A RAILWAY campaigner is set to lead a cycle ride around the Black Country to raise awareness of his bid to get trains back on tracks – rather than a “bus on rails” metro.

From 2pm on Sunday (August 26), Halesowen campaigner Tim Weller will meet with a group in Farthings Lane, Dudley, to cycle down the main line railway route, which he describes as being "of national strategic significance".

He said: “We will view the Parkhead Viaduct on the forgotten, wasted, existing main line railway with no houses, offices or roads built on it. Only slow ‘bus on rails’ trams planned on 6.7kms, instead of commuter, regional and freight trains on 56kms to complete the full 120kms.

“We will also see the beautiful grassy embankment, spoilt by a double track tram line.”

The campaigner, who stood as an independent candidate for Halesowen and Rowley Regis at the last general election, also wants people to give feedback on his guerilla gardening landscape enhancement scheme, which is being threatened by the £343 million metro scheme.

For more information about Mr Weller’s campaign, visit timweller1.blogspot.com.

Mr Weller added: “In exactly 50 years of living, studying and working in Birmingham and the Black Country, congestion and air quality have slowly got worse.

“I am asking for trains on train lines, fareless electric buses to get workers and shoppers to their destinations to free up the road network for those who really do need their vehicles for their jobs. Paid for by diverting the hundreds of millions now going into tram extensions to replace buses and trains.

“We want buses on bus lanes with traffic light priority, instead of trams running on tracks after roads have been dug up for many months to cause more carbon spewing congestion.”

Starting off towards the Parkhead Locks, the cycle ride will also take in the Victorian Parkhead Viaduct, the Black Country railway at Round Oak, the Black Country Cycle-Walkway at Fens Pool and Barrow Hill Nature Reserve, before heading back.