Five large trees next to Gilnow Road playing field are being removed this weekend after two fell onto railway lines and caused serious delays. Bolton Council will carry out the work overnight between 11:30pm on Saturday and 6am on Sunday, when Network Rail has a planned track closure in place. Specialist machinery is needed because overhead electric lines run alongside the site.
The decision follows a safety assessment requested by Network Rail after two trees came down onto the tracks since the end of March. Cllr Robert Morrisey, Executive Member for Climate Change, Environment and Regulatory Services, acknowledged unease about felling but said safety had to take priority. He warned that more trees falling onto the lines could have catastrophic consequences, adding that the action was unavoidable despite the council’s reluctance.
Earlier preparation work has already seen several other trees cleared to create space for the specialist equipment. Bolton Council said noise and disruption would be kept to a minimum during the overnight operation. The track closure has been timed to avoid further hold-ups on the network, with the council and Network Rail continuing to work together to address the risks.
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