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Why don’t Network Rail tidy up after themselves?

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Spartacus

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Ah, the old ‘idealists vs realists’, the idealists rarely see the sense the realists have acquired. For them no effort or cost is too great to achieve perfection. Obviously we COULD do everything perfectly with guaranteed back ups etc etc etc. We’d all be out of jobs as the expense would be out of this world, but LOOK AT HOW PERFECT IT LOOKS! :wub::wub::wub::wub::wub:

Sadly I’ve encountered far too many idealists with power who ultimately fornicate everything up to give them much time.
 
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LAX54

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It is nothing new, it goes back to BR days, one of the issues now is the fact that there are more and more trains running, the time for getting access to the line, is getting shorter and shorter, but the work still has to be done, thus they work right up to the wire, it is not unusual here for a possession to be given up at 0440, just 5 mins before the first train, in reality this is too late for the Signaller, who has to remove, or may have to remove hundreds of reminders on the panel / workstation, the possession will have been given after the last passenger train at 0215, gives them a mere 2 hours or so to get the work done, there is just no time to take all of the stuff off track, sometimes it is fortunate to have materials left trackside, if there is a fault that crops up, that needs a bit of rail cut in, or some ballast or clips replacing, there are materials at hand, or at least fairly close by, and yes there are also 'track clearance' possessions, but not as many as track repair ones !
A few months ago we had a defective rail, needed a 20MPH ESR, luckily there was a good bit of rail about a mile away, and this was taken to site during the day, ready for them to get stuck in that night a put the new bit in, the 20MPH was removed the next morning, had this bit of 'scrap' not been handy, it could well have been over a week, or a lot longer, before they could get some new rail to site.
 

The Snap

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Considering Network Rail is owned by the taxpayer that's a ridiculous and factually incorrect claim!
Not really. The railways are owned by Network Rail, not the people. Network Rail is funded by the taxpayer yes, but that doesn’t mean a taxpayer owns a part of the railway. Not does it mean the railway isn’t private property.
 

Nick Ashwell

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If Network Rail's is 100% government owned and it's a democratic nation then the taxpayer does own it!
 

LAX54

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Not really. The railways are owned by Network Rail, not the people. Network Rail is funded by the taxpayer yes, but that doesn’t mean a taxpayer owns a part of the railway. Not does it mean the railway isn’t private property.




Type
Government Owned Company[1]
Industry Rail infrastructure and asset management
Predecessor Railtrack
Founded October 2002 (2002-10)
Headquarters London, England
Key people
Products Public transport
Revenue £6.2 billion (2013)[3]
Owner HM Government (Department for Transport)
Number of employees
37,000[4]
Website www.networkrail.co.uk
 

johnnychips

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An ‘ordinary’ passenger will more likely notice, if at all, graffiti and derelict wagons or carriages. It would be nice to clean/remove them but I’m sure they would not appreciate service disruption to do this.
 

Harbon 1

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We have to be careful in some places when getting out of the cab but its no worse than when you've stopped over another set of points. Interestingly for some items, quite the opposite is the case for the posters moaning about things being left. A well placed bag of ballast from several years ago can give a brilliant reference for when your loco is in clear of a signal ;)

Re the post about not expecting a sign to be there 4 years after some roadworks: you'd be surprised. A46 at Newark was built about 5 years ago, the roundabout has had its markings changes since then but the signs are still there and one of the traffic islands hasn't been built at all, just a triangle of cones!
 

Meerkat

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When you are getting out of the cab is there the train equivalent of a puddle light so you can see where you are going?
 

paddington

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This thread has been a fascinating read. It has answered some questions I have had as a passenger.

My view is that the entire railway should be completely closed for 2 weeks so that all unneeded scrap and waste can be cleared, regardless of the cost. The money to do this can come from not refunding or compensating season ticket holders. Just tell me when the 2 weeks are so I can go on holiday (and not buy a season ticket covering this period).

Or more seriously, all I really want to know is that Network Rail hasn't forgotten about it. I am happy for this to be the lowest priority and if clearing things up is not cost-effective then it doesn't need to be done. At least it provides something to look at from train windows.
 

muddythefish

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An ‘ordinary’ passenger will more likely notice, if at all, graffiti and derelict wagons or carriages. It would be nice to clean/remove them but I’m sure they would not appreciate service disruption to do this.

Passengers do notice the rubbish and equipment left by the lineside. I've heard many people commenting on it, and it does deter from the travelling experience. It all gives the impression of a railway that doesn't care about its environment and has no pride in its property. Look at old railway photos from the 1950s and even 1960s and you will almost always see an immaculate permanent way and lineside without rubbish and even vegetation. Such a contrast to today's generally disgraceful railway scene.
 

Railwaysceptic

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If Network Rail's is 100% government owned and it's a democratic nation then the taxpayer does own it!
If something is nominally owned by the Government, then, according to democratic theory, it's owned by the people, and not exclusively tax-payers.
 
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