Teams to start £2m woodland management project set to reduce risk to vital Merseyside railway

Woodland management teams will soon begin a £2m project aimed at controlling vegetation and reducing delays on a key section of railway line in Merseyside.

Network Rail staff will begin the project – between Speke and Edge Hill – later this month. 

The work is vital to ensuring that rail services can pass through the area without being disrupted, especially during increasingly common periods of extreme weather. 

The project will involve keeping immediate trackside areas clear of vegetation and removing or reducing any trees on railway land that are within striking distance of the track and therefore posing a hazard to passing trains.

Network Rail quote: “This is vitally important work which will ensure we can run trains through this area with as few delays and as little disruption as possible. However, this work is going to create a change to how the railway looks in some areas.

"We’re engaging with residents who live nearby and will be holding a drop-in session  on Wednesday 11 February to answer any questions they may have."