27 June 2018  from Alan Lunt  Dep Chief Executive

Dear Tim

 

I respond as promised to the 7 questions posed in your paper that you handed to me last night.

 

While nobody can doubt your commitment to railway it is frankly frustrating and unproductive to continually respond to your repetitive emails and this is the last time that I shall do so.

 

You have been advised by the Leader of the Council that he nor his members will respond again so please, consider this the final response on such matters.

 

1. This is a question for TfWM.

 

2. Network rail have confirmed that freight trains can co-exist with Metro

 

3. Is it right that commuters have to change trains to access urban light rail systems ? Yes.

 

4. I disagree that the journey to work would be slower. Because Metro takes priority over road traffic, it will be quicker. Heavy trains do not run into and around Town Centres in Dudley.

 

5. Metro will greatly improve connectivity in Dudley MBC

 

6. Heavy rail does not run in and around town centres. Network rail have no plans to resurrect passenger services until at least 2040 and doing nothing for 22 years in the forlorn hope that there is a robust business case to do so is not an option.

 

7. Your idea is noted

 

 

Best regards

Many thanks, Alan for yesterday's e-mail.  I wrote this, below on the 18 Jan 2018 when, in the evening, I attended the Amblecote, Cradley, Lye Community Forum.

"For fifty years, we have a railway network and a road network.where we build yet more roads, homes, shops and offices on the railway network!

The huge growth in train travel began in the 1990s and is set to continue.  Yet, the politicians in charge of the professional experts refuse to put passenger trains on freight only railway lines and on the UK’s only wasted, half unused, 120 Kms Black Country Main Line Railway “of national strategic significance”.

Road/railway congestion and city air pollution is as bad as ever.

YET, all the MEPs, MPs, councillors and experts want to do is to shuttle people by immorally expensive Metro tram from rundown, dying Dudley town centre on their own main line railway “of national strategic significance” to the West Coast Main Line in their neighbour’s borough of Sandwell!

In the other direction, the attractive tram will entice local Dudley people to shop at Merry Hill Shopping Centre, instead.  Dudley’s car parks will be even emptier. The main line railway will remain an unused, linear jungle of undergrowth and wasted, double track railway lines alongside or near to us all crawling along motorways and dual carriageways.

How foolish and ecocidal is that?"

Tim