Direct rail services between Shropshire and London to end soon
Direct trains between London and Shropshire, in the West Midlands, will be axed in June.
Operator Avanti West Coast will no longer run the service because there is only a “very love number of passengers who use it”, the Department of Transport (DfT) said.
Between 40 and 60 people use the train per day, the BBC reports.
Operator Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway (WSMR) is currently in the process of applying for permission to offer a similar service.
Under the current timetable, there is one train a day that runs in each direction.
It departs from Shrewsbury at 7.04am and calls at Telford Central and Wellington before returning at 6.16pm.
Telford & Wrekin Council, which runs to two of the stations on the route, has been critical about the move.
Councillor Lee Carter said the decision “undermines any future rail investment” amid the Government’s levelling-up policies.
The DfT said: “While Avanti will be withdrawing this service due to the very low number of passengers who use it, West Midlands Trains has plans to ramp up the number of trains between Shropshire towns and Birmingham.
"Avanti is looking to increase fast services between Birmingham and London. This will bring greater benefits to more passengers in the West Midlands."