Demand for action over railway fly-tipping blight

Trackside embankments on routes into Bradford Interchange and Bradford Forster Square stations are littered with debris, much of which has clearly been deliberately dumped.

The problem is particularly bad between Forster Square and Shipley where extensive stretches are covered in fly-tipped waste.

Network Rail, which is responsible for the upkeep of railway lines, said it was aware of the problem and had pencilled in a major clean-up for this November.

But that timetable was condemned as "unacceptable" by Bradford Council leader David Green who demanded it "upped its game" in dealing with the problem.

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Councillor Green said: “I have written to Network Rail in the past regarding this very issue, and some of its previous clean ups are a result of that intervention.

“It has a responsibility to ensure that entrances to major cities, which is what these rail lines are reflective of the regeneration going on in the cities by the local authority. I think they need to be more proactive in their efforts to keep the gateway to our city looking respectable.

“I don’t think it is acceptable to be talking about doing this in six months' time. It is something they should do on a regular basis, especially in areas around the Interchange and Forster Square.

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"People see this mess when they come into our city. I think it is time Network Rail upped its game.

“I think one way to fix it is if they better secured their land, making it harder for people to dump waste on it.”

Colin Philpott, chief executive of Bradford Breakthough - which is working towards making Bradford a better place to live, work and visit and to do business and invest, said: “I have noticed the rubbish. The impression people get as they arrive in our city is really important in terms of image.

"The approach to Bradford Interchange in particular comes through some not particularly pleasant looking places but that will be made worse if they become rubbish dumps.

"It must be difficult for the Council and Network Rail to keep on top of but it has to be done.”

James Vasey, chairman of the Bradford Rail Users' Group James Vasey, also warned of the dangers of fly-tipped material getting on to the tracks.

"Fly tipping is extremely dangerous for trains, debris on track can cause a serious incident," said Mr Vasey.

"Sometimes toxic or dangerous products are illegally disposed of by the railway, which requires specialist, expensive removal. Money that could be spent on improving the railway.

Mr Vasey urged trackside businesses to do their bit in preventing rubbish spilling on to tracksides by keeping their service yards as tidy as as their front of house operation - keeping bins and skips closed.

And he said transport groups needed to better educate children from using railways as dumping grounds.

"We would encourage Network Rail, Northern Rail and Metro to include litter and railway safety in their education packs/services they provide to schools," he said.

The Aire Valley Rail Users’ Group recently highlighted a litter problem at Saltaire station.

Its chairman Tim Calow said: “It is a difficult issue, because people keep dumping rubbish where they think they can get away with it.

"I know Network Rail’s chief executive recently came out with comments saying the railway needed to be a tidy place, and that litter could be a hazard for people working along the line.

“This type of littering seems to be an issue in some areas. Sometimes a bit of litter there tends to attract more people dumping litter there.

“It might be a little less visible further into the summer when the vegetation grows.

“I think it is an excellent train service, it is just a shame things like this happen that don’t leave a good impressions with passengers.”

A Network Rail spokesman said: “We are aware of the problem on the stretch of track between Shipley and Bradford which is in part down to litter being blown from the retail park on to the track.

"In recent years we have carried out two major clear ups of this four and a half mile stretch and have another planned in November. This work has got to be done at night because it involves closing the track to trains for the duration of the clear up.

“We are committed to cleaning litter and preventing fly-tipping on the railway and are working closely with the council to educate people on the importance of this issue. It is a serious problem which not only looks bad but affects the safety of the railway. Fly-tipping is particularly dangerous, especially if people trespass onto the railway which is a criminal offence and carries a fine of up to £1,000.”

A Keep Britain Tidy spokesman said it was everybody’s responsibility to get rid off rubbish and waste properly – and not to dump it.

He said: “It costs local authorities in England £1 billion a year for street cleaning I’m not sure how much it costs Network Rail but it’ll be a heck of a lot. It’s got to be everyone’s responsibility to dispose off litter and waste correctly.

“Rubbish on rail tracks could be dangerous but it’s also unsightly for people coming in to the city, it makes a bad first impression for visitors and isn’t nice for people using that line everyday.

"We want to make sure our country is a pleasant place to look at whether it’s open land, a village, town, or city.”