Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line

The Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line is the railway line from Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury via Wellington; it was originally built by the Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway. The line is double track throughout, with rarely used relief sidings at Cosford and 4 tracks through Wellington station.

Electrification from Stafford Road Junction to Oxley, is provided solely to enable electric stock to access Alstom's Oxley TRSMD, and is therefore constructed as a "tram wire" suitable for low speeds only.

Signalling is centred at Madeley Junction. Towards Wolverhampton, the West Midlands Signalling Centre, Oxley Workstation, takes over (previously Oxley signal box until it closed on Saturday 27 November 2010 under the West Midlands Resignalling scheme) and towards Shrewsbury, Abbey Foregate signal box.

Route
The towns and villages served by the route are listed below, East to West.


 * Wolverhampton (City of Wolverhampton) - 6 platforms
 * Bilbrook (Staffordshire) - 2 platforms
 * Codsall (Staffordshire) - 2 platforms
 * Albrighton (Shropshire) - 2 platforms
 * Cosford (Shropshire) - 2 platforms
 * Shifnal (Shropshire) - 2 platforms
 * Telford Central (Telford and Wrekin) - 2 platforms
 * Oakengates (Telford and Wrekin) - 2 platforms
 * Wellington (Telford and Wrekin) - 3 platforms
 * Shrewsbury (Shropshire) - 5 platforms (numbered 3 to 7)

Passenger services
Arriva Trains Wales and London Midland operate passenger trains on this line. Westbound, some trains go beyond Shrewsbury to Chester, Holyhead, Aberystwyth and Wrexham while eastbound, services continue beyond Wolverhampton to terminate at Birmingham New Street or Birmingham International.

Sundays
Arriva Trains Wales in recent times have be known to have:


 * 14tpd (trains per day) to Birmingham International via Birmingham New Street.


 * 6tpd to Wolverhampton.

There are no London Midland services in operation on this line on Sundays.

Freight
The Coalbrookdale line, which serves Ironbridge Power Station to the south of Telford near Ironbridge, joins the Wolverhampton-Shrewsbury Line at Madeley Junction, which is between the Telford Central and Shifnal stations. Coal trains (EWS and Fastline) use the route, supplying the power station. In 2008 the former Wellington to Stafford line was rebuilt as far as Donnington, for freight use. Telford International Railfreight Park is located at a 48 acre site just off the Hortonwood Roundabout near Donnington opened in 2009. The reopened line is single track and the junction with the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line is at Wellington Donnington Junction, about a quarter mile east of Wellington station.