Town leaders expressed enormous shock and disappointment as Shrewsbury’s only direct train service to London was axed in the same week it received a 96 per cent customer service rating.
The award-winning Wrexham & Shropshire railway service will cease to operate from tomorrow, Friday, with the loss of 55 jobs.
The shock announcement comes amid new figures which reveal the company made a £2.9 million loss in 2010 just three years after it was launched.
Despite the service – which links Shrewsbury directly to London’s Marylebone station – scoring a 96 per cent customer satisfaction rating in an independent passenger survey, bosses have cited falling customer numbers and an unprecedented economic environment as the reason behind its closure.
Shrewsbury’s MP Daniel Kawczynski said he was eager to explore other options to preserve the town’s links to London and has written to Theresa Villiers, Minster of State for Transport, urging her to consider Shrewsbury when the new West Coast Mainline franchise starts in 2012.
He said: “It is clearly very bad news for Shrewsbury and my constituents that used this excellent service.
“I’m committed to see what alternatives can be brought forward, so that Shrewsbury does not lose out as a result of this withdrawal of our only direct rail link to the capital.”
John Hall, chairman of Shop in the Loop which represents more than 700 shops in town, said he was shocked at the news, which was a big disappointment for Shrewsbury businesses.
“I was texted this morning (Wednesday) by somebody on the train saying the news had just been announced on board and I’m just so enormously disappointed and it’s not good news for the town at all.
“It has been a very good service for Shrewsbury and having that direct link with London definitely strengthened trading so this will be a massive loss.”
Gordon Wood, a businessman from Church Preen who regularly uses the service to Marylebone, said: “In a world of cutbacks and belt-tightening it unfortunately comes as little surprise that the WS&M has been axed.
“No criticism of the dedicated staff can be levied, they were all good. The spacious rolling stock compared favourably with the cramped often overcrowded conditions to be found on trains to Birmingham where we will once more have to change for London.
“If Shropshire wants a direct service to London and we ever get another chance to have one then clearly lessons must be learnt. Above all we will need to support it,” he added.
By David Seadon