Transport for Wales (TfW) and Visit Shropshire are to work together to advertise the ease and benefits of travelling in the West Midlands county by train.

TfW’s network includes many Shropshire towns and villages including Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Whitchurch, Wellington, Gobowen, and Church Stretton, the station from which travellers can access the Shropshire Hills and their walking trails.

Walkers can either take the trail straight from the train, or use the new ‘Round the Mynd’ shuttle bus loop which stops next to Church Stretton station.

TfW’s large network stretches from Cardiff in the south to Manchester in the north, and from Birmingham in the east to Holyhead and Milford Haven in the west. So the partnership between TfW and Visit Shropshire is aiming to attract people from beyond the county, including from neighbouring Cheshire, other Midlands counties and the Welsh borders.

TfW hopes that the speed and regularity of its services will also encourage people from more distant cities on its network to visit Shropshire for a day or a short break.

The two organisations will work jointly on a series of campaigns throughout the year across, using media such as their websites, social media and publicity in stations. They will highlight the environmental benefits of travelling by rail rather than by car.

Transport for Wales (TfW) is offering advance ticketing specials and opportunities for kids to travel across the network. It is also introducing First Class services into Shrewsbury, with catering options available.

Victoria Leyshon, partnership marketing manager at Transport for Wales said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Visit Shropshire to raise awareness of the West Midlands county, and of course, promote sustainable travel. We’re looking forward to working together on some new initiatives to encourage more people to jump aboard and explore the delights of Shropshire by train”.

Mark Hooper, project lead at Visit Shropshire, said: “It’s great to be working with TfW whose network really does have most of the county covered. Many of our towns aren’t designed to accommodate lots of cars, which is why travelling and exploring by train makes so much sense. And with sustainability key to our future plans, it’s great to work with a partner whose services can connect with other car-free experience we offer, such as walking trails, cycle routes and our new shuttle bus loop to key beauty spots, pubs and cafés”.