Standing on a crowded, windswept railway platform can be dreary on a cold Monday morning, especially when it's filthy with crisp wrappers and drink cans.
But in stations around the country, commuters are rising up and striking a blow against litter – even if they can't do anything about the weather.
The author Bill Bryson and the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) are spearheading a campaign to force Network Rail and the train operators to clean up their stations, sidings and approaches, as they are legally obliged to do. Members of the public can use a legal mechanism called a litter abatement order to compel public land managers to remove rubbish.
Bryson, the president of the CPRE, is presenting an order to clean up the litter in stations in Cambridgeshire. Other campaigners are targeting London Bridge station, St Austell in Cornwall, Hersham in Surrey, Ainsdale on Merseyside, Clacton-on-Sea in Essex and Gravesend in Kent.
Bryson said: "This is not a complicated or controversial issue. Organisations responsible for public land are required to keep it clear of litter. If they are not taking this responsibility seriously, we all have the power to compel them to do so."
CPRE has written an online guide to the orders. For one to be granted, the complainant has to show that litter was persistently left uncleared, and a request to the land manager to clean it was ignored.
A photograph of the problem is the best way to start, along with a letter or email to the station manager. If this is ignored, it should be followed up with an email or letter to the chief executive of the station operator – such as Network Rail – declaring the intention to apply for a litter abatement order. At this stage, according to CPRE, most managers will respond and clear up.
Applying for an order costs about £80 to £200, but if a magistrate decrees it is valid, the costs are returned.
Bryson said railway stations had been targeted first because of the poor image they give to tourists and visitors. "Railway operators and Network Rail are not the only offenders, but they are responsible for far too much uncollected litter," he said. "The first impression for a visitor arriving in a town is often formed by their view from a train carriage, and it is a disgrace that the view is so often a degraded and dirty one that suggests a lack of care or pride in the area."
Bryson attacked rail companies for awarding millions of pounds in bonuses to senior executives while failing to spend money to protect the environment. "I don't see why they should be paying themselves these bonuses when they are not keeping their land free from litter, which is a legal obligation," he said. "They should be sorting out the litter, if they have enough money for bonuses. There is no excuse for this."
He said the campaigners had received a warm response from the travelling public on Monday morning, many of whom expressed support for the aims.
