What is Shrewsbury Chester Rail Users Association?
SCRUA
is a voluntary organisation which seeks to represents those people interested in maintaining and improving train services on the line between Shrewsbury and Chester, via Wrexham. This is an important north-south route now seen as the corridor between Chester, the junction for North Wales, and Newport, South Wales providing access to Cardiff.SCRUA members include people who live locally and use the train services regularly and others who live further afield and use the line occasionally, or are interested in its future development. Local authorities, including parish/town and community councils, railway societies and other operating railways in areas served by the line are corporate members.
Over the past 20 years of active campaigning SCRUA has successfully developed links with the rail authorities and the management of the current Train Operating Company –
Arriva Trains Wales – as well as local politicians, including Members of Parliament and Welsh National Assembly Members. SCRUA seeks to promote the use of train services by the communities through which the line runs and to make the route known to a wider audience. SCRUA puts forward views on the train timetable and other aspects of the train services and seeks improvements to stations and their facilities. The Association works closely with the Chester to Shrewsbury Rail Partnership Community Rail Officer and co-operates with promotional efforts.SCRUA has been involved in improvements along the line such as the need for public address and information systems, enhanced ticketing systems at Gobowen station (where the booking office and waiting room facilities are provided by the Shropshire Rail Agency), the refurbishment of Wrexham General station, footbridge renewal at Ruabon and anti-slip surfaces on Chirk footbridge.
SCRUA members are station adopters at Gobowen and Ruabon as part of the Arriva Trains Wales ‘Adopt A Station’ scheme and they regularly report matters requiring attention to the train operator’s local management which maintains the appearance of the stations. At Chirk the Friends of Chirk Station have been successful in winning several wards for the enhancement of the station and its gardens.
SCRUA campaigned for an hourly service Mondays to Saturdays which is now provided by trains alternatively running Chester-Birmingham New St and Holyhead to Cardiff and return to provide the best interval service the line has ever enjoyed. Improvements to the Sunday service are now seen as the next priority. The Association has fully supported the application by the Wrexham Shropshire & Marylebone Railway Co. to have ‘open access’ to provide direct trains to London Marylebone which will start running from the Spring of 2008 and will provide extra travel options.
SCRUA has also made detailed contributions to the recent Line Study Report and fully supports the priorities for increased line speed to 90 mph and the provision for additional train capacity by the reinstatement of at least some part of the former double track layout north of Wrexham. The provision of additional stations along the line has been a long held requirement which might be achieved when faster journey times are delivered.
SCRUA is a member of Railfuture and is represented at the meetings of the Shrewsbury Rail Users’ Federation and the Shrewsbury-Chester Railway Line Committee. The Association engages with Passenger Focus, the independent national rail consumer watchdog, through its Passenger Link managers for England and Wales.
SCRUA holds public meetings at Gobowen, Chirk and Wrexham during the year at which guest speakers are invited to make presentations and take questions from the audience. Quarterly committee meetings are held at Gobowen station and members are welcome to attend and take part in matters discussed. Meetings provide useful forums for members to hear the latest rail news, ask questions about service difficulties and suggest improvements to local transport options.
SEVERN-DEE NEWS is the Association’s quarterly newsletter which is sent to all members and includes news about the line, train services, events and meetings.
SCRUA welcomes new members to add strength to its voice on all the matters detailed overleaf and to help spread the word about train services on the Shrewsbury-Chester line. The income from subscriptions funds the quarterly newsletter, the expense of the meetings and provides for other promotional opportunities, including this website.
Membership is open to all people and organisations who support SCRUA’s aims on payment of an annual subscription as detailed below.
Local News Community Rail Officer’s Report Line Study Events Book reviews Rail Rambles Mid Wales and MarchesThe Annual General Meeting, which is usually held in May at Gobowen station, is normally attended by speakers from the railway industry. Other meetings with guest speakers on transport subjects and social events are held at venues along the line. Meetings provide useful forums for members to hear the latest rail news, ask questions about any service difficulties and suggest improvements to transport options.
Forthcoming MeetingsSCRUA members are taking part in the
Adopt a Station Scheme which has been introduced recently.SCRUA campaigns for:
Better amenities at stations including more effective information, especially when services are disrupted.
An hourly service on Mondays to Saturdays with a two hourly service (including mornings) on Sundays.
Even interval regular clock face timings for the trains.
Through services to London, Cardiff and the North Wales Coast
Improved connections to London and other destinations at Chester, Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton and Birmingham.
Opening of additional stations to give greater ease of access to local people and to create extra revenue for the line.
Reopening of the former stations at Baschurch, Whittington, Weston Rhyn, Cefn,
e-mail :
secretary@scrua.comMembership
Membership Details Line InformationOther Web Sites :
North Wales Coast Railway (from Chester) Llangollen Railway (preserved steam railway - by bus from Ruabon) Wrexham-Birkenhead Rail Users' Association Shrewsbury Aberystwyth Rail Passengers Association Heart of Wales Line Travellers Association-(Shrewsbury-Swansea) Cambrian Railway Society (Oswestry Railway Museum) Cambrian Railway Trust(Railway at Llynclys)var sc_project=2887603; var sc_invisible=0; var sc_partition=29; var sc_security="a99e445d"; var sc_text=2;