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£1.3m for new Merseyrail track
OVER the next month the track between Waterloo and Seaforth & Litherland stations on Merseyside is to be replaced in a £1.3m project designed to produce a smoother journey for passengers and cut down on maintenance for both Network Rail and Merseyrail Electrics.
Old jointed track laid on wooden sleepers is to be replaced by continuously welded rails on new concrete sleepers. A total of 4,216 yds of new rail and 2,950 sleepers will be used, all of which will be embedded in 5,100 tonnes of new ballast (the grey stone chippings the track sits on). The net result of the work will be a smoother and quieter journey for rail passengers - gone will be the familiar clickerty-clack of the train on the track - and less wear and tear on both the train's wheels and the track itself.
Access to the worksite will be through Seaforth station or a private premise off Sandy Road. The old track will be taken away on engineering trains and the new materials will be delivered to site by train. On-track machines will carry out the work but there will also be some smaller equipment and temporary lighting in use.
Up to 30 Network Rail and First Engineering staff will be involved in the project and preparatory work starts this weekend 22 January. The bulk of the work will be carried out over 3 successive weekends from 29 January through to 13 February, after which there will be some minor work needed to finish off the project by 21 February.
Rail passengers should check their weekend travel plans at their local Merseyrail station or call national rail enquiries on 08457 48 49 50.
Campaign warns binge drinkers
A NEW poster campaign is being launched to raise awareness of the dangers of binge drinking.
Liverpool's Citysafe partnership is asking people to 'start as you mean to go on' by making a healthy start to the New Year.
The posters will be distributed around licensed premises in the city centre as well as surrounding areas to remind people that binge drinking is a danger throughout the year and not just over Christmas.
Liverpool City Council's executive member for community safety, Councillor Richard Marbrow,
said:- "We want to send out the message that binge drinking is not just a problem over the Christmas and New Year period, but one which exists all year round.
The dangers of binge drinking, such as illness and anti-social behaviour, are well documented.
We are not trying to tell people to stop going out and enjoying themselves. We are encouraging them to do it sensibly and be aware of the dangers posed by binge drinking."
Chair of Citysafe, John Sayers, said:- "We are taking a long term approach to the issue of binge drinking and distributing these posters to complement our seasonal campaigns.
We hope this campaign will reinforce that message and raise people's awareness before they go on their night out."
Citysafe is a partnership between Liverpool City Council and dozens of agencies across the city, including Merseyside Police.
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Major campaign targets underage drinkers
A HIGH profile campaign, funded by the Warrington Health Partnership and the Safer Warrington Partnership, is targeted at all 'off licence' sellers of alcohol across the borough. The aim is to crack down on underage drinking in Warrington. Under the banner 'I'd rather ask for ID than lose my job', the campaign is phase two of the borough's 'Drink - draw the line' blitz on alcohol-related problems in Warrington.
Phase one of the campaign included hard-hitting posters in pubs, launched in a bid to combat problems of binge drinking in the town centre.
Targeted at people who sell alcohol in off licences, shops and supermarkets, the new campaign calls for people to ask for '100% proof', no proof, no sale. It urges shop assistants and managers not to sell to underage drinkers and to think about the consequences for themselves, their company, the young people and the wider community.
Over the coming weeks an underage alcohol sales officer, brought in specially by Warrington Trading Standards, will continue to visit off-licences and stores selling alcohol to educate shop workers and involve them in the campaign.
Sessions will be held with off-licence staff and the campaign forms part of a training package of education and advice for licensees and their staff.
Cllr Mike Hannon, Executive Member for Community and Well-being, said:- "Prevention and education are vital if we are to combat the dangerous effects of teen drinking. Working closely with off licences and other sellers of alcohol, this campaign is targeted at cracking down hard on underage drinkers and reducing the harmful effects alcohol can have in communities across our borough.
Underage drinking is a serious problem that effects us all. We are committed to preventing alcohol abuse among our underage children and young people. By encouraging shop workers to take an active role in spreading the awareness and tackling underage drinking at its source, we hope we can make a real difference."
Peter Astley, Trading Standards Manager, added:- "There is no excuse for people to sell alcohol to underage drinkers. We need to ensure that underage drinkers have fewer opportunities to get hold of alcohol and, in some cases, cause trouble in their areas.
Licensees and shops selling alcohol have an important role to play in ensuring they do not sell alcohol to young people or to adults who may be buying it for youngsters who are under age."
Since 2002, Trading Standards have carried out a programme of test purchase exercises across the borough, targeting off-licence premises by sending volunteers under the age of 18 and attempting to buy alcohol. The results of those surveys were cause for concern and it is hoped this new campaign could have a significant impact on sales to youngsters.
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