MASS TRAGEDY of mass rapid transit

HMG's Task Force on mass rapid transit, so far, has worked out as not being rapid or a massive answer to congested/polluted roads.  23 Kms in 45 years of trying when they wanted 200 Kms by the year 2000, 26 years ago.  By that year they had precisely 21 Kms, 19 Kms on a former mainline railway that could have its trains back and stations years earlier!

Since Jan 2020, the Mayor of the W Mids has wanted 240 Kms, 8 lines and 380 tram stops by 2040.  Only costing £15 billion.

All too devastating of roads, buildings and of nature.

All too expensive at a time of Climate breakdown of extreme weather and disturbed climate patterns and rapidly depleting gas and oil which, with coal, the worst offenders.

All too diverting of time, staff and money from addressing Climate and sustainability issues which we ignore like dumb sheep, so we can live foolishly, infinitely on a finite planet and unnaturally on a natural planet.  Human folly.  As stupid as two police officers being unable to see that their top priority was to save the life of the man at their feet and flat on his face, pleading for help as he lay dying.

Political killers like Bibi and Donald are losers in 'vanquishing' their enemies only to find they are not subdued after all!

Our war-loving politicians always get the backing of the people for their violent escapades - war criminals, the lot of them. 

Political killers like Bibi and Donald have still not beaten their enemies into the ground.

Of all the Israeli PMs, Bibi has been the longest and most persistent but has still not been able to subdue his neighbouring nations into submission. They're even more angry and hate-filled for Israel. Wot a loser. Wot a failure and war criminal!

Mixed-Use Railway nirvana

Heavy rail with far too many freight only lines in the West Midlands

Tram-train and train-tram

Metro

Light Rail

Very Light Rail

Ultra Light Rail

Sprint - the bus that thinks its a tram

All about turning buses and trains into even more railway modes.

At the most shocking cost!

At least half a dozen railway modes causes confusion as to which to use,

more changes from all the different transport modes,

means more delays.

Takes money and therefore finite resources away.

Gobbles up yet more finite fossil fuels to make fools of us all when none is left - long after I'm dead and buried.

Accelerates Climate horrors for future generations.

Greedily takes from future stores/requirements and today's people who simply want easier, faster, cheaper travel from good ol' buses and trains!

Gazans have nothing; we rich Westerners have the lot.

Greedy and selfish as we all go down the swanny to yet more jolly catastrophes - in future, not just confined to the Middle East!

We are far too entitled, privileged and expecting even more from a planet that cannot go delivering ever more for us wealthy types.

Front gardens, tree and grass embankment gone for a tramway or two in the West Midlands.  Nature takes a hammering from tram expansion and she gets her own back with worse Climate horrors.

MASS TRAGEDY

HMG's Task Force on rapid mass transit, so far, has worked out as not being rapid or a massive answer to congested/polluted roads.  25 Kms in 41 years of trying when they wanted 200 Kms by 26 years ago.  By that year they had precisely 21 Kms, 19 Kms on a former mainline railway that could have its trains back and stations years earlier!

Since Jan 2020, the Mayor of the W Mids has wanted 240 Kms, 8 lines and 380 tram stops by 2040.  Only costing £15 billion.

Action on Climate - from the Guardian

 ... Just as we know what is driving climate breakdown – humanity’s burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of nature, largely driven by animal agriculture – we also have all of the solutions to address it. We just need the political will.

A strong example of that is happening in Australia. In this piece, environment correspondents Adam Morton and Petra Stock explained how the country is at the forefront of a revolution in home renewables and battery use, a move that is already bringing down energy bills amid the upheaval of the crisis in the Middle East. The transformation offers lessons for the rest of the world. It’s an inspiring piece about a real shift.

We also covered the publication of a sweeping new vision laid out by a group of academics, including Thomas Piketty, setting out an alternative to climate breakdown, political extremism and economic tensions. Their ideas include a set of bold policy proposals, including wealth taxes on billionaires, sharp reductions in working hours, a change in diets and a shift of investment from sectors, such as industry and mining, to education and health.

Katharine Viner, Editor in Chief, Guardian

This week, European environment correspondent Ajit Niranjan reported on the likely return of El Niño, the powerful weather pattern that raises global temperatures and worsens some rainfall. According to the World Meteorological Organisation, it has an 80% chance of forming before September and a 90% chance before November. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, warned that “El Niño conditions will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world”.

The prospect of ever-rising temperatures and more extreme weather is deeply troubling, but this week we have also reported on how quickly we can change things for the better. Just as we know what is driving climate breakdown – humanity’s burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of nature, largely driven by animal agriculture – we also have all of the solutions to address it. We just need the political will.

Keep things simple and obvious; not complicated and difficult

When you have built a monorail which takes shoppers from the free car park at the Waterfront into the heart of the Merry Hill Shopping Centre, don't destroy it to build the mighty tramway which will deposit shoppers from the shops at Dudley onto the high canal embankment over 100 metres away from the main entrance!

When you have a principal mainline railway between London and Edinburgh through the 1 m population of the Black Country on the western side of the 1 m population of Birmingham, simply reinstate the monorail.  But this time, connect it to that same mainline railway "of national strategic significance" at the Waterfront free car park instead of turning it into:

part tramway

    part freight railway

        part Very Light Railway (VLR) test track

            part another VLR HQ and innovation centre

                part cycle-walkway;

and this, when you have already built all the tunnels, bridges and flyovers for the intercity and commuter trains to return!

YOU are destroying nature and open spaces at Merry Hill by your stunning stupidity in building and then selling the monorail to Australia!

YOU are also destroying nature, open spaces and gardens along Hagley Road by building the highly extravagant tramway.

This, to take funds away from extending regional Fare-Free Public Transport to ALL  age groups.

And YOU are complicating public transport journeys by adding more modes with Light Rail trams like Metro and, Very Light Rail trams as in Coventry.

YOU are obsessed with new transport modes like Sprint (the bus that thinks its a tram) instead of using that money to reward and discourage car commuters who leave their cars at home to jump on a bus, train or tram.

GO FOR A TRIAL of 'Hagley Road Rush Hour Trial, viz

essential road users in rush hours must register to avoid the cameras fining them for thoughtless behaviour.

Non-essential car users are fined but also rewarded by regional, Fare-Free Public Transport on bus, train, tram.

Paid for by abandoning expansion of the new modes, like the two main trams and Sprint buses being rolled out in the W Midlands.

Cameras fining unregistered vehicles between 0600 hrs and 1000 hrs; and, 1500 hrs to 1900 hrs.  8 hrs a day, Monday to Friday.

Even tourist/visitor drivers are not exempt.  But keep penalty to £10 per session (one session is the 4 hr window)

Ignorance is no excuse.

Unlike the dinosaurs, we only have ourselves to blame!

Lasted for 150 m years; wiped out by outer space 'debris'.

Good ol' humans around for less than one million years and our present very high standard of living has been enjoyed by only the 'lucky' wealthy section for 100 years.  And that very wealth is their/our undoing - fossil fuels are making fossil fools of us all!

350 millions to form them.  Good ol' English speaking world, plus Europe, China and Russia are ripping through the lot in less than 350 years!  Even if our ailing life support systems can last out to 2100.

Is this poetic justice?  We look down our noses at how unsuccessful the dinosaurs were but we, modern day know-alls on earth are the very ones who have not a clue how to live sustainably.  But the dinosaurs DID!

War fervour by UK government is leading to re-armament and ramping up the Climate Emergency

Top government politicians are speaking up the fear of war from an attack by Russia and, after the start of the 28 February unlawful and unprovoked war on Iran by America and Israel, an attack from Iran.

In addition, America's threat to attack Canada and Greenland has also alarmed HMG.  Hence, they are frightened and paranoid.  Even the Overseas Aid budget has been raided to get funds for armaments and yet more war in the Middle East.  This is as obscene as stealing people from other lands to work, not even for a pittance and living in hovels, to make the USA/UK the wealthiest band of reprobates, robbers and murderers there has ever been.

Here is a positive, practical, credible suggestion:

In either the 1990s or the 00s, the national highway authority at the time, did the most magnificent and extensive nature recovery programme on the central reservation of Manor Way/A456 in Halesowen that there has ever been on that section of road.  However, it was soon partly destroyed by the major carriageway reconstruction programme carried out by national highways.  It is now Dudley's responsibility.  Who exactly?

There did remain the thick section of trees, shrubs and plants opposite the new Maybank housing development.  It was the same further east between Manor Lane traffic lights and Lapal Lane South where the planting was clear felled to make way for the carriageway works.

After many years of writing to the authorities asking for the reinstatement of the earlier scheme, I was eventually rewarded by the planting of the cherry trees where, previously there had been a thick and extensive woodland of trees and shrubs - exactly like what remains opposite Maybank.  The cherry tree planting was NOT full reinstatement which the authorities should have carried out after the carriageway reconstruction.

However, they still have the opportunity to act positively and constructively in the international efforts to slow Climate breakdown.

Please write an email to Dudley Council asking for the reinstatement of the nature recovery programme that they have shown is possible, practical and, was once done by national highways decades ago.  Could you please copy me in to the email you write.  Thanks!

This is first rate writing

 https://brokenbottleboy.substack.com/p/in-praise-of-jeremy-bowen?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share

Bowen quoting thoughts of a visitor to the Western Wall

Jeremy: I was filming near the Western Wall when a woman stopped with her own peace plan, "This is like the magnet site for sanctity.  Everyone who turns up in Jerusalem makes something out of it, unfortunately.  The only hostages are them and God and they need to move him somewhere else.

Jeremy: That is not going to happen.  Jerusalem and its holy sites sit at the heart of the Middle East like a time bomb.  Its sanctity is tangled intimately with nationalism and power.  Jews, Christians and Muslims have, at different times, controlled Jerusalem often for centuries.  Jewish kings, Roman emperors, Byzantines, Persians, Muslim caliphs, Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans, European imperialists and, most recently, Israelis.  All long to possess Jerusalem both above and below ground.

History shows how Christian believers are influential for the good

Dear Jeremy

In the 1640s, British evangelicals were Cromwell's core base when the Bible believing, God fearing Puritans became the one government in our history to put to trial and to execute the only monarch in our one thousand year old history.  King Charles 1 was executed in January 1649.

Christians played a part in the abolition of slavery and the ending of empire building around the world.

In this century, American evangelicals have been part of Bibi Netanyahu's and Donald Trump's core base in their support for Bibi and the election of Donald in their prosecution of war in the Middle East to bring lasting peace, prosperity and security for all in the region.

In this decade, Halesowen evangelicals could be central in the fight to mitigate and adapt to the Climate Emergency which Dudley Council declared in 2020.

In either the 1990s or the 00s, the national highway authority at the time, did the most magnificent and extensive nature recovery programme on the central reservation of Manor Way that there has ever been on that section of road.  However, it was soon partly destroyed by the major carriageway reconstruction programme carried out by national highways.

There did remain the thick section of trees, shrubs and plants opposite the new Maybank housing development.  It was the same further east between Manor Lane traffic lights and Lapal Lane South where the planting was clear felled to make way for the carriageway works.

After many years of writing to the authorities asking for the reinstatement of the earlier scheme, I was eventually rewarded by the planting of the cherry trees where, previously there had been a thick and extensive woodland of trees and shrubs - exactly like what remains opposite Maybank.  The cherry tree planting was NOT full reinstatement which the authorities should have carried out after the carriageway reconstruction.

However, they still have the opportunity to act positively and constructively in the international efforts to slow Climate breakdown.

I would like, if there is majority support, for our church eco-group to write an email to Dudley Council asking for the reinstatement of the nature recovery programme that they have shown is possible, practical and, was once done by national highways decades ago.

Christian/Bible values remain foundational to Americans

The Pilgrims landed in America on November 21, 1620, in what is now Provincetown Harbour, Massachusetts.  They were English Protestants who believed in the authority of the Bible for all matters related to faith and daily living.  They were the foundation of the modern USA.  Yet, we have had 400 years of internal killings with many tens of thousands of the indigenous Indians slaughtered, as well as more Americans dead in the 1860s Civil War than were killed in SE Asia from 1959 to 1975 - 58,000 with two or three million SE Asians wiped out by American soldiers.

"The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States from 1861 to 1865, over the issue of slavery. It resulted in the dissolution of the Confederate States, the abolition of slavery, and the death of over 600,000 soldiers and civilians."  Wikipedia

I can well understand your consternation!

It was brilliant to have someone responding and objecting to my writings!

I might respond to your comments in stages over the coming days, if you don't mind!  I wonder if you can put up with my very minority stance on the issues in my previous email over Dudley's lack of concern over the matters I highlighted.  Anyway, this as Response 1:

Tuesday, 2 June 2026

I can well understand your consternation!

We Brits love wars and are fueling and funding and profiting from our war on the Gazans, the Lebanese and the Iranians.  Here is a non-violent war which is honourable, absolutely right and something which is so easy to agree on!:

We Brits, nowadays, don't declare war but we always fully support our friends, like America and Israel, when they go to war. Inaccurate and unfair comment.  UK has given very minimal support to the US/Israel attack on Iran, much to the chagrin of Trump.

Many of America's attacks on Iran since the 28 February have been from their USAF bases in England.  Keir Starmer quickly changed his mind and agreed to the illegal and immoral attacks from little ol' England - America's largest aircraft carrier.

I consider even minimal support to America/Israel makes us complicit in war crimes.  In fact, it appears to be much more than minimal support.  Spain, Netherlands, ROI have said and done much to show their displeasure at Israel's war crimes, their horror at our disproportionate and indiscriminate slaughter and the recent abuse and ill treatment of over 400 activists from forty countries when they were arrested by Israel in international waters.  Israel, remember is our big friend and ally since 1948 when we withdrew from Palestine and let them get on with claiming the land as the spoils from victory in war. 

We have always prided ourselves on our special relationship with the Americans because we started the white man's exodus over the waves to take over the continent for the English speaking peoples.  We have been the unofficial 51st state but we are now challenged by Israel for that position.

We fully support America and Israel because we have never countenanced boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) on either of our two close friends for their aggression since 1945.  The blatant aggression in so many parts of the world were nearly always (I think I'm right in saying) without the full approval of resolutions from the United Nations.  There must be an honourable exception, somewhere and I will do further research!  Our 2001 attack on Afghanistan after 9/11 did have some support from the UN.  But our 20 year occupation was a catastrophe for the country, according to Jeremy Bowen, the BBC's International Editor.  In his essay on 'Today', 2026) he wrote, "Unlike the current war with Iran, the first Gulf War had the legal authorisation of the UN Security Council."  This was the war to drive Iraq out of Kuwait in 1991.

Dudley Council's two wars

We Brits love wars and are fueling and funding and profiting from our war on the Gazans, the Lebanese and the Iranians.  Here is a non-violent war which is honourable, absolutely right and something which is so easy to agree on!:

We Brits, nowadays, don't declare war but we always fully support our friends, like America and Israel, when they go to war.  But we did declare a National Climate Emergency in 2019.

More plants and healthy soils are the best way to capture some of the CO2 we pump out.  YET ...

Our Dudley Council declared their Emergency in 2020.  It seems, nothing has changed because they stubbornly continue their war on Nature and, in addition, declare a war of Negligence!

Dudley's war on nature:

• For the 50 years I have lived in Halesowen there remains the largest (30 m) UK roundabout on my doorstep without a single blade of grass or weed - my own efforts were removed!
• For over 20 years Dudley refused to fully reinstate the rich woodland habitat on the central reservation of the A456 dual carriageway between the barren, bare, all-tarmac Grange roundabout and Lapal Lane South.
• The council refuses to turn Lapal Lane South/Manor Way triangle into a pocket woodland and to enhance the footway to make it safer for walkers to join our footpath network in our Golden Green Triangle of countryside.
• In an act of ecocidal folly, 100 metres of grass, trees and shrubs have been buried at Merry Hill for the spanking new Dudley 'Donald Trump' Tram being built to the shopping centre. 

Dudley's war of negligence:

• Today, I noticed, growing grasses hinder the vital sight line at A456 eastbound with Jct 3, M5 roundabout.
• The council refuses to cut the grass back from the carriageway edge on Manor Way, preferring an annual cut of the whole wide central reservation which hinders Nature's recovery and the mitigation of Climate breakdown.
• Dudley's vast landfill site at Gornal/Gornalwood remains open to the public when the officer responsible told me that there is a cocktail of poisonous gases venting from it.
• In one part, alongside, is Dudley's 5Kms of cycle-walkway which remains a disgrace, in contrast to our neighbouring councils 15 Kms sections to the north.
• Active travel instead of fossil fool travel is one of the best ways to respond to the Climate Emergency.  Dudley MBC thinks otherwise.

When your political and/or​ religious beliefs

When your political and/or​ religious beliefs lead to oppression and slaughter of your neighbours there is something fundamentally wrong with them.

​Isn't this exactly what always goes on​? Everyone in power, from the Judeo-Christian world of Great Powers to the BRIC nations, all use oppression, domination, violence and warfare to maintain and entrench their position. ​ Hence, our triumphalist behaviour in making the most of Russia's discomfiture in losing their former satellite states and even the Warsaw Pact being disbanded.  We took advantage and swept eastwards in glorious victory at our good fortune in picking up more members for NATO and the EU.  Thus:

Provoking Putin, no 1

We boast that we won the Cold War, when it was Russia who decided that it was no longer going to play the little boys' game of who can acquire the most weaponry and compliant satellite states. 

Provoking Putin, no 2

The Warsaw Pact disbanded and we acquired three or four of their members into NATO.​  After all, there's was an offensive pact of Communist nations, anyway, set up after we had formed NATO to ensure the Soviets would never attack us.  Remember, the wicked Communists had only helped us to win two world wars that were all the fault of Germany, anyway.  Germany, the nation which arms little ol' 'David' Israel against the 'Goliath' hordes of Palestinians and antisemites like me!  Germany, the Christian nation which taught the Jews how to do holocaust/genocide/eternal wars.

Provoking Putin, no 3

Overthrowing his man in Kyiv​, properly and fairly elected, to put in our Western backed ​pro EU Zelensky.

​Provoking Putin no 4

Crowing/boasting/rejoicing and taking full advantage as the USSR collapsed.  Unable to show empathy over the loss of the Russian 'empire' but simply incorporating the old enemy's friends into our sphere of influence/empire/war chest.

Provoking Putin, no 5

Being in a hurry to unite Germany before they changed their mind.  What did the West say to Moscow in the 90s about reunification and NATO?  Nothing was written down, apparently.

Provoking Putin no 6

Germany too friendly with Russia?  What was all that about, Paddy when you were speaking to me about Angela Merkel and Gerhard Schroeder?  I think you were not impressed with them building Nord Stream.  The understatement of the year?!

These jaundiced views of mine were influenced by reading the sobering 2024 book by Martin Sixsmith with Daniel Sixsmith - 'The Return of History: how the Kremlin rekindled the Cold War'.  Martin was BBC Moscow correspondent in the 90s.

The arrogance and criminality of American, British and Israeli leaders

These misguided aggressors have wreaked havoc on the world since 4 August 1914 with the blessing of naive people who allow themselves to be conscripted into killing to 'solve' problems.

Water wastage on a grand scale at Windsor Great Park

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/21/england-harvest-rainfall-water-usage-shortages-house-of-lords-report?CMP=share_btn_url

“England must harvest rainfall and take action on water usage, Lords warn”

Yet, on yesterday’s visit, I saw the three most enormous, industrial scale, sprinklers well and truly dowsing Smith’s Lawn with 100% pure, fresh water.
Was this really necessary at the end of a cool, showery spell of weather and at the beginning of a dry period which may last most of the summer?
You were using a prodigious amount of water when my wife and I are using washing up water after cleaning the dishes, to water our garden. Setting you all a very good example!
Please put your point of view in reply. THANK YOU!

Comment re Anita's blog post

Once again, I read every word, admired every photo and so enjoyed hearing about all the good, the bad and the indifferent aspects of this brilliant adventure by all you wonderful young things. I still love exploratory adventures myself but mainly in the high hills of Scotland and on my own. But I wait, 'cos I'm 78 years, for high pressure to descend on the hills. I'm still cycling, sometimes to cut down on driving, two to four times a week.

Thanks for a great, entertaining read that made me smile in delight!

Tim Weller (Dad of Becky Willson, another great cyclist and adventurer)

to Pre-Metro Operations re Shuttle tram for Black Country Railway

Dear Cat

It is simpler and cheaper to re-introduce commuter and freight trains on the principal mainline railway

 "of national strategic significance".pdf

between Stourbridge Jct and Brierley Hill (and, eventually to Burton on Trent/Derby).  This will take the pressure off our overheating Climate and congested roads.  The money saved, by keeping that section of line for heavy rail, should be used to extend regional Fare-Free Public Transport from my old crocks age group to you youngsters.

However, do use the Stourbridge Shuttle in a clockwise circuit from Town station to allow pedestrianisation of High Street and to link up with the large car park next to the Stourbridge Road Civic Amenity Site and then back to the Interchange.  I have previously sent Pre-Metro Operations a plan for their support for this suggestion but I don't recall receiving a reply.

In the 1990s and 00s I was writing to PTA/Centro in full support of John Parry.  We eventually got his PPM on the world's shortest branch line.  SUCCESS!

Do you remember that the whole purpose of Metro trams on the Black Country Railway

 "of national strategic significance".pdf

was to get the former, 100 year old successful passenger and freight trains back on that 120 Kms line between Worcester and Derby?  The constant mantra trotted out was:

THE LIE:

"Light rail investment provides the basis for restoring heavy rail services at the appropriate time."

Letter to Tim Weller from Tom Magrath, Passenger Services Director, Centro, 18th September 2000 (26 years ago!).

Andy Street, on one particular occasion when we met, was certainly wanting the reassurance from the officers at 16 Summer Lane, that trams would not stop the eventual full reopening of that railway "of national strategic significance". Therefore, heavy rail trains on that vital heavy rail line, NOT LR Metro or VLR/ULR Stourbridge Shuttle trams.

Do you agree with Andy Street and me that we must all urgently work towards that end?