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Over a tonne of litter have been removed today by a special squad led by Network Rail to clean up the Reading railway, creating a ^golden mile^ near Reading station.

The ^Reading Mile^ initiative has brought a vastly improved environment for local residents and passengers, and has served as a warning to fly tippers who use the railway as their dumping ground.

A large cycle wheel, a football and broken bottles were among some of the litter picked up by the 30-strong squad from Network Rail.

Jack Hitchcock, western route maintenance director for Network Rail said: "We have a duty to the community to remove this blight from their area but time and money could be better used on improving and expanding rail services. This is why we urge anyone who has information about fly-tipping or other forms of vandalism to call the British Transport police and help us fight this costly anti-social crime."

^Not only is fly tipping an illegal activity, but it is unsightly and poses a health and safety risk to rail passengers, employees and our lineside neighbours. Large items such as beds and other household goods dumped pose a real safety risk to the railway as they have the potential to derail a train if placed on the track. It will also create access problems for our engineers when work begins in the area to redevelop Reading railway.

Following the success of the clean up, Network Rail will continue to monitor the area to remove further litter and crack down on fly tippers with the help of relevant authorities.

Staff help big station clean-up

(http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41955000/jpg/_41955062_203clean2.jpg)
One mile either side of Temple Meads was cleaned

A clean-up operation around Bristol's Temple Meads railway station has seen 36 tonnes of rubbish cleared and 285 pieces of graffiti removed.

More than 50 staff from Network Rail took part in the spring clean around the station on Monday.

Tracks and buildings in the Temple Meads area are now a "zero-tolerance" zone in an attempt to cut vandalism.

Network Rail says it will work closely with British Transport Police and Bristol City Council to enforce this.

Robbie Burns, Network Rail's Western Route Director, said: "We are determined to tackle graffiti and vandalism on the railway and make sure people know this will not be tolerated. Any help that members of the public can give us in catching those responsible is welcomed and we urge anyone with information to call the British Transport Police."

I've read elsewhere that similar initiatives were around in BR days, where prizes were awarded to P-way gangs for the best kept stretch of line in a region/sector. Only forum chatter mind, and I haven't found anything 'official'.

Pretty sure that's true - the NRM has a BR cut-out metal sign (in the style of the old line-speed indicator signs) that was awarded for the "prize length" (*cough*) and erected in the appropriate location.

As someone who was around Castle Cary in the late fifties / early sixties I can vouch that the award of the 'Prize Length' plate to a gang was a matter of huge prestige, and earned the respect of railwaymen of all grades and departments.

As someone who was around Castle Cary in the late fifties / early sixties I can vouch that the award of the 'Prize Length' plate to a gang was a matter of huge prestige, and earned the respect of railwaymen of all grades and departments.

Bill Bryson leads legal efforts over railway litter

Green campaigners led by author Bill Bryson are launching legal efforts to get Network Rail to clear litter from England's railways. The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) plans to use Litter Abatement Orders to make the rail infrastructure firm clear up certain sites. Mr Bryson, CPRE president, said the railways were "particularly, persistently bad" for litter.

Network Rail said it tried to clear litter within 20 days of being alerted.

But the CPRE says it is "frustrated with the filthy state of many of England's rail stations, railways and sidings".

Among a number of CPRE campaigners planning to use the orders (LAO), Mr Bryson is pushing for litter to be cleared from alongside tracks in Cambridgeshire. Other sites being targeted are: London Bridge station; St Austell in Cornwall; Hersham in Surrey; Ainsdale station on Merseyside; Clacton-on-Sea in Essex; Gravesend in Kent.

Mr Bryson said: "Network Rail has a legal obligation to clean litter and, in most places, as far as I can see, it's not just they don't do it often enough - they don't do it at all."

Pointing to bonuses totalling almost ^2.4m for Network Rail's top executives last year, Mr Bryson said: "If they've got time to do that, I think it's not unreasonable for us to expect them to fulfill their legal obligation to provide a clean environment."

'Every citizen's right'

If no reasonable action is taken by public land managers within five days of notification, LAO can be sought from the courts.

"This is something that it's every citizen's right to do," Mr Bryson said. "If you are confronted persistently with some sort of litter blight that you don't like, it is your right to take out a Litter Abatement Order."

He added: "Usually what happens is that it's the threat of the Litter Abatement Order that makes these duty bodies - as they're known, people who are responsible for public spaces - it's usually the threat of it that makes them finally get around to taking action."

In a statement, Network Rail said it was "surprised" by CPRE's plans to encourage the orders to be served on the company. The firm was a supporter of the new anti-litter Love Where You Live campaign and, after holding a meeting with CPRE last year, Network Rail had asked to speak to the body again but not been given a date, it said.

The statement said: "As one of Britain's biggest landowners we remove thousands of tonnes of litter every year. If reported by the public, we aim to remove litter within 20 days. Our dedicated maintenance teams regularly remove litter as part of their day-to-day responsibilities and we work closely with our contractors and projects to keep the areas in which they are working free of litter."

I can't help but wonder since it seems local authorities seem to pursue fly tippers and seek to prosecute such identifiable fly tipping, perhaps there is a case for something similar for the railways?

Huh...........................

What about all of the scrap rail that has being laying about between Exeter and Taunton since the HOTR train passed that way some 2 to 3 years ago. >:(

HOTR?

HOTR?

High Output Track Renewal

Countryside campaigner Bryson tackles rail litter issue

Countryside campaigner and author Bill Bryson visited Cambridge to highlight the problem of rail side litter.

After five years of asking for the sidings in the city to be tidied, he believes the law is the only option left.

Jozef Hall met the president of the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

HOTR?

Bill Bryson's litter fight

Green campaigner and best-selling author Bill Bryson begins a legal battle to clear litter from the railways.
The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), of which Bryson is president, is fed up with what it sees as the filthy state of rail stations, tracks and sidings.
Bryson came to Cambridge in March at the start of the legal campaign which will see CPRE campaigners use a mechanism called a Litter Abatement Order that can compel public land managers to keep their land free of litter.
If no reasonable action is taken within five days of notification, Litter Abatement Orders (LAO) can be sought from the courts.
Bryson has been seeking an LAO against Network Rail (NR) ^for continually failing to clear up rubbish along tracks in Cambridgeshire^.
Other locations being targeted today include London Bridge station, St Austell in Cornwall, Hersham in Surrey, Ainsdale station on Merseyside, Clacton-on-Sea in Essex and Gravesend in Kent.
Bryson said: ^This is not a complicated or controversial issue. Organisations responsible for public land are required to keep it clear of litter. If they^re not taking this responsibility seriously, we all have the power to compel them to do so. Railway operators and NR are not the only offenders, but they are responsible for far too much uncollected litter. The first impression for a visitor arriving in a town is often formed by their view from a train carriage, and it is a disgrace that that view is so often a degraded and dirty one that suggests a lack of care or pride in the area.^