Thanks, Ian for the email.
I wrote to train driver of 44 years, Dave Parsons who wrote back this evening:
"I agree that the tram should stop at the new bus/ tram interchange in Dudley & the £60M should be spent on better things like the reinstatement of platform 4 at Snow hill station.
"Ongoing work along the proposed route of this line from Dudley to Brierley Hill should also cease immediately.
Just laying the groundwork for this route, ie, the road works in Brierley Hill is causing unnecessary chaos and delays, and causing frustration to people who are aware that it’s the proposed metro extension that’s costing a fortune, that nobody wants on their doorstep."
By Express and Star - Peter Madeley Pu
"It means the Wednesbury to Dudley stretch will proceed as planned – at a projected cost of £385m – while the rest of the route to Brierley Hill is put on hold. ... It said splitting its construction into two phases would result in costs increasing further, with phase one from Wednesbury to Dudley now budgeted at £385m."
£385m divided by 5.3 Kms on an existing railway line "of national strategic significance" = £72.6m/Km. Compare this with the mostly rebuilding of the Southern Uplands, Borders Railway when it opened in Sept 2015, at £7m/Km!!
Edinburgh Conservative Group opposed their two tram projects on grounds of cost, as I would have expected from traditional, wise spending Tories.
Best wishes
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