Hi Andy
Thanks very much for your email. Much appreciated.
From what I have seen or not seen in my 71 years, the railway, the transport and the green lobbying groups; plus the railway industry itself and trade unions, have never fought to stop the destruction and selling off of railway lines that Beeching rightly closed as being uneconomic in the 1960s. Beeching never suggested that they be obliterated in the way that even urban railway lines have been. I would think that Beeching never wanted the lines sold off to any old Tom, Dick or Harriet. Unfortunately, I don't think he recommended that they all be mothballed in case of future use. Hence, over these last fifty years, our councillors have given planning permission for every kind of building imaginable - and roads - to go on the lines. I have estimated that we must have lost over 100 Kms of railway lines in the West Midlands in this way. The 6 Kms Halesowen Railway line to Longbridge has been sold off to private individuals that makes it much more difficult to reopen as a cycle-walkway, without compulsory purchase that is unheard of for a cycle-walkway.
" the various ‘rail enthusiast train groups’ " are never campaigning groups in the more assertive, constructive and helpful way that I think I am. They all seem to be passive, deferential, apathetic and would never dream of vigorously pointing out the error of their ways - ie, the errors of transport professional officers and the councillors. The councillors, in particular, show very little interest in getting about in ways other than the car. They all leave transport matters to Transport HQ at 16 Summer Lane.
In addition, the rail enthusiast groups are as equally keen on trams, tram trains and train trams as they are on the more frequently seen, ordinary, trains. They would not dream of opposing a tram extension, even on a rare, mothballed, the UK's only, mainline, half finished railway.
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