Monday 27 Feb 2006
FREE TREES FRENZY HITS KENT
- Region & Route:
-
|
Southern
Network Rail branched out to green-fingered Kent folk this weekend as more than 3,000 trees were handed out in the Kent Free Trees scheme.
Launched in January, the Free Trees scheme is able to supply up to 25 trees free of charge to any individual or group owning land including: schools, community groups, hospitals, churches, private individuals and many more. The scheme is sponsored by Network Rail in partnership with the North West Kent, Medway Valley and Mid-Kent Downs Countryside Partnerships.
More than 100 local residents and organisations who applied to the scheme visited the offices of North Kent and Medway Valley Countryside Partnerships on Friday and Sunday to collect their free trees ready for planting in the coming Spring months.
Network Rail’s Route Director, Andrew Munden, said: “Network Rail is committed to protecting the environment so this scheme is a great way for us to join forces with local partnerships to help develop the Kent countryside. The Free Trees Scheme is a fantastic chance for organisations across the county to enhance their local landscape so I am delighted with how successful the scheme has been.”
This year’s Free Trees Scheme saw applications from a variety of Kent residents and organisations including schools, scout groups, parish councils and many more. Applications are now being taken for the next batch of free trees which will be distributed in November.
A leaflet about the scheme is available explaining how to apply, who is eligible, as well as which trees are available. Anyone interested in applying for free trees should call 08458 247 600 or email
environment.economy@kent.gov.uk for a free leaflet and application form.
In order to maintain a safe railway Network Rail has an ongoing programme of vegetation management alongside the railway to prevent the problems caused by: leaves on the line, signalling equipment blocked by trees, branches falling on the line and many more.
The Free Trees Scheme is a chance for Network Rail to work with local countryside partnerships to put something back into the environment. The scheme has already seen over 11,000 trees planted throughout North Kent over the past four years.
About Network Rail
We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.
Follow us on Twitter: @networkrail
Visit our online newsroom: www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk
