Many thanks, Ian for this.
The Dudley to Wolverhampton railway bridge, near Dudley Canal and Caverns (The Portal Building, Birmingham New Rd, Dudley DY1 4SB) over the Birmingham New Road was removed many years ago. I think it was in the first decade of the 2000s. Remember, over many decades, councillors, officers and LEPs have approved six Dudley railway lines to be destroyed or left unused, like the two that make up the Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway listed here.
must be replaced to carry heavy rail trains, even though light rail trams are to go over the bridges to begin with.
Since the 1990s, Network Rail has said that freight trains (no mention of passenger trains!) will not run on the Black Country Railway until the 2040s, at the earliest. In addition, I believe, they have contributed no funds to help pay for the cost of strengthening Parkhead Viaduct or any of the bridges that one day they expect to use. Yet, how can trains go on the Metro line when trams are expected to run every 15 minutes, unless the CA's insistence that "passive provision" is being built in for heavy rail is to allow freight trains to operate at night? Once the trams go on this nationally important railway, they cannot be removed for the passenger and freight trains that were so successful for the first 100 years. In letters and later emails to Centro/PTA (now TfWM), I have been pointing this out since the 1990s. But no one has taken a blind bit of notice!
Very best wishes for Christmas and the new year to you and your family, Ian.
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