Railtrack plc

Railtrack join Tidy Britain crusade
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date 18 April 1997
source Railtrack plc
type Press release

A stand at Waterloo station, explaining the litter problem on the railway, along with details of a clean up campaign at selected sites in the south are part of Railtrack Southern's commitment to the Tidy Britain Group seventh annual national spring clean.

National spring clean is the country's biggest tidy-up and last year 2.6 million people took part in clean-up activities. Railtrack Southern will be hosting a stand on Waterloo station concourse on Monday between 1000 and 1430 to inform customers just how Railtrack is trying to combat the litter problem on the railways.

There is also a clean up campaign being undertaken with local authorities in the south working with Railtrack at known fly tipping sites.

Railtrack's participation in the national spring clean follows on from the Company winning the prestigious Tidy Britain Independent People and Places Programme of the Year award for work with local authorities to tackle the litter and fly tipping problem on the railway in the southern area.

"Taking part in the spring clean is a show of our commitment to improving the railway environment for the customer and the community they serve," said Toby Meadows, Railtrack Southern's Environment Manager.

Last year Railtrack Southern spent £1.5 million on clearing litter, with a conservative estimate putting the amount of litter cleared from its stations per month as 240,000 litres of waste. This is equivalent to the waste of 300,000 households.

"Clearing the railway is not as simple as some people imagine. Staff cannot simply walk out onto the track and pick up litter. This, allied to the sheer number of people who use the railway, means we have our work cut out, and despite our efforts, litter can reappear very quickly. Our work will not stop at this week alone," added Mr Meadows.

Railhub Archive ::: 1997-04-18 RTK-001