Media centre

Wednesday 19 Apr 2006

CLEAR LINE FOR RAIL USERS

Region & Route:

Network Rail and Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council have got together to create a better first impression for rail travellers and visitors to the area by clearing fly tipped rubbish from the railway embankments on the approach to Wallgate station. The rubbish included refrigerators, beds and sofas, all of which should have been disposed of using the council’s large item refuse collection service instead of being dumped on the railway. Network Rail provided the manpower to do the clean-up and the council supplied skips to take the waste away. Andrew Skidmore, Network Rail’s area general manager said “Fly tipping is a real eyesore that looks bad and gives visitors the wrong impression of the area; it encourages vermin such as rats and poses a potential hazard to the safe running of the railway if any objects fall on to the tracks. This joint initiative with the council has been of great benefit to us and everyone who uses trains in the area, and we look forward to further similar partnership projects in the future.” Wigan Council's Street Scene Co-ordinator, Paul Dandy added: "For many visitors, the stations and railway approaches are their first impression of Wigan and first impressions count. We are pleased that Network Rail is getting to grips with the situation and we will be doing all we can to help." Network Rail is more than happy to work with local authorities, to tackle the problem of fly tipping. Rather than simply clearing away other people’s rubbish, it would prefer to liaise with the council to identify those few people who create the mess that gives the whole neighbourhood such a bad impression. Councillors and local residents can tell Network Rail about rubbish on railway land by calling the Network Rail National Helpline on 08457 11 41 41. Anybody who sees someone in the act of fly tipping or putting obstructions on the line can report it direct to the British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40.