Dear Richard, John and David
Many thanks for this, Richard - and for the map and photos. The map you sent me of the Stonebridge Railway is the scheme mentioned below, on page 15. My top campaign for about 25 years is on page 16 of the 'Great British Transport Competition'. Except it should be called Stourbridge to Burton on Trent, that includes Lichfield:
You wrote:
"It runs across the triangular site of the HS2 Bickenhill station - I presume there'll be some sort of public access through!
In this area we have the Kenilworth-Berkswell Greenway which was turned into an excellent recreational route with the help of Sustrans - but it's now being thoroughly messed up by HS2."
Please do not presume that "there'll be some sort of public access". And, please do what you can, Richard to stop HS2 messing up the wonderful Greenway. Is it NCR 523, aka Coventry Way? It needs to be finished from Burton Green or, from B4101 to Berkswell station, doesn't it? People, and their emails, to write to are here:
Urban and rural railway lines continue to be lost as the authorities, since about 1980, have given top priority to extremely expensive to construct light rail/trams to takeover from the 1960s onwards closure of railway lines. The authorities, to this day, used the closed railways for trams and built development of all kinds, eg Manchester Metrolink and West Midlands Metro and, for housing/trading estates and roads.
I blame the politicians and planners and not Beeching. Richard Beeching very correctly closed them as we all used our new wealth to go out and buy cars and so deserted the trains. I am sure Richard Beeching never intended them to be obliterated or, at best, left unused/wasted for decades by the railway industry, the MPs, councillors and transport planners, eg the mothballed 56 Kms Stourbridge to Burton on Trent middle section of the 120 Kms Worcester, Black Country, Derby Railway.
If our lost railway lines cannot be used for their intended purpose, they should be used as cycle-walkways to help wean us off our fatal addiction to finite fossil fuels that are such a mixed blessing. I am working on the two, locally mentioned in my last email.
Those of us who love the outdoors and adventure activities need to be united in ensuring that HS2 and tram developments do not wreck our remaining railway lines and forgotten, railway trackbeds.
I want the BMC, Cycling UK and the Ramblers to take on board the importance and the essential need to compulsory purchase all remaining railway trackbeds for either trains reinstated or as mud-free, free-draining, responsible shared use, cycle-walkways. Fossil fuel-free travel and, more locally, is now imperative - 'cos of the virus, the climate emergency and resource depletion. One day, all we'll have left are walking, cycles and horses!
But what do all three of you think, please? Can we get the BMC on side? What does Andy Potter, as Chair think? Could I have his e-mail address, please?
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