• Litter and Flytipping

    Litter and flytipping are ugly, unhygienic and sometimes unsafe.

  • Unfortunately, the railway is a prime target for litter and flytipping (illegally dumped rubbish) by members of the public. When members of the public throw their litter on to the tracks or leave it at the stations or dump household & building waste on our land, it causes us health & safety problems. For example, litter attracts rats to the railway. Rats like to chew on signal cables as well as rubbish and this can lead to signal failures, delays & even accidents.

    Help us to keep the railway clean and tidy

    Please help us to keep the railway clean and tidy by putting your litter in a bin.

    If you want to get rid of big items or large amounts of rubbish, please contact your local authority who will arrange for its proper disposal. Flytipping can be very dangerous – especially if you go on to the tracks. Every year, people are killed and injured when they trespass on railway land. It is a criminal offence and carries a fine of up to £1,000.

    We are committed to cleaning up litter & flytipping

    Network Rail and some of the train operating companies have a duty under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to remove litter from the railway.

    We prioritise work based on safety, not appearance. For example, we aim to remove a shopping trolley on the tracks immediately but would clear up litter on an embankment as part of our scheduled maintenance work.

    We work hard to prevent litter & flytipping

    In practice, it is impossible to achieve a completely clean railway but we try to prevent litter & flytipping as much as we can by:

    • Working with the British Transport Police to investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute people who commit litter & flytipping offences on railway property
    • Maintaining good security to stop people illegally accessing railway sites
    • Using CCTV to monitor sites where people commit flytipping
    • Using “nobblers” which puncture tyres both inside & outside access gates for railway land
    • Including litter removal in our vegetation management projects
    • Enforcing legal agreements so that our tenants (e.g. shops at the stations that we manage) do not cause any litter problems
    • Requiring that all litter, debris & other materials are removed from our sites by contractors when they have finished a job.

    What to do if you have a problem caused by the railway or have more questions

    If you have a problem caused by litter and flytipping or any other part of the railway or if you simply want more information, please contact the National Helpline on 08457 11 41 41.

  • What to do if you are concerned

    On or near the railway tracks

    Please contact the National Helpline on 08457 11 41 41 if you are concerned about litter or flytipping on or near the railway tracks.

    At a station managed by Network Rail

    We run 17 key stations. If you are concerned about litter or flytipping at one of the following stations, please contact the National Helpline on 08457 11 41 41:

    Birmingham New Street
    Cannon Street
    Charing Cross
    Edinburgh Waverley
    Euston
    Fenchurch Street
    Glasgow Central
    King’s Cross
    Leeds
    Liverpool Lime Street
    Liverpool Street
    London Bridge
    Manchester Piccadilly
    Paddington
    St Pancras International
    Victoria
    Waterloo

    At stations managed by a train operating company

    The remaining 2,500 stations are managed by the train operating companies. You will need to contact the ticket office if you are concerned about litter or flytipping at one of their stations.

    Outside the railway

    If you are concerned about litter or flytipping in areas outside the railway, please contact your local authority and they will be able to help you.

    National Helpline
    08457 11 41 41