TOO ASTONISHING TO BELIEVE!

Hi Jules and Bob - and copied to our Black Country Director of Transport, Stuart Everton for him to correct or amend.  And to Black Country LEP VIPs.

Thanks for the feedback! All very helpful.  And, I am so impressed by your ability to engage, to actually read my stuff and reply, too.  THANK YOU!  Very, very few people are at all bothered.

You wrote:

"I'm assuming most of them would disagree with you, but have no "right of reply" in this context, so I don't think the document is either fair or impartial." 

I have no reason to exaggerate, Jules.  This is the scandal.  It is completely but astonishingly true!  I'm in my third decade of observing the transport scene in the W Mids and taking on board what I have read and seen with my own eyes.

I only write and speak what I believe to be the correct facts and figures and I always want the individuals and organisations to please correct me, so that next time I do not misrepresent their views.  I try not to be derogatory.  Just stating the true facts of the case after working on all this since the mid 90s.  I have always been polite and, I hope, good humoured.  But, as a retired old codger who no longer works for Brum City Council, I feel I can be more outspoken and courageous.  I am aging fast, so I have nothing to lose and I'm running out of time!

I do have a track record of winning some and losing others.  I was leading the campaign against two enormous road schemes in the 1980s and 90s and won!  I was using the argument, then, of putting the trains back on the tracks FIRST.  This is now happening with 20 Kms out of the wasted 106 Kms that are now getting their trains and stations back - instead of trams in the case of Camp Hill.  I lost the campaign to stop the spoiling of the second Brum to Wolverhampton main line railway by turning it into a tram line.  It has led to Snow Hill platform 4 without trains; the Wolverhampton station turned into a conference and events centre; 3 or 4 Kms of track lost in Wolverhampton; and, ever since, an inferior railway service to Shrewsbury and North Wales.  That was Metro One that opened in 1999, after work started in 1981.  Metro One on the railway is now to be extended onto the next railway line - the half used 120 Kms.  It means the impossibility of ever being able to finish the full 120 Kms with regional and commuter trains.  Never again, Burton to Bristol via Brierley Hill; or, Derby to Devon via Dudley by fast intercity trains.

All I am asking for is that we use our urban railway lines for freight and passenger trains instead of trams that take platforms out of use, stations closed for ever and railway lines built on.  And, at a fraction of the price too!  Secondly, we must put commuter and regional trains (and Railfuture's nine desperately needed stations) back on ALL 106 Kms of double track railway lines in the Black Country, Brum and south Staffordshire (to Derby).  Still 86 Kms out of the 106 Kms to go!  Thirdly, Metro trams and Sprint buses are vanity projects, status symbols, immorally expensive; done mainly to keep up with the Jones's of this world and to impress the world in time for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.  We need TRAINS back on the tracks, first before anymore greenhouse gases pumped out by unnecessary and enormous expenditure on trams and Sprint diesel buses.  Stop yet more waste of 49.3 Kms of main line railway alongside slow vehicles on jam packed M5, M6 and main roads.  And, in the process, slowing planet earth turning in to planet venus (see Wikipedia).

Trams and Sprint diesel buses can never be the silver bullet to solve all our congestion and pollution problems.  My golden bullet is:-  "for a more sensible, cost effective and easier ways to reduce congestion and pollution go for fareless, electric buses for ALL; not for the few, like me!  This, to free up road space for essential users.  Paid for by abandoning Metro, diesel Sprint and CAZ."

Does this, now, seem fair enough and reasonable to you, Jules?

I am fully supporting the excellent, 2003 Railfuture document and superb map, here:

 Railfuture's full map.pdf

 Raillfuture text 01.pdf

 Raillfuture text 02.pdf

 Incredibly, W Mids RailFuture has withdrawn the document and no longer wish me to publicise it.  I still do.  Virtually everything in this sensible document, it seems, still needs to be urgently implemented.  In recent years, this top, UK railway lobbying group actually wants the 6.7 Kms of "bus on rails" trams on the UK's last, easily reinstated, almost everything is there, 120 Kms mainline railway "of national strategic significance"!  On their map, it is the one I have written, "Passenger line still wasted".  Railfuture does not want trains, it seems.  They are not going to tolerate their big name speakers upset by campaigning/lobbying and, therefore, put off from attending future conferences to be their VIP speakers.  They also adore light rail (and very light rail) "bus on rails" trams and tram trains (still trams but able to run on heavy rail lines).  Cost effectiveness is immaterial.  See:

 Transport costs per kilometre

Over the decades I have lived here, umpteen glossy brochures have been produced by urban planners in the West Midlands.  Only 6 Kms of railway line has been opened in the urban area, ie Smethwick Galton Bridge to Moor Street.  Yet, congestion and air pollution has worsened and railway lines lost - actually destroyed, obliterated.  The only feasible site for Dudley Castle Hill railway station is the latest that is being lost forever.  Yet, I am told they do want the trains and stations back, exactly where the trams are to go; and, the £30 m innovation centre exactly on the Dudley station site!  I am being lied to.  Or, they don't know what they are doing.

 FAKE NEWS, MISLEADING STATEMENTS AND LIES

For years, I have been told that it is too late to stop the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill tram extension (WBHE) going on the Black Country Railway "of national strategic significance".  

 "of national strategic significance".pdf

Preparatory work has started, even though the Black Country Director of Transport, Stuart Everton, told me on Monday that he does not, yet, have all the money.  He has always maintained that if he/his bosses change their mind to put back regional and commuter trains and stations, instead of trams and tram stops, he will lose the money he has got.  I don't think this is true.  HMG has given WMCA £250 million in a second devolution deal, last year.  With regional devolution, TfWM/WMCA can change their mind over how the money is spent.  The problem is that they will lose face.  One of my text messages to many of them ended with,

'Lose face for a day or have egg on your face forever.'

Unlike your good selves, not one person responded.  They all keep their heads well below the barricades and dare not speak out against the stupid, conventional transport wisdom of trams and yet more trams, as bus use slowly declines and congestion worsens on road and railways.  Their WBHE "bus on rails" tram means many more years of the 6 Kms wasted, unused for commuter trains, between Stourbridge and Brierley Hill.  Yet, in 2017, passenger trains were to be introduced, once more between Stourbridge and Brierley Hill for people to change onto the tram after 6 Kms on the train.  If, then, the trains were to go some of the way, why not all of the way to Wednesbury, Walsall and Derby?  But that train, change to tram idea, instead of trains all the way, into Brum has been squashed.  More packed trains and crowded roads for more decades.  The tram means more decades of nothing being done to finish the section from Wednesbury to Burton on Trent.  So, more years of nothing being done to relieve congestion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that our railway "of national strategic significance" could help with.  It runs alongside or near to slow moving traffic on M5 and M6.  Yet, these VIPs all want the 89 Kms, 8 to 10 lane, Western Orbital Motorway asap!

Stuart Everton told me that I am the only one who wants trains on my wasted 56 Kms of the 120 Kms Black Country Railway.  I told him that 183 people voted for me in June last year after reading my manifesto flyer for trains not trams on our local line.  Many people support me but, not one organisation or group will come out, bravely, to say that I may have a point.  Flash, smart, glitzy, glamorous "bus on rails" trams are so irresistible.  I love them, too.  But they take the money away from much more urgent priorities - like getting the trains back on existing unused railways before they get built on.

Stuart says that what I want is £400 million.  This is untrue when out of the unused 56 Kms for passenger trains, 26 Kms has freight.  Therefore, only 30 Kms needs the rusting tracks replaced and modern signalling and stations built.  He cannot have read my 

 Transport costs per kilometre

30 Kms x £6 m per Km (as for the rebuilt Borders Railway in 2015) = £180 million.  Therefore, £200 m at today's price to finish the mainline that is needed to take the pressure off 'Grand Central Shopping Centre and Diesel Perfumed Station Tagged Along As An Afterthought in the  Basement of the John Lewis Store'.  WOW!  What a mouthful of a name they have turned it into.

Sorry this is so long.  I will send the paragraphs that quote Stuart to him for him to read, check and correct.  It would be as nice to hear from him as it is always so nice to hear from you both!

Clearer edit:

 THEIR PLAN; MY PLAN

Best wishes

A Bigger Fiasco than Brexit!

HONESTLY, our leaders have more money than sense!

Further to my e-mail of yesterday, my standing as an Independent candidate is to expose a transport and financial scandal.  I think, the biggest in UK transport history.  But I need your help, Bev - PLEASE!  Are you able to do anything with this?

1. Scandal One: In yesterday's email, it was £1.38 BILLION to 2026 to replace buses and trains.  This further e-mail is to tell you of corporate corruption and idiocy and, of corporate incompetence and negligence.  I think these are the only words one can appropriately be used to describe this never ending scandal, viz:
2. Scandal Two: building roads, housing and trading estates and retail units on over 100 Kms of urban railway lines - all since the 1960s closure programme.
3. Scandal Three: decades of 106 Kms of under-used and completely unused, urban, double track railway lines in the Black Country, Brum and south Staffordshire, as we've all crawled along bumper to bumper in car or bus on choked roads and motorways.
4. Scandal Four: While, at the same time, many tens of millions of pounds were used to build tunnels and bridges for the Black Country Railway for new road and motorway schemes to pass over or under but, then, never to take the next step to put the trains and stations back!
5. Scandal Five because, since 1981, yet more tens of millions were being used to promote - not getting the trains back on 106 Kms - but, Midland Metro trams with a team at Centro House and glossy brochures produced to show what was going to be done.  But, the 15 lines covering 200 Kms never was done!  Only one line was ever done, in 1999 on a railway line, of all things.  Instead of simply putting the commuter trains back!  Now, being extended to Edgbaston to replace and push out buses that have to and will always have to take a much longer route to avoid the trams in narrow Broad Street.
6. Scandal Six: Metro One extended in the other direction, on an even more important railway line, to wreck any possibility of finishing a 120 Kms, principal, mainline railway between Worcester and Derby!

This is all a bigger fiasco than Brexit!

In a Mayoral campaign leading up to May 2020, I hope you can understand I can have much fun pointing all this out.  But, I must have, please the help of the press at various points along the way.  Can you help me, Bev - please?

My blog, 'Trains Back on the Tracks' have my postings with further details that you can mention, Bev.  Publicly available:-

http://timweller1.blogspot.com/

Best wishes

Tim

On Sat, 17 Nov 2018 at 09:31, Tim Weller wrote:

Dear Bev

Please could you do a write up for the public meeting I am calling to announce my standing as an Independent candidate for the 2020 West Midlands Mayoral election?  Standing, simply because I am so concerned about what is going so wrong in regional politics and to get across my ideas for the West Midlands to Mayor Andy Street, now and, to whoever is the new Mayor.

Public Meeting on Wed eve 28 Nov 2018

3 point summary: free up congested roads and railways with:

Trains on our existing but unused railway lines; instead of £1.38 BILLION tram network to replace some buses and trains.  This to pay for.

Free buses for all and not the few. Go electric instead of diesel Sprint.

Free electricity from promoting, urgently, PV solar panels on east, west and south roofs.

My key action points in my campaign for the Mayor to consider:

• No more good railway infrastructure wrecked for ever by buildings, roads and trams.
• Instead, commuter trains from the Black Country into Brum on the 150 year old railway line that has STILL not been lost and can STILL be used.  No more railway commuters packed in like sardines from Stourbridge!
• I'm the true friend of the motorist with an idea from Eastern Europe to free up road space for them by free buses for all and not the few (like me - for over 10 years, now!).
• Free electricity from campaigning for solar panels fitted to all east, west, south roofs.
• I'm the guy with another idea for the countryside to get people out and about using it more.
• I'm on the side of the poor and the poor planet.  Get low income people housed more quickly in modest sized, highly insulated and energy efficient homes.  Extra support and bias to the homeless, rough sleepers and for those coming out of prison to reduce crime.
• No more prestigious but grossly extravagant and immorally expensive vanity projects.
• The above gives top priority in helping to control greenhouse gases to reverse poor planet to become rich planet.
• Retrenchment rather than boosting the wrong type of spending to drive economic growth and yet more greenhouse gases.

My Andy Street newsheet for him to copy!

Planet Earth turning into Planet Venus

D Poulton wrote about planet venus in your issue dated 1 November.  It is not producing heat that puts all life on earth in danger but producing greenhouses gases in the process of keeping ourselves warm and travelling, frequently, far and fast.  It is our prodigious burning of fossil fuels that puts us in danger.  All fossil fuels give off carbon dioxide that enhances the earth's natural protective greenhouse effect and is endangering all life on earth.  Venus is hotter than mars, even though it is nearly twice mercury's distance from the sun, because of its strong greenhouse effect.  Exactly what we humans are doing to planet earth; foolishly giving ourselves a runaway greenhouse effect and passing all tipping points!  Hence, the urgency of going low carbon in our life styles and, living sustainably.  But we are nowhere near doing that.

Tim Weller

​SOURCE is Wikipedia:

​"​The CO2-rich atmosphere generates the strongest greenhouse effect in the Solar System, creating surface temperatures of at least 735 K (462 °C; 864 °F).^[12][58] This makes Venus's surface hotter than Mercury's, ​​which has a minimum surface temperature of 53 K (−220 °C; −364 °F) and maximum surface temperature of 700 K (427 °C; 801 °F),^[59][60] even though Venus is nearly twice Mercury's distance from the Sun and thus receives only 25% of Mercury's solar irradiance.​​"  Wikipedia​

Andy Street inspires this meeting!

I'm really copying the mostly well attended 'Ask Andy' meetings that Mayor Andy Street holds around the West Midlands.  I'm trying to whip up more interest in politics and what our politicians and their professional officers and experts are doing in the region.  In particular, I would like church goers, atheists and agnostics to think about the morality of what is being done in our name - whether it is £1.38 billion to 2026 of WM Metro trams to replace buses and trains, the over £2 billion for the 87 Kms Western Orbital Motorway, the £55.7 billion for HS2, the £3 billion of arm sales to Saudi Arabia in the first 18 months of the war with Yemen (CAAT), £7 billion for two sitting duck aircraft carriers that now need more billions for a flotilla of warships to protect them when out at sea and, £100 billion to replace Trident WMD.  YET,  a struggling, a poorly endowed in some areas NHS with some shortages, growing homelessness but large homes being built for the well heeled.  AND, the more we spend the less we have and the more damage we do to our life support systems.

Our three speakers are well worth hearing.  Mark Dowd, in particular, is a most articulate, engaging, well thought of public speaker who is always goes down like a bomb with audiences (non violent bomb, of course).  He is on our side - the side of the poor, the disadvantaged and vulnerable and, on the side of the climate.  He will be the grand finale to the meeting.  I, personally would welcome good natured, humorous heckling and other contributions from the floor.

Faith based public meeting on Wed 28 Nov 2018

Dear Rob

My wife and I are members of Hasbury Christian Fellowship in Halesowen.  I am so concerned about how things are working out in our area and region that I am organising a public meeting later this month at our church.  See below

 Public Meeting on Wed eve 28 Nov 2018

Might it be possible, please, for the details to go in the weekly news sheets of the churches you preside over, for the next three Sundays, please?  

The purpose of the meeting is for our three Christian speakers, in their leadership role, to reflect and give their opinion on topical issues in our borough and region (preferably, not Brexit that gets so much attention) and to be open to other points of view from the public.  I would like the three speakers to talk on matters of morality other than family and gender issues, this time.

 My Andy Street newsheet arrived today

With best wishes

Tim

Glen's introduction to horses and cows

Glen's introduction to horses and cows

Glen's attitude was sensibly cautious.  He had a good look, dug his heels in and refused to budge.  No problem.  We diverted three times and went back once to find another way round, as one of the three diversions.  Stiles were a problem but there was either a way through on one side or the other and, one farm gate that I untied and tied back after I got Glen through.  I never had to lift him over anything.

He loved Uffmoor Wood because he pulled the most in our three quarter circuit, after entering on the unofficial eastern, back side at the Elan aqueduct.  The end of our Uffmoor Wood walk came when he saw a gate to the road on his left and refused to go straight on or right.  Nothing for it but to go through that gate!  This was at Ivy Cottage on Uffmoor Lane.  The route out was via the Stour subway and one of my new self closing gates at Bibbey's Hollow.  2 hours and 20 minutes of lovely leg loosening for Glen and I.  But, at the end of the walk, mum had to lift him into the car even with the reward of one doggy biscuit, and then a second would you believe, placed on the back seat!

The White Poppy and the Red

The white poppy was introduced in 1933 by the Co-op Women's Guild to remember those affected by war on all sides, all casualties and the refugees.  It also works for conflict resolution, diplomacy, and positive, practical peacemaking to be used so that war might become the last resort when all else has failed.  The white poppy works for talking with the adversary well before any killing starts.

The red poppy, introduced in 1921, remembers UK armed forces casualties and, through the British Legion, helps their families in many practical ways.  The red poppy does NOT indicate bloodshed.  It does not want, 'Lest we forget', to mean 'Lest we ever forget to wage war'.

2,000 years ago Jesus Christ rejected empire building when he was tempted by the devil to bow down to him and he would be given all the kingdoms of this world.  800 years ago our own country started empire building and collected its nearest country, Ireland first.  It then continued off and on until the First World War that saw the collapse of the German empire, the Austria-Hungary empire, the Russian empire and the beginnings of the end for the British and French empires.

Empire building is called colonialism or imperialism.  It was one reason for the start of the 1914 World War, together with militarism and nationalism according to Professor Niall Ferguson.

Nationalism was seen because it was a Serbian nationalist who assassinated the heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne.  That led, four weeks later, to the 1914 World War.  Militarism was seen with the naval arms race between Britain and Germany up to 1914.

Britain was fighting the wronged party, Austria-Hungary, that had their heir to the throne killed.  In other words, we were on the wrong side and Germany was on the side of the victim, Austria-Hungary.  Hindsight now shows us that all out, total war between the European empires as punishment over two royal assassinations was way over the top.  It led to many millions killed and injured and, unfinished business that ended with the second half of the World War that caused more horrors and killings for nearly six years to 1945.

The first war had western European world empires fighting each other.  No empires, no imperialism, no colonialism would have meant a shorter, quicker war.  It would never have led to the second world war in 1939.

The stupidity of Britain so quickly and eagerly entering the war on the 4 August 1914, seems to have led to us waging war in many different countries in every single year up to the present day.  Astonishing but true!  It seems we have a penchant for killing foreigners in their own countries for over 100 years.

The only upside was that finally, after many centuries, the European nations were brought to their senses and ended warfare between themselves by working for a federal Europe with the Treaty of Rome and, eventually, the EU.

The Sutton Park rail line for passenger traffic:-

Not expected to be opened for 20 years. Line capacity at Water Orton is the primary cause for line not opening earlier." 

MY COMMENT

If they are well able to sort out the extra capacity at Water Orton in 20 years time, why can they not do it now?  Relieving road and railway congestion is more urgent - and NOW - than giving us highly expensive, high impact, highly dubious vanity projects like HS2, Metro and Sprint.

The whole Sutton Line from Wolverhampton, Walsall to Brum should be reopened in one go to ensure profitability and to ease congestion and air pollution, now.  Together with the 120 Kms Black Country Mainline Railway "of national strategic significance" (letter to self dated 8 March from DfT, quoting Network Rail) for regional and commuter trains and never for trams or tram trains or train trams!  We won over stopping the trams going on the Camp Hill Line.  We won over trains for the Black Country Railway from Stourbridge Jct to Canal Street tram stop.

I would like many more people to join me in asking for the abandonment of Metro, Sprint and CAZ and for all those monies to go into scrapping bus fares to entice car commuters to leave their cars at home to free up road space for essential users of vehicles.  There needs to be a sea change in attitudes, as there has been over smoking in buildings.  There would still be millions of pounds left to bring in electric buses for the 'if you can't bike it, bus it brigade'.  Further:

Every nearside lane of dual carriageways should be a bus lane and traffic light priority for buses are also essential.

No more digging up of roads for tram lines.  Always, in working hours at least, jumping on the fareless electric bus to get into the city or town centres.

No guided busways, either!

No more prestigious vanity projects like Metro and Sprint.  Both are a complete waste of money, and a shocking misuse of taxpayers' money.

And, I would love the Green Party and Four Oaks Neighbourhood Forum to get fully behind me!  Please come to my public meeting:

 Public Meeting on Wed eve 28 Nov 2018

Can I come to "the W. Mids Mayor in November" meeting in Sutton?  Is it an 'Ask Andy' one? 

 My Andy Street newsheet arrived today

 Transport costs per kilometre

Best wishes and thanks again for writing.  Much appreciated.

PURPOSE OF 28 NOV PUBLIC MEETING

I'm really copying the mostly well attended 'Ask Andy' meetings that Mayor Andy Street holds around the West Midlands.  I'm trying to whip up more interest in politics and what our politicians and their professional officers and experts are doing in the region.  In particular, I would like church goers, atheists and agnostics to think about the morality of what is being done in our name - whether it is £1.38 billion to 2026 of WM Metro trams to replace buses and trains, the over £2 billion for the 87 Kms Western Orbital Motorway, the £55.7 billion for HS2, the £3 billion of arm sales to Saudi Arabia in the first 18 months of the Yemen civil war (CAAT).  £7 billion for two sitting duck aircraft carriers that now need more billions for a flotilla of warships to protect them when out at sea and, £100 billion to replace Trident WMD.  YET,  a struggling, a poorly endowed in some areas NHS with some shortages, growing homelessness but large homes being built for the well heeled.  AND, the more we spend the less we have and the more damage we do to our life support systems.

Our three speakers are well worth hearing.  Mark Dowd, in particular, is a most articulate, engaging, well thought of public speaker who is always goes down like a bomb with audiences (non violent bomb, of course).  He is on our side - the side of the poor, the disadvantaged and vulnerable and, on the side of the climate.  He will be the grand finale to the meeting.  I, personally would welcome good natured, humorous heckling and other contributions from the floor.

The case of the officer suspended for his Facebook posting

Dear Sarah and Peter - and copied to other VIPs, including the two editors of our influential newspapers

I am very concerned that you have suspended an officer who believes that the State of Israel is a racist endeavour.

I have read much over the summer about the claims and some reality of anti-semitism in the Labour Party and in every group in the land, I expect.  I have also read about this year's law passed by the Knesset that means that, at least, some Arabs in Israel are second class citizens, I believe.  Certainly, only Jews from all over the world are gladly welcomed to become full citizens of Israel.  But, I would be glad to be corrected.

More importantly, it seems, we are moving to a society where our personal thoughts are being silenced by the fear of punishment and/or suspension from work.  I have never heard of your officer before.  I don't know him.  I have had nothing to do with his group.  I only believe you have overreacted in suspending him.  Please let us all honestly express our thoughts and to be open to an alternative point of view, without fear of any repercussion.  Discussion and debate must never be stifled.

With best wishes

Tim