The UK Government has been urged to adopt proposals by Network Rail to solve the congestion problem on the Borderlands Line from Wrexham to Bidston.

Business and local authority leaders from North Wales, the Wirral, and Cheshire West and Chester in the Growth Track 360 partnership have urged the government to give serious consideration to the proposals.

In August 2022, the Office for Road and Rail (ORR) designated the Wrexham to Bidston line as congested infrastructure because it could not accommodate a proposal by Transport for Wales to run two passenger trains per hour and for hourly freight services to serve the Heidelberg Cement Works at Padeswood.

The regulator’s designation triggered a statutory process which required Network Rail to review the causes of congestion and make recommendations to resolve them. In response, Network Rail’s “Capacity Enhancement Plan” published last summer proposes:

• Improving access to the sidings at the Heidelberg Cement Works at Padeswood so that longer trains can enter the works without the need to split or shunt them, a manoeuvre that blocks the line for 40 minutes, which prevents implementation of the proposed twice-hourly passenger services.
• Improving signalling, line speeds and safety at level crossings.

Growth Track 360 Chair and Leader of Cheshire West & Chester Council, Councillor Louise Gittins, said: “The Borderlands Line has fantastic potential by linking the cities of Wrexham in North Wales and Liverpool in England. Recent business case studies based on developing direct services between Wrexham and Liverpool City Centres show a strongly positive return.

“An improved interchange with the North Wales Coast Main Line at Shotton would also enable residents from Chester and the North Wales Coast to use the line to access Liverpool, Birkenhead, Wrexham and Deeside employment zones.

“The allocation of £1bn capital for North Wales in the Network North Programme is an opportunity to invest in the transformation of the Borderlands Line from a neglected backwater line into a high-value railway supporting connectivity and growth. A £35m investment to upgrade the Padeswood sidings will start the improvement journey. (North Wales Transport Commission cost estimate).”

“Heidelberg Cement are seeking more freight paths to take cement lorries off the roads and to transfer them to rail.

“Local partners can see the long-term potential of the line. GT360 urges the UK Government to join them and seize the moment by deploying funds from the Network North programme to increase capacity on the line.”

Growth Track 360 Board Member and Deputy Leader of Wrexham Council, Councillor David Bithell, said: “Transport for Wales has introduced 45-minute services on the Borderlands Line. They are addressing reliability issues with their rolling stock. Discussions have commenced with Merseyrail to reach an agreement for battery/electric trains on the Borderlands Line to access Liverpool Central in the future.”

Ashley Rogers, GT360 Business Representative, Chief Executive, North Wales Mersey Dee Business Council, said: “Fixing the causes of congested infrastructure on this line will be good for our businesses and our communities. It will open up job opportunities for workers and better access for residents to key centres from Wrexham through to Deeside Industrial Park and onwards to Liverpool.

“These improvements will also help to drive a modal shift from road to public transport in North East Wales to reduce carbon emissions. The lines’ development will increase usage and interchange with the North Wales Coast Main Line, enhancing the business case for electrification.

“It’s very clear the investment for Borderlands will deliver positive economic, social and environmental returns. Network North funding now offers the opportunity to deliver one of the best rail investments in the UK.”