Flooding caused significant disruption on the railway line between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton earlier this month, resulting in a lack of services at Wellington Station.
The situation was made worse by the theft of 140 metres of cable from the line in the Albrighton area at the same time.
Following the flooding, Mark asked Network Rail’s Chief Executive to provide an update on what action Network Rail plans to take to reduce the frequency of flooding at Wellington and elsewhere on the line.
In response, Network Rail have said they would take the following action to reduce flooding on the line at Wellington and keep services running during periods of heavy rain:
- Work with Telford and Wrekin Council to keep those responsible for third party culverts to keep them maintained and clear of debris
- Build a new artificial reservoir on railway land to store excess water which can then be pumped in a controlled way to drain correctly
- Explore options for a flood barrier between Donnington and Wellington which can be used during heavy rain to reduce the levels of water reaching the tracks.
Commenting, Mark said:
"Local residents need reliable train services at Wellington, and I want to see those services expanded. That's why I wrote to the Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway Company earlier this year to call for its planned new direct services to and from London to stop at Wellington station.
"I welcome Network Rail's plans to invest in a new artificial reservoir and possibly a flood barrier to reduce flooding on the railway line. However, more long-term planning and investment is needed.
"I will continue to make the case for Network Rail to invest more in the local network and understand the wider impact of disruption to local rail services."
