Faster Wolverhampton to Walsall train journey thanks to new Shrewsbury service - but with a catch

Until now it has run an hourly service, stopping at all stations between Shropshire's county town and Wolverhampton, with Transport for Wales (TfW) offering a faster train.

However, from Monday, WMR is introducing a second 'semi-fast' service that stops at fewer stations - only Wellington, Telford Central and Shifnal - compared to its current train, while the other service is detoured via Tame Bridge Parkway on its way between Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street.

WMR says the diversion is ahead of new stations at Willenhall and Darlaston being opened in late 2025.

The new service via Tame Bridge Parkway will also mean those wanting to travel between Wolverhampton and Walsall can enjoy a quicker journey

Currently journeys take around an hour, and involve going via Birmingham New Street, but from Monday that can be cut in half, albeit with a change at Tame Bridge.

The train operator admits that journey times between the Black Country and Oakengates, Cosford, Albrighton, Codsall and Bilbrook will be longer, as that train is diverted along the new, less direct route between Wolverhampton and Birmingham. These stations will also lose their direct regular connection with Smethwick Galton Bridge.

Jonny Wiseman, WMR customer experience director, said: “Timetables are changing on Sunday 2 June and I urge passengers to double-check their travel plans as timings may have changed. The timetable has been developed with feedback from passengers and communities taken into account and the changes have been brought in to provide passengers with a more robust and better-performing overall service.”

Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton and Birmingham timetable

From Monday, two early morning WMR trains will leave Shrewsbury at 5.40am and 6.10am and call at all stations to Wolverhampton. From there, the first will go to New Street via Smethwick, a journey of 23 minutes, while the second will go via Tame Bridge Parkway, which will take an additional 11 minutes.

The first semi-fast WMR service, only stopping at Wellington, Telford Central and Shifnal before reaching Wolverhampton, leaves Shrewsbury at 6.51, getting to Wolverhampton at 7.30am and New Street at 7.52am, before another slow train calling at all stations leaves at 7.10am,.

After that, the quicker WMR service will leave Shrewsbury just before the hour from 7.57am until the last departs one at 7.30pm, with end-to-end journey times of just over an hour. The slower trains will leave at five past the hour and take 81 minutes to travel the route. After that, only slower WMR trains will run east towards the Black Country, though the quicker TfW train will still be running into the evening.

Birmingham to Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury timetable

In the opposite direction, the first trains of the day will leave New Street at 5.56am and 6.22am - the first being a slow that stops at all stations after Wolverhampton and the second being a semi-fast.

A regular pattern of slow trains via Tame Bridge Parkway followed by semi-fast services will start from 7.29am, with the slower services leaving shortly before half past each hour while the quicker alternative leaves at eight minutes to each hour. This pattern continues until 6.26pm, with hourly slow trains - this time running via Smethwick - leaving New Street at 6.52pm, 8.04pm, 8.52pm, 9.62pm and 10.56pm.

Other routes

From Monday to Saturday, Birmingham Snow Hill trains starting and terminating at Kidderminster will call at Langley Green, Old Hill and Lye, but not Hagley or Blakedown. Those stations will be served by trains continuing to Worcester, which will miss out Langley Green, Old Hill and Lye.

Stourbridge Town shuttle services will be slightly amended to align with new timings of services at Stourbridge Junction.