New life for old rail line back on agenda

Plans to reopen a long-disused freight line between Walsall and Stourbridge could become a reality within 10 years. Hundreds of thousands of tons of asphalt and other cargo could be taken by rail instead of road.

It will take 4,000 lorry loads a year off the roads. Transport authority Centro wants to re-open the line between 2014 and 2019 and is now drawing up a business case to get government funding. The proposals were originally put forward by Railtrack, which folded in 2002, but have now been resurrected.

Wednesbury-based Midland Quarry Products has said it would be willing to use a line if it connects its Smith Road premises with the sidings at Bescot railway station.

The company, in Smith Road, would send 200,000 tons a year along the line, an increase on the 120,000 a year it has to send by articulated lorry.

Spokesman David Weeks said: "We already ship a large proportion by rail. Our Wednesbury site makes asphalt for road surfaces.

"If we could get raw materials in by rail as well as shipping out asphalt we could take advantage of economies of scale."

The proposals come a year after transport bosses in the region drew up revised proposals for the Midland Metro which could see trams run along the disused freight rail lines.

Peter Sargant, head of rail and rapid transit development at Centro, said: "Reopening the rail line between Walsall and Stourbridge to freight trains delivers significant regional and national benefits and has widespread support."