The non contradiction

Thanks for drawing the contradiction to my attention.  It is all about priorities.  For over 40 years the emphasis has been on rebuilding the tram network on the railway network as is the case with the Dudley Tram, phase 1 to Castle Hill.  And, the priority has been using urban railway lines for roads and for every kind of building imaginable.  Rather than

"and the money diverted into upgrading the current regional public transport system, including the opening of new routes."

which sounds like this week's Midlands Connect proposal, below that needs NO promotion by us; I would like to suggest that the money for Metro extensions should be used to rebuild the railway network as Andy Street wants for both the Camp Hill line and the Sutton line - both finished with stations and then the commuter trains back.  I think we should encourage Andy/TfWM on the right things and dissuade them from the wrong.

From press releases from the WMCA, Andy/TfWM are also doing their best to keep bus fares as low as possible.  We simply need to constantly praise where we can and nudge TfWM towards FFPT and the bus priority and the car commuter road pricing penalty that I'm asking for.

The £15 billion to 2040 for 150 miles of Metro plus some rail upgrading was the figure in January 2020 when it was announced.  This week, Midlands Connect had a big day in Brum and announced:

• "The plans outline up to £1.5 billion of new and improved infrastructure, to be completed between 2025-2030
• Space for up to over a hundred additional trains on the network every day 
• Will cut journey times for thousands of commuters - between Birmingham and Hereford journeys will be slashed by up to 13 minutes
• Proposals improve access to high-speed services at HS2 at Birmingham Curzon Street
• Improvements to the Cross-city Birmingham line would enable trains to arrive every ten minutes

On 5th December, we launched the Outline Business Case for the Midlands Rail Hub, a piece of work years in the making. The plans will revolutionise rail travel in the Midlands, and the wider UK. "

See you later.   Tim