New public transport plans for Stourbridge

EXCITING NEW PUBLIC TRANSPORT PLANS FOR STOURBRIDGE

Parry People Movers Ltd of Cradley Heath are an innovative company who design and install environmentally-friendly light railcars and trams. They are inexpensive to install compared to other technologies, are simple to maintain and economical to run. One of their "trams" has run successfully on a trial basis from Stourbridge Junction to the Town centre between June and November 2002 and is now fully approved by the railway inspectorate.

Over 1,000 miles were covered during the trial, during which passengers were not allowed to be carried however. Apparently a fully operational service can commence once Network Rail, who own the line, have set up the necessary procedures.

However, the company has a far more ambitious vision for the Stourbridge area that we believe deserves the full support of local people. With the high levels of road congestion in the area, how would you like to be able to travel from Stourbridge to Brierley Hill, The Waterfront, Merry Hill, or Pensnett Trading Estate on one of these light railcars or trams?

The amazing thing is the railway line is already in existence and is fully operational already! Therefore this is no pipe dream and interested parties include: Centro; Dudley MBC; Chelsfield plc; LCP Estates; Railtrack Midland Zone; Central Trains and West Midlands Travel. Your support can only help the inititative as well.

Tram in Stourbridge High Street, early 1900's

Other plans include the reintroduction of an environmentally-friendly tram service from the junction through to the High Street (they can co-exist with other transport).Trams used to run in Stourbridge 80 years ago and trams can be built in either contemporary or "heritage" designs as shown below. If extended down to the bottom of Lower High Street it could form part of a complete tourism package where people could visit the town via the normal rail network from other parts of the country, take the tram down to the Bonded Warehouse, get on a canal boat to the Glass Quarter and visit the Red House Cone museum. Alternatively trips to Kinver would be possible as well.

Trams used to run through Stourbridge High Street
in the early 1900's

We believe these plans deserve the full support of the people of Stourbridge. They will encourage more people to visit the town centre without clogging up the roads, and it will make it far easier for people to get to work in the Brierley Hill, Pensnett and Waterfront areas. (Tell us your views!). If you want to find out more about these exciting new transport plans please contact:

PPM Ltd
Overend Road
Cradley Heath
West Midlands B64 7DD
Tel: 01384 569553
Fax: 01384 637753
Email: jpmparry@aol.com
Web: www.parrypeoplemovers.com

JPM Parry & Associates Ltd
Overend Road
Cradley Heath
West Midlands B64 7DD
Tel: 01384 569171/2
Fax: 01384 637753
Email: jpmparry@aol.com
Web: www.parrytech.com

Meanwhile here is more background information on the Junction/Town centre link:

The project involves a Sundays only operation on the Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town railway branch. This operation will provide a service where no Sunday service currently exists and which will meet a specification (including quality standards) set by Centro. It will show how tramway philosophy and operating practices can be applied to part of the National Rail Network. This PPM concept has been progressed since 1992 with private sector innovation and finance and with Central Government assistance.

The operation will demonstrate the environmentally friendly aspects of a transport mode based on stored kinetic energy systems in conjunction with an LPG prime mover engine. These innovations are the storage of energy in a flywheel and the use of hydrostatic transmission systems as previously used in applications such as earthmovers and forklift trucks. Reliability, performance and operating characteristics will be continually monitored. The design allows for both ‘low floor’ construction for use in a tramway mode or ‘high floor’ for use in normal railway structure conditions. The project proposal therefore is directed towards the promotion of a product that attained “Millennium Product” status.

The scheme is being managed through the auspices of a newly set up company, Pre Metro Operations Ltd. The development of a high quality rail based public transport system at a much lower cost and lower environmental impact than either of conventional heavy rail or light rail systems offers considerable benefits and the opportunity to influence modal shift from private to public transport. The acceptance of the light tram mode at this location should lead to the future conversion of this particular branch line to 7 day a week PPM type operation. Two additional railcars will be then be required for this service. In addition such a conversion of the branch will facilitate its extension into Stourbridge Town centre as part of wider social, environmental and economic purposes. This development is an option in the Local Transport Plan.