Bigger trains are on their way to help reduce crowding problems

Bigger trains are on their way to help reduce crowding problems at Shrewsbury.

Julia Buckley, the town’s MP, has met with Transport for Wales (TfW) bosses to highlight the issues faced by commuters – particularly when they’re travelling to Birmingham or Wolverhampton.

And it looks like the first trains could be arriving as early as the spring.

“Top-end businesses are telling me they want to expand, invest and employ more people, but this is impossible until we get better services,” said Mrs Buckley.

“But there’s also the more local people – students, shoppers, commuters – who need to get from Shrewsbury to Birmingham or Wolverhampton every day, and that is the service that is letting us down.

“It should be three carriages and we’re only getting two. But Transport for Wales have assured me we’re getting bigger trains in the next few weeks.

“But we also need reliability – the amount of cancelled trains there are is not ok. The potnential and demand is there, we just need the services.”

A TfW spokesperson said: “As part of our £800m investment in brand new trains, we’ll be introducing Class 197 trains, made in Newport in South Wales, onto the Cambrian Line.

“We are actively looking to introduce new trains earlier than planned between Shrewsbury and Birmingham.

“Every effort is being made to get them into service to alleviate some of the crowding problems customers are seeing. We are planning for the first to enter service in spring.

“Because the Cambrian line uses a specialist signalling system, further operational work is required to introduce the trains between Pwllheli/Aberystwyth/Shrewsbury but we expect to complete this towards the end of 2025.

“We would like to thank customers for their patience during what has been a challenging time on the line recently.”