Dear friends
Why IS the 120 Kms Black Country Unfinished Principal Mainline Railway remaining unfinished in some places, converted to a tramline in places and a VLR test track in other places?
Thank you John for writing in reply. It is a real victory to get someone to respond. So THANK YOU! I was so impressed that you replied that I read and re-read what you wrote. And a humble Admin Manager, too as you wrote, as if to explain why you did not get what I was on about! Did you take a look at my photos that should have made you smile?! Did you read anything of mine?
I do think that Ken should not have palmed off the job of replying to you. Do you think, over the matter of the UK's very last principal mainline railway being destroyed in places and being converted into a tramline in others, the top man should have replied?
You wrote, "The RMT has and will support and fight campaigns for routes to be re-opened, new lines to be built and new stations to be built or re-opened and where there is a need and public support is there for a particular line or station, along with fighting against station closures and routes to be closed by companies or services slashed whether that is at a National, Region or even Branches locally supporting campaigns.
This is all fine sounding stuff, John. However, I cannot for the life of me understand why all you experts in the railway industry sat back, so calmly, as you saw one railway line after another get turned into housing estates, trading and industrial estates, roads and everything else put on them except the kitchen sink. Since the 1990s, in the Black Country and Brum, Metro trams have had top priority instead of stopping the destruction of railway lines and using them for trains. When it comes to construction, trams are the second most expensive transport mode after HS2. From the 1970s, about 100 Kms of railway lines have been bulldozed out of existence in our own urban area. What did your union do to protest, John, Ken, et al?
About one-third of the railway lines had to close in the 1960s, but did any of you campaign or even suggest to the authorities that they be mothballed for some future use, instead of being obliterated?
The RMT as a Union support increased investment in Public Transport as we are a General Transport Workers Union along with the increase in use of Public Transport whether that be Train, Ferry, Bus, Tram fighting for a publically owned industry as well as representing Hackney Carriage Taxi Drivers, Maritime and Off Shore sectors.
You want increased investment in public transport. Fantastic! The only problem is that in supporting Metro to replace buses and trains, you have chosen a grossly extravagant mode when what we really need are electric buses and electric trains. And, certainly, not the very last railway line in the Black Country and Brum about to be destroyed/converted to tramline, a test track, a trail of trees and an extended cycle-walkway. Why do you support this absurdity, John, Ken, et al?
Having spent over 30 years on the Railway both under British Rail & Privatisation I certainly have the experience and knowledge of which was the best in terms of service to the passenger. So why did you all hit upon the bizarre notion of houses, offices and shops - and, in the last 30 years, "bus on rails" trams - running on even our 120 Kms mainline railways like the one we are in the process of also being lost.
In an ideal world all railway lines removed during the Beeching era would be replaced and re-opened to passenger and freight traffic but with the current climate I can’t see that happening anytime soon. But some have been reopened for slow, frequent stopping "bus on rails" trams. What good is that, John and friends? You lot also allowed them to be wiped off the face of the earth with buildings! Your "current climate" is also giving you the £106 billion HS2 to replace the railway lines you all agreed should have roads, homes, offices and retail running on them instead of trains. Truly weird and wonderful policies from you all, don't you think?
Best wishes for some sanity, soon in this mad, mad world! Will it start with the transport trade unions? I doubt it, somehow!
Tim
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