Details of transport in Wrexham

Wrexham > Transport

Rail

Wrexham has two railway stations. Wrexham General & Wrexham Central. Until the early 1980s what is now platform 4 of Wrexham General, serving the Wrexham Central - Bidston service, was a separate station, Wrexham Exchange.

Wrexham General

Wrexham General was opened in 1846 (rebuilt in 1912) it has 6 platforms (4 through, 2 terminal) and provides direct rail services to Bangor, Birmingham, Cardiff, Chester, Holyhead, Liverpool, Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton. From Spring 2008 a new (5 times daily) direct service to London will begin, this will include stops at Tame Bridge Parkway (Walsall) and Banbury. The new service will be based in Wrexham and operated by Wrexham and Shropshire. All local services that operate from Wrexham Central also run through General.

Wrexham Central

Wrexham Central which is located on the Island Green retail park has 1 platform, but splits into 2 tracks on the outskirts of the town.It provides direct rail services Gwersyllt, Cefn-y-Bedd, Caergwrle, Hope, Penyffordd, Buckley, Hawarden, Shotton, Hawarden Bridge, Neston, Heswall, Upton (Wirral), Bidston (where there are connections to Liverpool and West Kirby). Until the 1998 construction of the Island Green retail park, Wrexham Central station was located 50 metres further along the track.

Plans are afoot to electrify the Borderlands line with runs through General and Central to Deeside and the Wirral. This would increase capacity and times on the line.

Local Stations

There are further three local stations in the Borough at Chirk, Ruabon and Gwersyllt, with plans to re-open at least another two over the next few years at Rossett and Johnstown. Plans also include a ’Park and Rail’ service from one of these locations into Wrexham Central, to ease current traffic congestion and pressure on town centre car parks.

Bus & Coach

A recent focus on road transport by the council has improved bus travel in the Wrexham area, with most buses being low-floor and slightly elevated bus stops to allow people easier access to buses. A new bus terminal, the largest in north Wales, has been built in Wrexham, featuring indoor shops and ambient music, along with a staffed information booth. The bus station serves local, regional and long-distance bus services. It is served by various bus companies, including Arriva Wales/Cymru, GHA, and Bryn Melyn. Long distance coaches are available to Edinburgh and London.

The "Wrexham shuttle" provides a link between Wrexham and the nearby industrial estate, there is a similar one in operation in the Deeside area.

Wrexham is served by the National Express coach network, it picks up from the King street bus station.

Wrexham is one of the first areas in the United Kingdom to adopt the use of the distinctive yellow American Bluebird school buses. 10 currently operate in the Wrexham area, transporting pupils to and from the schools and colleges.

Roads

The town centre is orbited by a ring road. The northern and eastern parts of the road are dualled between Rhosddu Road roundabout and Eagles Meadow. The ring road and Mold Road/Regent Street are the main sources of congestion in the town. Park and Ride facilities have been introduced on a weekend basis, however future plans to extend the service are to be discussed.

The A483 is Wrexham’s principal route. It skirts the western edge of the town, dividing it from the urban villages to the west. The road has connections with major roads (A55, M53, A5(M54)).

The A5156 leads to the A534 and on to the Wrexham Industrial Estate.

The A541 is the main route into Wrexham from Mold and the town’s western urban area.