Will Lichfield help?

Dear Bishop Michael - and copied to Tony and Dean Adrian

Why is all of Lichfield not up in arms up about their wasted, unused mainline railway?

We met yesterday evening in Bishop's House and in Ego Mediterranean.

Does this young man prove the scandal of High Scam 2?  A scam because the frequent flyers are being given a choice of either plane or train, paid for by the rest of us more responsible and caring citizens.

 GARETH DENNIS: This articulate young man has go...

It was wonderful to hear that you, also, are aghast at the construction of High Scam 2 and the wreckage wreaked on our fast disappearing farmland and precious countryside.  However, your MP, Michael Fabricant and all of you in Lichfield must redouble your efforts to please help me with putting passenger trains back on the freight only railway that goes past the National Memorial Arboretum and then onto Walsall and Worcester via this bridge:

 M6 Toll banner 01.jpg

One track nicked by the metal thieves! :-

 M6 Toll 03.jpg

EXPLANATION AND BACKGROUND - questions sent to Transport for West Midlands:

1. What were the conclusions of the Andy Street, 2021 independent inquiry into Metro operations?
2. Now that the Dudley Tram will arrive in Dudley town centre, is this the right time to urge TfWM that the promise of reopening the full 120 Kms Black Country Railway has finally arrived and must be worked on?  Laura Shoaf, Chief Executive of the WMCA has reassured us that "passive provision" for freight and passenger trains to return through the Black Country is being built into the Dudley tram line.
3. In the light of the multiple crises confronting society, is this the right time to abandon further Metro extensions and to concentrate on rebuilding the foundations of public transport - bus and train - and so freeing up the road space for truly essential business users rather than commuters not needing their cars for their work?

Since the 1990s, under Centro and the Passenger Transport Authority, the promise of reopening the middle section of our railway "of national strategic significance"

 "of national strategic significance".pdf

has always been dependent on the tramline going on the two nibble sized sections first: "Light rail investment provides the basis for restoring heavy rail services at the appropriate time" (letter from Tom Magrath, Passenger Services Director, Centro, dated 18 September 2000)

 Magrath quote, MM history and costs

Best wishes for anything you can do, please Bishop Michael for, at last, something positive, constructive and helpful to be done!