I started planting the trees, shrubs and climbers in the 1990s.
The 1980s was the decade when I started reading and writing about Midland Metro. In 1981 it was to be 200 Kms of tramway on railway lines and roads by the year 2000. That never happened. The first tramway opened in 1999 when we got 20 Kms of which 18 Kms was on the first mainline railway destroyed. The total by 2023 was 23 Kms after 42 years of hard endeavour - supposedly!
Nothing since then, although Phase 1 of the Dudley Tram was supposed to be open to the public in 2024. It is taking seven years to build 6 Kms of tramway, mostly on the second, this time, principal mainline railway destroyed. A shocking and unacceptable performance. After seven years it is still not open - perhaps, by Christmas THIS year!!
I have measured the route from Merry Hill tram stop to Cottage St. It is 500 metres, so therefore the correct cost estimate is £50 million. By opening in 2028 to Merry Hill, the cost from Wednesbury to MH will be over £1 billion for 10 Kms (6 miles). This, to supposedly help get the national, regional and commuter trains back on the line. This cuck handed way of reopening officially safeguarded railways, like ours,
is unheard of anywhere else in the world. "Light rail investment provides the basis for restoring heavy rail services at the appropriate time." (letter from Tom Magrath, Passenger Services Director, Sept 2000). In other words, trams first to get trains later! Trumpland Transport, as recorded in all its horror and humour, here:
A further scandal is that Midland Metro Alliance tram schemes appear to be three times more expensive per Km to construct than any other scheme in the world, according transport consultant, Mat Taylor, as here:
Mat wrote on page 2: "these costs are reportedly three times the global average."
No wonder the Climate Emergency is accelerating away so nicely!
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