Have Alstom Given Up On Their Euston And Wrexham Open Access Service?
I last wrote about this planned service in Direct London Trains ‘Could Start In 2026’.
But, as I wrote in Network Rail Objects To Wrexham To London Service, Network Rail had objected.
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this post and received this reply.
No, Alstom has not given up on the Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR) open-access project.
After the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) rejected their initial application in July 2025 due to capacity and congestion concerns on the network, WSMR resubmitted a revised bid in late November / December 2025.
Key Updates on the Resubmitted Bid
Reduced Services: The revised plan trimmed the proposed frequency from five daily return trips down to three guaranteed daily returns (with an option for a fourth).
Route Adjustments: The new application added a stop at Wellington (Shropshire) and sought to utilize newly available or spare capacity paths.
Timeline: A decision from the rail regulator (ORR) was anticipated in Spring 2026, with hopes for the service to launch towards the end of 2026.
The Route
The map downloaded from a BBC article, which is entitled Direct London trains ‘Could Start In 2026’ shows the route.
Note.
- There are now ten intermediate stops.
- Wellington and Darlaston have been added between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury.
- Euston and Wolverhampton is 124.9 miles and fully electrified.
- Wolverhampton and Wrexham General is 59.9 miles and is not electrified.
- The section of the route without electrification is 120 miles return, which could be too far for battery-electric trains.
But I believe that the battery-electric trains, that TransPennine Express have ordered from Alstom could handle the route with charging at Wrexham General station.
I have some further thoughts.
Hydrogen Is Now Not Proposed
In Direct London Trains ‘Could Start In 2026’, I felt that Alstom might use hydrogen trains.
But now that TransPennine Express have ordered Alstom battery-electric trains and the route could be ideal for them, it would seem sensible to use them.
Providing charging at Wrexham General station would probably be easier than providing hydrogen refuelling.
Could Euston and Wrexham General Be A Test Route For The Adessia Battery-Electric Train In The UK?
I asked Google AI and received this reply.
Yes, London Euston and Wrexham General could serve as an ideal test route for Alstom’s Adessia battery-electric train platform.
Route Characteristics and Viability
Electrified Section: The journey from London Euston to Wolverhampton covers roughly 124.9 miles on fully electrified lines.
Uncertified / Non-Electrified Section: The remaining 59.9 miles from Wolverhampton to Wrexham General lacks overhead electrification (via Shrewsbury).
Battery Range Demands: Operating this run requires a battery-electric range capability of roughly 60 miles in each direction beyond the wires, or a charging strategy implemented at Wrexham General station.
Proposed Operations: Wrexham Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR) announced plans to work with Alstom to introduce a bi-mode battery-electric fleet from the Adessia family if their open-access operations are approved.
This is the first time, that I’ve seen linkage between Alstom’s open access operation and development of a bi-mode battery-electric fleet.
Will Wrexham Shropshire and Midlands Railway’s Adessia Trains Be 110 mph Trains?
This would make them compatible with the TransPennine Express trains.
But they will be sharing the West Coast Main Line with 125 mph Class 390, Class 805 and Class 807 trains.
I wonder, if for ease of operation, that the trains will be 125 mph units.
Direct Rail Service Plan Supported By PM
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Plans for a new passenger rail service running direct trains between north Wales, the West Midlands and London have received support from the prime minister.
These three paragraphs add detail to the story.
A new open-access rail operator, external, called the Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR), has been formed, offering passengers in Wrexham, as well as Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Walsall and Coleshill, a direct link with the capital.
Speaking in the Commons, Shrewsbury’s Labour MP Julia Buckley asked Sir Keir Starmer if he would support the provider’s application.
The prime minister responded, saying he would be “delighted to make sure the MP and other interested MPs meet with the rail minister to put their case forward”.
He didn’t actually say he supported the application, but then lawyers are careful with words, as every syllable costs money.
I have a few thoughts on this service.
The North Wales Metro
The North Wales Metro was announced today and I wrote about it in £2.1bn North Wales Rail Overhaul Plans Unveiled.
The Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway connects the North Wales Metro to Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, Coleshill and London Euston.
Will The Trains Be Hydrogen Powered
In Alstom And Eversholt Rail Sign An Agreement For The UK’s First Ever Brand-New Hydrogen Train Fleet, I reported how Alstom could be going to build a fleet of hydrogen trains in Derby.
I just wonder, if Alstom are going to create a hydrogen train with this specification.
- Five cars
- 125 mph top speed
- Ability to use electrification, where it exists.
- Sufficient range on hydrogen to cover the non-electrified section of the route between Wrexham General and Wolverhampton.
- Wrexham General and Wolverhampton is just under sixty miles and takes an hour and six minutes.
As the fastest trains between London Euston and Walverhampton take one hour and forty-nine minutes, trains would take just under three hours between London Euston and Wrexham General.
I rode an Alstom hydrogen-powered train in Germany in March 2019 and wrote My First Ride In An Alstom Coradia iLint.
I took this picture at the time.
Alstom certainly have all the technology to build a 125 mph hydrogen-powered train, that can use electrification.
Where Would A Hydrogen Train Be Refuelled?
I suspect, that as the train would probably have a range of around a thousand kilometres, it could fill up overnight at Wrexham.
The hydrogen could be sourced from Runcorn or it might even be generated at the depot.
Would A Hydrogen Train Attract Passengers?
If the hydrogen-powered train were to be mouse-quiet like Wrightbus’s hydrogen buses, I believe it would.
The Anonymous Widower 