A father whose garden backs onto the main train line between Liverpool and Manchester says he fears a strong gust of wind could send his fence hurtling onto the tracks. Tony Smith, 47, from Rainhill, has called on Network Rail to secure the fence, which is currently propped up with planks of wood.
Network Rail, which partially owns the fence, says the structure is in a satisfactory condition. A spokesperson said: "The fencing is upright and providing the protection we need and expect."
Shared fence safety concerns
Tony, a dad-of-three, told the ECHO he requested Network Rail secure or replace the old fence as it is located just a few feet from the train tracks, making it a potential safety hazard. He said: "The rear garden fence backs onto the main train line between Liverpool and Manchester. There's overhead electric pylons. The fence is shared, it's a party fence and the other party is Network Rail."
He added: "I've been in touch with Network Rail because the left hand side of the fence is moving. I've advised them we're looking to change the fence or at least make it straight, but we really don't want to take the original fence down because there's a big drop on the other side, and the electric cables are within spitting distance of the bottom of the garden."
Risk of severe problem
Tony said: "If we get any bad weather in the next few months, it's likely to blow onto the tracks. If it blew onto the tracks it would cause a severe problem." He said he had contacted Network Rail about the issue, but had been told if he wanted the fence replaced, he would have to do this himself.
He said: "They've said it basically its not our issue. We don't want to take the original fence down because of the electric pylons. There's a fence and the other side is the main tracks with trains going by every six minutes."
Network Rail response
Tony added: "When you share a party wall, its between the two owners of the fence. We're asking them to secure the fence that's waving about in the wind, because it is dangerous. We would straighten it, we would secure it, but we would need to be on the other side of the fence to secure it. But we can't do that when there's trains rushing past every six minutes, and with the drop on that side it's not safe."
He said: "Not only that, if we modified it in any way and the fence did blow onto the track in high winds in the future, we'd probably be blamed."
A Network Rail spokesperson said: "We're committed to ensuring the safety of the railway boundary. Following a review of this particular location, the fencing is upright and providing the protection we need and expect. We'll continue to monitor the condition of the fence line through this area and, should its condition worsen, we will take the appropriate action to make the area safe and secure."
