New rail station among Shrewsbury transport plans

Shrewsbury could be set for a new railway station under plans to take traffic away from the town centre.

The scheme for “Shrewsbury Parkway” station was among a range of proposals put forward as part of a new transport strategy for Shrewsbury’s town centre, which will be the subject of a public consultation later this month.

The strategy aims to make the area within the River Severn loop more pedestrian and cycle friendly, and could see through routes for cars replaced by short “traffic loops” to move traffic in and out of the town centre.

The plan, a joint proposal developed by Shropshire Council, Shrewsbury Town Council and Shrewsbury Business Improvement District, also aims to prioritise public transport by creating two-way bus corridors through the town centre, and extend and improve the existing park and ride scheme with ambitious gateway projects.

A total of 20 key improvement projects have been identified which, if adopted, would see the earliest changes begin to take shape over the next three years.

The scheme for Shrewsbury Railway Station would see a new pickup and drop-off area created near the Buttermarket on Howard Street, with the existing frontage redeveloped to provide a new public transport interchange.

Meanwhile plans for the new Shrewsbury Parkway station would see a new rail stop developed in the east of the town, aiming to reduce traffic at the town’s main railway station and provide an alternative for commuters travelling from Shrewsbury and onto the wider rail network towards Telford and Birmingham.

Plans for a new hop-on, hop-off “water taxi” service to operate along the River Severn will also be explored as part of the proposal.

“It’s ambitious and exciting, and some of the proposals might be surprising, but I would urge everyone to take the time to consider them and how they would impact the town centre,” said Councillor Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council Portfolio Holder for Climate Change, Environment and Transport.

“As is made clear throughout the strategy, we are not talking about closing roads to traffic, it’s about considering a different approach to the way people travel in and around Shrewsbury.”

A public consultation will begin on Friday, January 26, with the launch of a “town trail” with accompanying materials. A number of drop in events will also be held at St Mary’s Church.

The consultation will run until Friday, March 22.

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