Tony Smith, a 47-year-old father of three from Rainhill, is concerned that his garden fence - currently propped up by wooden planks - could blow onto the adjacent train tracks during high winds. The boundary backs onto the busy Liverpool-to-Manchester train line, which features regular trains, overhead electric pylons, and a steep drop on the track side.
Network Rail's response
Network Rail, which partially owns the fence, says the structure is in a satisfactory condition. A spokesperson stated: "The fencing is upright and providing the protection we need and expect."
Tony says he cannot safely fix or replace the shared party fence himself, as proper repair work requires access from the track side, where high-speed trains run "every six minutes". He said: "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. 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."
Monitoring the fence line
After reviewing the site, Network Rail stated that the fence remains upright and provides satisfactory protection. The company added: "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."
