We’ve all seen it, we all hate it, and we’re doing something about it – the litter and graffiti that’s a disgrace to our railways.
That’s why I’m delighted that Network Rail is supporting the Daily Mail’s campaign to back the Great British Spring Clean.
From great Victorian stations to soaring viaducts, our railway network looks stunning.
But all too often you see rubbish along the tracks. That’s got to change, not just to keep our railways beautiful, but to keep people safe and trains moving.
Because when it’s near the tracks it directly causes hours of delays for passengers.
I’m talking about a casually discarded burger, thrown on to the tracks from the last train home, attracting rats that chew through cables and knock out the signalling.
One thoughtless act affecting the morning commute for thousands of people.
Or people with spray cans, spotted trespassing near a bridge, meaning all trains in the vicinity must be stopped to keep everyone safe.
Even if the culprits are apprehended immediately, the knock-on disruption on our congested network can last for hours.
Or a pick-up truck taking out a fence and dumping a load of building waste on land next to a depot. It looks ugly, and it’s also created access for a group of young friends looking for adventure, which can all too easily end in tragedy.
Of course, clearing up our network is a huge job. It’s one our fantastic staff have been tackling day-in, day-out for years.
But we need to do much more, so I’m pledging a cash boost of up to £2million to clean up and to invest in even more robust preventative measures, and I’m encouraging our 41,000 staff to take part too.
But it isn’t just up to those who work on the railways to sort out. It’s down to all of us, which is why I want to use our support of this campaign to raise awareness of just how much trouble littering and graffiti causes every day for the millions of people who rely on the railway.
Let’s keep our railways clean so we can all get home safely and on time.