Other railways in the area have benefited from intervention and investment: The Cross City line (Redditch to Lichfield), The Jewellery Line (in Sandwell and Birmingham), The Walsall lines (now radiating out to Wolverhampton, Birmingham, and to Rugeley). Service levels have improved so that every Centro area line has a Sunday service. The Central Trains services locally even accommodate bicycles without charge.
Dudley has not fared well: its railway station has long gone. After withdrawal of passenger trains, the railway routes through Dudley were rationalised to suit freight trains. The Dudley Line became a Stourbridge to Dudley to Walsall route. More recently, a section of the line from Round Oak to Bescot was closed as a through route. Through the years of disuse, Centro has safeguarded the trackbed believing that Dudley should have a rail service. In the meantime, the Borough of Dudley changed dramatically with the development of offices at Waterfront, Brierley Hill, adjacent to the truncated route. Although Centro commissioned a survey into running passenger trains on the Dudley Line, this never included Waterfront and the whole route. Predictions for custom on an infrequent Dudley to Walsall shuttle service were discouraging. The then leader of Dudley Council had anyway encountered the lethargic side of British Rail and pressed for something fresh and invigorating, namely Midland Metro. It was argu ed against re-opening that a Dudley Castle Station would be too far from Dudley Town Centre to be useful. In Birmingham the same distance to City Centre shops from Snow Hill Station seems to work well.
The Railway Development Society and Dudley FOE argue for Dudley to be on the National rail network, and for public transport giving benefit more locally, with reinstatement of train services stemming car commuting. The train could, of course, accommodate bicycles thus giving a range of journey opportunities.
Centro and Dudley Council's solution is rather elaborate and involves introducing a tram, a branch of Midland Metro, which rather than using streets and disused railway routes such as that to Wolverhampton, would spell the end of the Dudley Line. Running between Merry Hill, Waterfront and Wednesbury, the proposed branch of Midland Metro would use substantial lengths of the railway route. There is vague talk of widening of the railway formation to have two tracks for trams and a single track for freight trains although this would require all bridges to be rebuilt. As a single track railway, the Dudley Line would never be able to accommodate the combination of through trains and stopping trains that hold the key to its success.
Whilst there is a place for trams and for light rail, and West Bromwich has benefited from connection with Midland Metro, trams should not be at the expense of rail. It is time to review the future of the Dudley Line and to see how it can aid the regeneration of Dudley, Sandwell, and Walsall. Readers of this piece could phone or write to the local authorities urging a review of the situation, and for instance point out that the cost of the reopening would not be too high - probably less than the estimated cost of the proposed Midland Metro branch and still leaving funds for enhancement elsewhere.
The day when Dudley people can greet their visitors at Dudley Castle Station
rather than putting them through a car journey will surely be a happy one. To
bring this day closer, please write to the councillors about the route:
Tim Sunter, Dudley MBC, Priory Road, Dudley DY1 1HF
Tarsem King, Sandwell MBC, Oldbury, B69 3DE
Mike Bird, Walsall MBC, Darwall Street, Walsall, WS1 1TP
John Davison