ARTIST WANTED FOR CARTOON

My cartoon that needs the Telegraph's Matt-like skill to draw this:-

Transport officials peering down from a disused railway bridge upon a gridlocked motorway, scratching their heads & agonising about how to reduce congestion.

This refers to every tunnel, bridge and viaduct built over 120 Kms but 56 Kms in the middle are still without freight and passenger trains. Yet, it runs parallel to or, near to, traffic-choked main roads, M5 and M6!

'Ah! But you don't mention, Tim that trams must go on a total of 9 Kms', say the transport officials, as "Light rail investment provides the basis for restoring heavy rail services at the appropriate time."

However, the appropriate time has never come in 22 years.  And how eccentric and weird to think that a principal mainline railway "of national strategic significance" can only be finished with the rather vital freight and passenger trains and stations, by first putting 22 mph Metro trams and 17 tram stops on two nibble sized sections!!

Matt's cartoon in the Telegraph

Matt's cartoon in the Telegraph:- Conservatives  - "Reducing crime by committing less of it." (Partygate)

Weller's 'wisdom'  - All politicians - Expanding public transport by making it less attractive to use.  (Metro light rail trams, very light rail trams, ultra light trams all on the UK's last principal mainline railway "of national strategic significance" between Stourbridge Jct and Burton on Trent. I kid you not! Plus, the Sprint bus that thinks it's a tram.)

Future Council Scrutiny Committee - Angus Lees

My concerns are below, as I mentioned in my previous email.  Nothing to do with Metro "bus on rails" trams, unless your council is intent on putting Metro trams on the rest of the unused, 47 Kms of mainline railway, as well!

I wrote:

"One question about finishing the railway, in some way and the second, about finishing the 22 Kms Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway to make it fit for purpose."

Finishing both wasted but, highly important transport assets, is something that your new committee needs to get to grips with, as Matt's Place Scrutiny was doing so well.  That means putting both transport assets on the agenda for your members to determine what they want to be done.  The major cycle-walk Mudway was discussed last autumn, as Cllr Matt will confirm.  An update is required, please as to what officers and members, in the intervening period, have been doing to chase up the WMCA for funding.

An update, too on progress in doing something with the rest of the 120 Kms Black Country Mainline Railway - please.  It is aka Derby to Devon via Dudley and, Burton on Trent to Bristol via Brierley Hill.  The 120 Kms is the section from Worcester to Derby via the Black Country.

Many thanks for your help over these matters.  I will tune in on the 9 June, all being well, to hear of some good news over progress - I very much hope!

Tim