from Peter Adams, Head of Metro Development, 5 Dec 2016 Tim Weller's rebuttal in blue.
"The e-mail below by Dr Mallinson of Warwick Manufacturing Group has been brought to my attention.
Dr Mallinson is incorrect to state that “the arrival of metro using the South Staffordshire alignment dictates that heavy rail passenger services are no longer possible.” I continue to maintain how very right Nick Mallinson is. The tram train is NOT a “heavy rail passenger service”. To say so is being dishonest.
The current Wednesbury – Brierley Hill light rail proposals would not prevent the Stourbridge - Walsall route reopening for conventional freight and passenger train services in the longer term, as they will be designed to allow passive provision for future conversion to shared running of trams and trains on the corridor. Passive provision for only another kind of tram - the tram train over 20 Kms that still excludes the wasted 36 Kms mainline between Walsall and Burton on Trent. It is most misleading to call the tram train as a “conventional passenger train service”.
The practicality of this can be demonstrated by the fact that shared running of trains and tram services over the same infrastructure already occurs elsewhere in Europe and is shortly to be introduced between Sheffield and Rotherham."
This is a photo of the tram train that is being introduced on the short 12 Kms between Sheffield Cathedral and Rotherham Parkgate. It is not suitable on a fast mainline 120 Kms railway, as Peter thinks.
Railway trains go on railway lines. Do it, please, for every sensible reason in the book and so help bring our “very old Victorian railway” (Sir Peter Hendy) into the modern age! The Brits, last year, sold 14 electric hydrogen trains to Germany. Use them to complete the Black Country Railway - in style.
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