Oxfordshire's newest railway service got off to a perfect start yesterday with the 8am Wrexham & Shropshire departure from Banbury to Wrexham leaving on time.
The first arrival from north-east Wales, however, due into Banbury en route to London Marylebone at 8.33am, was over half a hour later after suffering a technical fault at Wellington in Shropshire, which was repaired by the train's crew.
A W&S spokesman said: "We apologised to passengers on this service and they were all offered a full refund.
"Apart from this, our other services have performed well."
The new service restores a link from Oxfordshire lost in 1967, when British Rail withdrew express services from London on the former Great Western Railway route to Chester.
The trains also serve Tame Bridge Parkway, near Walsall; RAF Cosford; Telford; Chirk; Ruabon; and Gobowen, just outside Oswestry.
The service was officially launched at Wrexham General station by Wales's Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones, who also opened a depot which will maintain W&S's trains.
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