appearances can be deceptive

[daccer]

I undertook a trip around the network late last year having been away for several years. I did it to get a feel for the system I worked for in the 80's. What struck me was that more effort now seemed to be made in the way the network looked as opposed to BR days. has there been a concerted affoer to tidy up the tracksides especially - i could never understand the policy of leaving old material by the side of the tracks for vandals to use. Also grafitti seems to being tackled at last. Can readers put me right on whether more effort is now made on keeping the tracksides clean and is NR working hard on making the railways look the part also are there any ugly blackspots which need cleaning up. with regards to stations i think people now appreciate their worth but the tracks themselves have a part to play in making the railways feel like a thriving industry. i also noticed a lack of old and redundant vehicles lying in sidings - i know this might have something to do with the high price of scrap but anybody know of any vehicles/wagons etc that really need a visit to the scrapyard in the sky. I think image is important so i hope NR keep pushing for higher standards.

 

[Mojo]

I do know buddleia is a big problem in certain areas, and it was explained by Network Rail at a meeting I was at in June about the problem of clearing it up (you only have a few weeks per year to kill it) and that they have actually sought advice from botanic experts at Kew Gardens to help them deal with the problem.

There used to be loads of old Royal Mail coaches adjacent to Bristol Parkway and I noticed that some time between the summer and Christmas they have all been removed.

 

[The_Rail_WAy]

Yes I also noticed that all the overgrown weeds, plants and bushes that covered the sidings just south of Preston station have all been chopped and cleared away over the last 12 months which interested me.

 

[jopsuk]

The clearing of vegetation may well have much to do with the battle against leaves- they know the railways become a laughing stock over this.

The rotting carriages and tanker trucks at Cambridge got taken away last year; the sidings they were on have now gone.

 

[spoony]

I wish someone would come and clean up the dead fox that I have to see trackside every day Its been there a week, god knows what it will be like in a month

 

[mrcheek]

I wish someone would come and clean up the dead fox that I have to see trackside every day Its been there a week, god knows what it will be like in a month

most likely the crows will have pecked it to oblivion by then

 

[O L Leigh]

I wish someone would come and clean up the dead fox that I have to see trackside every day Its been there a week, god knows what it will be like in a month

A month...? That's nothing. We've got petrified fox skeletons dating back to when I was a trainee.

O L Leigh

 

[spoony]

A month...? That's nothing. We've got petrified fox skeletons dating back to when I was a trainee.

O L Leigh

I look forward to seeing how long it takes to turn to mush

 

[whoshotjimmi]

I'm sorry to break the light hearted nature of the thread thus far, but I am curious. Are there health and safety inplications about removing animals? I would have thought the correct people have to be brought in and services halted on a stretch where this was taking place? I'm just wondering if legislation makes it all a lot harder than it sounds?

 

[spoony]

I'm sorry to break the light hearted nature of the thread thus far, but I am curious. Are there health and safety inplications about removing animals? I would have thought the correct people have to be brought in and services halted on a stretch where this was taking place? I'm just wondering if legislation makes it all a lot harder than it sounds?

Its only the Tyne & Wear Metro line to South Shields, just before Hebburn station, plus its quite a small fox.

 

[O L Leigh]

Animals are not removed from the line unless they pose some operating hazard to trains. They are just left to be scavenged and/or rot where they lie. Generally they disappear pretty quickly but some do not seem to move at all.

O L Leigh

 

[Dennis]

Animals are not removed from the line unless they pose some operating hazard to trains. They are just left to be scavenged and/or rot where they lie. Generally they disappear pretty quickly but some do not seem to move at all.

O L Leigh

The only exception to this being the species tresspasser stupidus; for these all traffic is stopped and the remains carefully scraped up into a bag.

 

[Guinness]

Animals are not removed from the line unless they pose some operating hazard to trains. They are just left to be scavenged and/or rot where they lie. Generally they disappear pretty quickly but some do not seem to move at all.

O L Leigh

Out of interest, does this occur often? I've never seen any rotting animals lineside ever with 'external observations', lineside photography etc..