prefer!
Short lived freight service for Shotton Paper
66002 passing Hope on the empty wagons for Shotton, 08.08.2008
A freight service
which ran for a few months in 2008 between
Shotton
Paper and Barking in Essex.
Wrexham & Shropshire Railway (WSMR) started their new service to London Marylebone on April 28th 2008, timetable link and fares information viewable here
Wrexham to London rail link launch 21 2 2008 by Eryl Crump, Daily Post
WREXHAM is set to join Virgin Trains network later this year. Company bosses confirmed plans to run a weekday service from the town to London Euston from December if the West Coast mainline upgrade is completed.
The Virgin service – via Chester – will be in direct competition with Wrexham & Shropshire Railway’s (WSMR) services from Wrexham to London Marylebone. Both services are targeted at Wrexham’s growing business community.
Chief executive Chris
Gibb said the Virgin Trains service will leave Wrexham
about 7am. The return journey will leave London at 6.10pm.
Journey time will be around two-and-a half-hours. He
said: “The service would be operated by modified Super
Voyager trains, with a first-class service which is
comparable to that provided on our Pendolino trains.
“The Wrexham trains will run at 125mph with tilt
operational over the West Coast Main Line between Crewe
and London.” Mr Gibb added the service is being
introduced on a trial basis, and more services on weekdays
and weekends have not been ruled out.
RMS Locotec take over Corus contract - 17 01 08
ECT Rail, through its subsidiary RMS Locotec, has started work carrying out a terminal services contract for the Corus Group in Shotton, North Wales, moving up to 20,000 tonnes of steel for the company each week.
The new contract uses two Class 08 locomotives each with 13 wagons. Seven multi-skilled operators control moving the steel along a 1 mile track from Dee Marsh Sidings through to Corus Colors at their Shotton Works in Deeside, Flintshire. Finished steel coils, which could be galvanized or colour coated, are then loaded back onto the train for distribution to various rail connected warehouses throughout the country from where the steel can be dispatched to end user.
Corus
Colors is an international business with over 40 years
experience in the development and manufacture of
pre-finished steels. These can be used for many
applications such as roofs and walls, domestic appliances,
consumer products and even bakeware. This is the
second contract, RMS Locotec has made with Corus.
RMS Locotec also carry out terminal services contracts
with oil refineries.
Green light for rail depot at Wrexham 11 01 08
Wrexham & Shropshire have welcomed the Welsh Assembly Government’s announcement on 11 January that it has reached agreement with Network Rail regarding the delivery of rail depot facilities at Wrexham General station.
The depot project will provide many essential facilities for Wrexham & Shropshire’s new direct rail service, scheduled to start in Spring 2008, including overnight accommodation for trains, storage for on-train catering supplies and secure office space.
The company has also had confirmation from Wrexham Council that Listed Building Consent for the proposed works has been granted and that the terms to lease the facilities are agreed with Arriva Trains Wales. This news means that Wrexham & Shropshire’s plans to run rail services next year are on schedule.
Andy Hamilton, Managing Director of Wrexham & Shropshire, said: “We are delighted that plans for the depot have been given the green light. They not only form a key part of our proposals to run direct rail services to London, but also support the 45 new local jobs that we will be creating in Wrexham over the coming months.Launching a new rail service is a challenging and exciting venture. It’s not possible without co-operation, so we are particularly pleased that plans for the depot have come about as a result of a strong partnership between the public sector and the railway industry.”
Wrexham
& Shropshire is expecting to run passenger services
between North Wales, Shropshire and London Marylebone from
Spring 2008. The company is undertaking the
necessary work required to mobilise the service, including
the refurbishment of its trains. Further details of the
new service will be announced over the coming months.
Deputy First Minister and Minister for the
Economy and Transport, Ieuan Wyn Jones, said: “The new
depot is good news for North Wales, and provides the
enhanced infrastructure we need to support greater use of
our rail facilities.”
Before and after views of the bay platforms at Wrexham general.
The go-ahead has now been given for Wrexham & Shropshire Railway to start their Wrexham to London service probably early in 2008. Further details on the WSMR website, which includes details of their timetable and proposed rolling stock.
67006 and 67029 at Wrexham General on 11th October 2006. This service ran from London Marylebone and was an evaluation exercise by Wrexham and Shropshire Railway for their planned service to London. Sadly this was as far as this impressive train went on the Borderlands Line!
Passenger services:
Two units are required to work the daytime passenger services. On Sundays only one train is required. From the December 2006 timetable change, all services will be formed of 2 car Class 150 units. This is a great improvement in both comfort and reliability.
Passengers board a
Bidston service at Shotton in November 2010.
Freight services:
The timings below are given as a guide in good faith, there is no guarantee that any particular train will either run on time or even run at all! During the current recession many trains are cancelled, particularly those from Llanwern.
There are currently two booked trains of hot rolled coil per day from South Wales. The Mondays to Fridays "Enterprise" freight from/to Warrington (6F59/6F62) is currently suspended. Coal trains to/from Castle Cement (6F41/6E41) may run up to twice a week generally on tuesday and wednesday or thursday, the empties from Castle Cement have to travel to Dee Marsh to run round. Light engine workings for 6F41 and 6E41 are not shown.
Q: denotes train runs as required.
As the line provides the only access to the Merseyrail Wirral line, engineering and ballast trains are quite a common sight. The current freight timetable, to the best of my knowledge, is as follows:
| DOWN | Wrexham Gen. | Penyffordd | Cement sidings | Dee Marsh Jn. |
| 6F41 from Arpley Sidings Q SX | 06.51 | 07.05 | 07.09 | |
| 6M76 from Margam Mon to Sat | 07.36 | 07.54 | - | 08.06 |
| 6F59 from Arpley Sidings Q SX | 09.55 | 10.08 | - | 10.18 |
| 6M88 from Llanwern Q SO | 12.15 | 12.28 | - | 12.40 |
| 6E41 to Healey Mills Q SX | - | - | 15.00/15.35 | 15.47 |
| 6M86 from Llanwern Q SX | 17.53 | 18.10 | - | 18.22 |