A PUBLIC meeting is being held in Halesowen in a bid to stop the replacing of the region’s railway with metro lines.

This week, West Midlands Mayor Andy Street promised to get plans to extend the Midland Metro to Brierley Hill on track following the Government’s announcement the West Midlands Combined Authority is to receive £250million to invest in improved transport infrastructure.

However, campaigner Tim Weller – who ran as an independent candidate for Halesowen and Rowley Regis in this year’s general election – is calling for trains to be put back on the unused tracks rather than the metro.

Tim said: “The missing, existing and wasted 56kms between Stourbridge and Burton-on-Trent on the 120km Worcester, Black Country, Derby main line is to be torn up.

“It will be replaced by trams on two short sections, a test track, a trail of trees and a cycle-walkway.

“We must have the full, 120km length for regional/national trains, not a short, slow, local tram service or anything else like a road.

“These new trams that Andy Street is so determined to get on the rails cost as much as a train, so why not use trains?”

Halesowen News:

Former railway lines in Dudley which will be replaced with a new very-light rail test track.

At the public meeting, Tim will present his proposals for the Dowery Dell Trail and the “wasted, ready-made” Black Country Railway being reinstated as a new commuter route from Stourbridge and Dudley into Birmingham.

Local MP James Morris, Mr Street and Cllr Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council, have all been invited to speak at the meeting.

Mick Freer and Roy Burgess of Halesowen Abbey Trust have also been invited to speak about protecting the borough’s green belt land from possible development proposals.

The meeting will take place from 7.30pm on Wednesday, November 29, at Hasbury Christian Fellowship, in Albert Road.