A national park has been saving waste from the railway network from going to landfill by giving it a new lease of life in the park.
Railway contractors J Murphy & Sons wanted to stop good quality stone from a bridge replacement and station and platform upgrades that they were working on from going to landfill and came up with the idea of contacting Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Over the last few years they've delivered the salvaged stone to the Park Authority who have used it in various ways to help improve pathways and walls within the park.
Read more: Yorkshire Dales National Park targets priorities for conservation
The latest delivery is a batch of substantial coping stones and kerb lines.
Richard Jakeman, from Network Rail, said: “We’re always looking at ways to reduce waste on the railway so when it became clear the stone destined for landfill could help stop footpath erosion it was a no brainer to donate it to the National Park Authority.
“It’s great that the thousands of people who travel by train to explore the Yorkshire Dales are now also being helped by the railway underfoot as they enjoy this area of outstanding natural beauty.”
Area Manager Matt Neale, from the National Park Authority’s Ranger Service, said: “Sometimes the passion that people show for the National Park is inspiring. J Murphy & Sons and Network Rail had the foresight and motivation to see that a new home could be found for stone no longer of use to the railway. They took the time to get in touch and overcame the challenge of transporting the stone and we’d like to thank them for that.
READ NEXT:
- Sadness as 'prominent church' in Darlington to close after 172 years of worship
- Sicilian couple found dead in North East flat named in Italian media reports
- Put in a Pound: Echo campaign reaches £2,200 benchmark
If you want to read more great stories, why not subscribe to your Northern Echo for as little as £1.25 a week. Click here
“The stone is very useful stuff for us; we’ve used it for through stones in wall repairs, for steps and bits of riverbank work. It’s saved us thousands of pounds and has helped us to keep the rights of way network well maintained.
“It’s a nice thought that stone that was once part of a bridge at Westhoughton can enjoy retirement as a step overlooking Lake Semerwater.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here