Another Train Hits Objects On Line

Deepgreen · 13 Mar 2024

Couldn't see this one so far. This one relates to trees dumped on the line near Penkridge. Fly-tipping reaches a new low...

"Rail travel between Stafford and Wolverhampton has been disrupted due to a train hitting illegally dumped trees on the line near Penkridge, according to Network Rail.
They said nobody was hurt and the line has since reopened.
They urged passengers to check before they travel as services are reinstated.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We won’t tolerate the railway being used as an illegal dumping ground and will do everything we can to catch those responsible and bring them to justice.”
They added: “We urge anyone who sees fly-tipping happening on the railway to immediately contact the British Transport Police.” "

Train hits illegally dumped trees, causing delays

Rail travel was disrupted between Stafford and Wolverhampton, according to Network Rail.

www.bbc.co.uk

RailUK Forums

skyhigh · 13 Mar 2024

The title you've chosen is a bit of a click bait headline. I'm not sure Network Rail can be blamed for fly tipping, unlike the previous events.

atillathehunn · 13 Mar 2024

skyhigh said:
The title you've chosen is a bit of a click bait headline. I'm not sure Network Rail can be blamed for fly tipping, unlike the previous events.

Where does the title blame Network Rail? Of either the thread or the article?

Boodiggy · 13 Mar 2024

The incident was gardening waste from behind a row of houses thrown over the fence

Deepgreen · 13 Mar 2024

skyhigh said:
The title you've chosen is a bit of a click bait headline. I'm not sure Network Rail can be blamed for fly tipping, unlike the previous events.

Sorry, no 'click-baiting' was intended and I didn't mention any organisation or blame, apart from the fly-tipper(s).

skyhigh · 13 Mar 2024

atillathehunn said:
Where does the title blame Network Rail? Of either the thread or the article?

The 'another' part made me think it was going to be something that had been left on the line by NR, as happened last week.

Deepgreen said:
Sorry, no 'click-baiting' was intended and I didn't mention any organisation or blame, apart from the fly-tipper(s).

To be fair it's probably just my interpretation :lol:

19Gnasher69 · 13 Mar 2024

“A Network Rail spokesperson said: ‘We won’t tolerate the railway being used as an illegal ground and will do everything we can to catch those responsible and bring them to justice.”
They added: “We urge anyone who sees fly-tipping happening on the railway to immediately contact the British Transport Police’.”

Given the states of linesides across the country it can be tacitly accepted that Network Rail DOES tolerate the railway being used as a dumping ground. Cuttings present the greatest problem, particularly where housing backs on to them. It shouldn’t be beyond the wit of NR or the BTP to establish the offending parties, even if temporary cctv has to be erected.

pokemonsuper9 · 13 Mar 2024

19Gnasher69 said:
“A Network Rail spokesperson said: ‘We won’t tolerate the railway being used as an illegal ground and will do everything we can to catch those responsible and bring them to justice.”
They added: “We urge anyone who sees fly-tipping happening on the railway to immediately contact the British Transport Police’.”

Given the states of linesides across the country it can be tacitly accepted that Network Rail DOES tolerate the railway being used as a dumping ground. Cuttings present the greatest problem, particularly where housing backs on to them. It shouldn’t be beyond the wit of NR or the BTP to establish the offending parties, even if temporary cctv has to be erected.

There is a LOT of junk by the tracks on my line (there's a lot of space spare as well, since there were once 4 tracks).
I can't imagine it being easy to prevent.

Snow1964 · 13 Mar 2024

19Gnasher69 said:
Given the states of linesides across the country it can be tacitly accepted that Network Rail DOES tolerate the railway being used as a dumping ground. Cuttings present the greatest problem, particularly where housing backs on to them. It shouldn’t be beyond the wit of NR or the BTP to establish the offending parties, even if temporary cctv has to be erected.

This one should be fairly obvious if look for tree stumps or recently cut branches, assuming they weren't carried far before throwing them.

The real danger comes if they were on Network Rail land, and trees overhung boundary, as overhang can be cut, but the branches/timber must be returned (ie thrown back over the fence towards the railway) to trees owner

43066 · 13 Mar 2024

It seems strange that fly-tippers would target the railway in such a way that a collision is caused; surely it’s in their interests to be as discrete as possible.

The exile · 13 Mar 2024

43066 said:
It seems strange that fly-tippers would target the railway in such a way that a collision is caused; surely it’s in their interests to be as discrete as possible.

As Snow1964 says it is actually possible (though highly unlikely) that someone was not only acting within the law, but doing exactly what the law requires them to do. Doesn’t excuse all the building rubble, broken furniture etc - not to mention the abandoned track panels etc. Oh, hang on…

Deepgreen · 13 Mar 2024

skyhigh said:
The 'another' part made me think it was going to be something that had been left on the line by NR, as happened last week.

To be fair it's probably just my interpretation

Hard to see how this could be misinterpreted so severely...

pokemonsuper9 said:
There is a LOT of junk by the tracks on my line (there's a lot of space spare as well, since there were once 4 tracks).
I can't imagine it being easy to prevent.

Somehow your quote above has removed the word 'dumping' before "ground".

43066 said:
It seems strange that fly-tippers would target the railway in such a way that a collision is caused; surely it’s in their interests to be as discrete as possible.

Or even 'discreet' (different meaning)...

pokemonsuper9 said:
There is a LOT of junk by the tracks on my line (there's a lot of space spare as well, since there were once 4 tracks).
I can't imagine it being easy to prevent.

However, I imagine the dumping must have been on the remaining track in order for a train to hit it.

pokemonsuper9 · 13 Mar 2024

Deepgreen said:
However, I imagine the dumping must have been on the remaining track in order for a train to hit it.

I will be very surprised if a train ever hits fly tipped junk on my line given how much space there is, however I can definitely see it happening on a fuller area like the West Coast Main Line

Deepgreen · 13 Mar 2024

pokemonsuper9 said:
I will be very surprised if a train ever hits fly tipped junk on my line given how much space there is, however I can definitely see it happening on a fuller area like the West Coast Main Line

Sorry, I misread your previous comment which I thought was about the Penkridge incident.

SCDR_WMR · 13 Mar 2024

pokemonsuper9 said:
I will be very surprised if a train ever hits fly tipped junk on my line given how much space there is, however I can definitely see it happening on a fuller area like the West Coast Main Line

The stretch it happened on is quite narrow, and is around a bend from the station (could see the network rail high vis' from the platform).

Also, I belive it was 730 210 and 730 211 that struck the tree. Fortunately no damage to the units as they were running today.

Another Train Hits Objects On Line

Deepgreen

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Train hits illegally dumped trees, causing delays

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