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One of the UK’s coolest places to live that ‘rivals Oxford’ reveals plans for new train station
The town has even won awards for both its high street and markets
A PRETTY UK town named one of the best places to live has revealed the latest plans to open a new train station.
Shrewsbury, in Shropshire, wants to open the second station to reduce the pressure on the current main station.
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Called Shrewsbury Parkway, the station would welcome trains from the Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR).
This would connect the town to places such as Telford, Wolverhampton and Milton Keynes, as well as to London Euston.
It is part of the Shrewsbury Moves campaign that wants to improve transport across the town, which would also upgrade parts of the current main Shrewsbury Train Station.
Shropshire Council Deputy Leader Ian Nellins said: "We’re very excited to see further progress for Shrewsbury Moves by working with SLC and WSMR.
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"WSMR’s plans for new services from Shropshire to London offer a lifeline in connectivity to our communities and ensure that as the population of Shropshire increases, we have the infrastructure to support it.
“A parkway station is part of our longer term plans and would reduce the pressure on Shrewsbury’s station and help cut traffic within the town centre.”
A planned opening date if given the go-ahead has not been confirmed.
However, trains from Shrewsbury to London take around 2hr40 when changing at Crewe or Birmingham.
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Last year, Shropshire was named a top destination to visit by ABTA where it was praised as a "rural gem".
Mark Hooper, project lead at Visit Shropshire, said at the time that they were a "growing destination".
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Not only that, but last year the Sunday Times said it was one of the "coolest postcodes to move to".
Often compared to York and Oxford as a better value destination, the town's most famous resident was Charles Darwin.
Tourists can enjoy the Darwin festival every year, as well as the Darwin Shrewsbury Trail to see important places in his life.
You can even stay in the hotel Darwin's Townhouse, one of the highest rated in town and once welcomed the naturalist.
There is also Wyle Cop street, which claims to have the longest row of independent shops in the UK.
It has even previously been named as being the "UK's best high street".
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Otherwise head to Shrewsbury Market Hall, which is also award-winning.
It won the title of Britain’s Favourite Market 2025 for the fourth year in a row by the National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA).
Stop off at Shrewsbury Castle, built by William the Conqueror, as well as the Victorian Shrewsbury Prison.
Said to be one of the UK's most haunted prisons, you can even spend the night there on a ghost tour - and we tried it out.
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Too nervous to stay? The town's Wetherspoons has cheap rooms at The Shrewsbury Hotel.
Here's another market town in the UK that wants a new train station.
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