KEY POINTS:
Is anything being done or going to be done about the absolutely hideous mess of graffiti and rubbish that covers practically every surface and extends along the rail corridor from outside the Britomart tunnel right through to the end of the entire suburban rail network? It makes Auckland look awful.
Kurt Law, Auckland.
Good question, and not an easy one to resolve.
As manager and operator of New Zealand's rail network, Ontrack is accountable for the appearance and tidiness of the rail corridor.
Its acting northern regional manager, Brent Lancaster, accepts that much of Auckland's rail corridor does not look too flash.
And it's an issue that affects other cities in New Zealand, as well as overseas.
The problems with keeping things clean and neat are manifold.
Ontrack does not have the resources to keep 4000km of corridor tidy and graffiti-free. The people who are tagging buildings and fences alongside the railway lines are trespassing, and many of the tagged buildings are privately owned, and Ontrack does not have right of access.
And people persist in throwing rubbish off overbridges and roadsides, which doesn't help.
Ontrack has formed partnerships with agencies such as the Manukau Beautification Society and Keep New Zealand Beautiful, which specialise in litter and graffiti control.
But getting volunteers to help is no easy task. It's a dangerous environment, and people working alongside railway lines need to be trained and supervised - both of which add to the costs.
Stop it before it starts, do I hear you cry? Ontrack is looking at ways of doing this, including planting small trees and shrubs along the lines in cities where graffiti is a problem.
Limiting access to the railway corridor is another measure, and fencing is being put up in urban areas, particularly near railway stations.
But there is no quick-fix solution, and there won't be until people start taking responsibility for keeping their environment clean and tidy, and stop tagging.
I'm sure that Ontrack would be only too happy to receive any constructive ideas on how this might be achieved.
* And now some good news. This month Cheryl Clarke from Pakuranga emailed to find out what had happened to the rooster who used to live beside the northbound onramp from the Southeastern Motorway to the Southern. Before the investigative team could begin a search for the wayward bird, he reappeared - a positive sighting was made on Sunday. This is not the first time Russell/Rocky has gone into hiding and then returned, and it's good to know that he or his doppelganger are fine.
