One of Oswestry's most popular attractions has introduced two new additions as part of future plans to return the railways to the town.

On Saturday, Cambrian Heritage Railways (CHR) took delivery of two class 144 passenger 'Pacer' trains from Porterbrook, the rolling stock finance and asset management company and long-time supporter of community rail.

The trains were built in 1987 have recently been retired from front line passenger work – having been mainly used around the North West and Yorkshire, and into Manchester and Liverpool.

They were delivered by rail to the CHR, which is a first for the group to receive rolling stock that way.

CHR chairman Roger Date thanked Porterbrook for their help in bringing the trains to Oswestry and is looking forward to one day seeing them carrying passengers from the town.

He said: "We are immensely grateful to Porterbrook for all their help.

"It is ironic that these trains were built in part as a cost effective way to provide new stock for routes that would otherwise have shut, in their retirement they will once again provide cost effective modern stock to the traveling public."

The intention is for these trains to provide modern stock with which to operate the Oswestry to Gobowen Community Rail service that CHR is promoting with others, including Oswestry Business Improvement District, North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson and Shiela Dee from the Community rail Partnership.

Roger added: "This is another exciting step forward with this project which now means CHR has control of the railway, parliamentary powers and stock to run the service.

"The acquisition was organised following discussions between the Community Rail Partnership and Porterbrook chief executive officer Mary Grant.”