Wrexham South (; also proposed as South Wrexham) is a
proposed railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...
on the
Shrewsbury–Chester line
The Shrewsbury–Chester line ( cy, Llinell Amwythig i Gaer) is a railway line between Chester and Shrewsbury in England, with the line passing through Wrexham County Borough in Wales. Passenger train services are operated by Transport for Wal ...
, situated between
Chirk and
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
, in
Wrexham County Borough
Wrexham County Borough ( cy, Bwrdeistref Sirol Wrecsam) is a county borough, with city status, in the north-east of Wales. It borders England to the east and south-east, Powys to the south-west, Denbighshire to the west and Flintshire to the ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
. , there is no definitive site for the proposed station, with proposals for the station to be located either near
Johnstown or at
Rhosymedre
Rhosymedre () is a village within the community of Cefn, in Wrexham County Borough, Wales.
The Anglican church, which was consecrated in 1837, is dedicated to St John the Evangelist, and is part of the Diocese of St Asaph. Former vicars inclu ...
on the former
Rhosymedre Halt railway station. If the latter location is decided,
Ruabon would be the station closest to the south of Wrexham.
Wrexham South forms part of
Transport for Wales
Transport for Wales (TfW; cy, Trafnidiaeth Cymru; cy, TrC, label=none) is a not-for-profit company owned by the Welsh Government and managed at arms length by its appointed board. TfW oversees the Transport for Wales Group (TfW Group) consi ...
' long-term goals for the
North Wales Metro
The North Wales Metro (; originally the North East Wales Metro; ) is a rail and bus transport improvement programme in north Wales. Styled as a "Metro", it is conceptually a multi-modal system with a combination of bus, heavy rail, and light rail ...
.
History
![Shrewsbury_to_Chester_line_Map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Shrewsbury_to_Chester_line_Map.png)
A "South Wrexham" station was first proposed in July 2015, in the
Welsh Government
, image =
, caption =
, date_established =
, country = Wales
, address =
, leader_title = First Minister ()
, appointed = First Minister approved by the Senedd, ceremonially appointed ...
's National Transport Finance Plan 2015. In which five stations were shortlisted in
North Wales
North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia N ...
for consideration by the government.
In April 2017, the station was placed on the Welsh Government's May 2017 stage-one assessment of new rail stations in Wales. The station was forecasted in the assessment to have annual passenger numbers of between 89,000 and 113,000 based on both 2011–12 model figures and the growth in passenger numbers between 2011 and 2016.
For stage 2 of the assessment, "South Wrexham" was allocated the old Rhosymedre Halt railway station site, located between
Ruabon and
Chirk railway station
Chirk ( cy, Y Waun) is a town and community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales, south of Wrexham, between it and Oswestry. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 4,468. Historically in the traditional county of Denbighshire, and later Clw ...
s. The assessment stated that benefits for the station were mainly the serving of
Cefn Mawr and Rhosymedre. Due to the single track between
Rossett
Rossett ( cy, Yr Orsedd ) is a village, community and electoral ward in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. Rossett is served by the A483 road.
At the time of the 2001 census, Rossett community (including Rossett itself and the villages of Bur ...
and
Stansty
Stansty is an area and electoral ward in Wrexham County Borough, Wales, lying to the immediate north-west of the city of Wrexham. It is a former civil parish and township. Stansty is also an electoral ward to Wrexham County Borough Council. The ...
near
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
in the north of the county borough, any additional stations on the line would require further study into their impact on the line's timetable. The station's gradient, curved line location, proximity to Ruabon and Chirk stations, limited space for a footbridge and car parking, were also mentioned for further evaluation of the station, in particular for financing.
In April 2019, the Welsh Government announced that Wrexham South, alongside and were to be dropped from the list (
Broughton was dropped earlier), and would not proceed further in the assessment. was the only station in north Wales to remain on the list.
As rail infrastructure is not
devolved in Wales, funding for the construction of a new railway station lies with the
UK Government
ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd
, image = HM Government logo.svg
, image_size = 220px
, image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
, image_size2 = 180px
, caption = Royal Arms
, date_est ...
's
Department for Transport (DfT) and is delivered by
Network Rail
Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an "arm's leng ...
. DfT would receive advice from Network Rail on the feasibility of the station.
In 2021, the proposed station re-emerged in Transport for Wales' Metro Development Plan published in March 2021, and the Future Developments plan for the North Wales Metro published in September 2021. The accompanying maps for the latter, used to represent Transport for Wales' long-term ambitions in the region, include a proposed station located south of Wrexham, near Johnstown, termed "Wrexham South". The longer-term plans (in comparison to the 2029 plans released on the same day), do not include a proposed date for the project and are accompanied by other projects, some critics may describe as being too ambitious.
Proposed location
There is no definitive location for the station . Older proposals advocate for a station near
Rhosymedre
Rhosymedre () is a village within the community of Cefn, in Wrexham County Borough, Wales.
The Anglican church, which was consecrated in 1837, is dedicated to St John the Evangelist, and is part of the Diocese of St Asaph. Former vicars inclu ...
on the former
Rhosymedre Halt railway station site,
but newer maps of the proposed location show it to be more northerly towards Wrexham, near Johnstown.
References
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Proposed railway stations in Wales