SAFETY WORK AT RISHTON STATION

Monday 13 Feb 2006

SAFETY WORK AT RISHTON STATION

Region & Route:

Vegetation in the area around Rishton station is to be removed to improve safety on the East Lancs Line. Work will take place on both sides of the railway between Churchill Avenue and Hawthorn Drive in a project that is expected to take just one day to complete. Gary Openshaw, Network Rail’s area general manager, explained: ‘Leaves on the line may be a bit of a joke but they are a serious safety problem for the rail industry. There were a number of instances last autumn in the Rishton station area involving trains slipping and sliding on tracks contaminated with leaf mulch, so we are acting to stop it happening again.’ Vegetation will be cleared from railway land on both sides of the tracks (with the exception of the privet hedge by the allotments and the laurels on the other side). They will also leave the majority of oak trees – although one has already been identified as in a dangerous condition so will be removed. Any other trees that are found to be diseased or dangerous will also be removed to stop them falling onto the railway or lineside properties. Work is expected to be completed on Tuesday 14 February.

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