The Wrexham, Shropshire & Marylebone Railway Company

A stunning reminder of the phrase that ‘Speed isn’t everything’! This is the way to travel on trains, unless you are in an awful hurry to get somewhere. Wrexham and Shropshire have finally got their new (reconditioned) coaches, they are superb… quiet, comfortable and relaxing, together with an on board staff team who really do care about your comfort and well being (and your stomach!). The Pendellino may have its place, but this is the free range train when compared to the Virgin ‘factory farm’! You have space for your laptop or broadsheet, you can stretch your legs, you have tremendous views etc etc. I could go on, but I think I have made my point. I have already booked my next journey to London at only £21 return. if you book online early enough you can really get a cheap deal.

I can’t really get over how much I love traveling on the Wrexham and Shropshire railway. It harks back to a golden age of rail travel, when you weren’t penned into a pendolino, a table with enough space to spread your broadsheet was a given, and breakfast was served on china plates. Fortunately, a few sage railwaymen had a dream, and with the backing of none other than the veritable Deutsche Bahn, have bought 5 class 67 diesels, and leased some original BR Mark III coaches from 1975. This very morning I was paying for standard class, and yet sat in first class luxury, being served my local-​sourced full English breakfast and drinking milky tea as we trundled from Shrewsbury to London. The service currently takes a little over 3 hours due to timetabling restrictions (in reality the class 67 is capable of 125mph), and it’s a world away from the horror of the west coast main line. In the evenings, you might want to indulge in a selection of real ales from Oswestry, or perhaps a tasty pork pie!
And what price, this luxury? Well, there are no peak-​time fares, in fact you can walk up and buy a ticket on the train, for 20 quid each way. And they’re not receiving any subsidies. Richard Branson, you should come and join me aboard A Shropshire Lad someday.