Shrewsbury to Chester

The Shrewsbury-Chester Line was opened in 1848 and eventually became part of the Great Western Railway, at one time carrying through services between London and Birkenhead. More recently it was part of the Regional Railways network, on the edge of the Midland based system operated by Central Trains. It is now incorporated into the All Wales Franchise operated by Arriva Trains Wales.

Shrewsbury, although in England, is the central hub of the remaining Welsh rail system with services to Holyhead (via Chester), Pwllheli, Aberystwyth, Swansea (via Llandrindod), and Cardiff (via Hereford and Newport). There are also frequent services to Telford Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street. Chester is the access point for the North Wales Coast and the Blaenau Ffestiniog line into Snowdonia. There are also services to Crewe, Liverpool, and Manchester

Stations on the line are

Gobowen (for Oswestry and Ellesmere),

Chirk (for the Ceiriog valley and Chirk Castle (National Trust))

Ruabon (for Llangollan, Corwen and Bala)

Wrexham, for Mold

A local service operates from Wrexham to Shotton and Bidston.

Gobowen and Chirk are close to the Offa’s Dyke long distance footpath, and the proposed Wat’s Dyke path passes Gobowen Station.

An International Eisteddfod is held at Llangollen in July.

There is some freight carried on the line including steel coil from south Wales to Deeside, timber to the Kronospan plant at Chirk and coal to Gobowen