Never give up the fight. We have highlighted Cassies Fence Campaign from the moment we heard how Hearing Dog Cassie had been killed by a train while on a walk. At last, several years later, a fence has been erected to stop this happening to another dog. Kim being deaf obviously couldnt hear a train coming and had not realised that a busy railway line would ever be unfenced, especially when they bisect a very popular walking area. Kim Herber has won her five-year campaign to have fencing erected along a stretch of track running near Harlow Town Park. Heres the full story: Kim Herbert, 55, of Altham Grove, said she was overcome with emotion when she saw Network Rail had erected the fence. “I was gasping for air and crying at the same time,” she said. “It was the sheer scale of the thing that knocked me off balance and the fact that we had won.” Ms Herbert’s dog Cassie was killed after running on to the line while the pair were out walking in Maymeads Marsh in 2009. Soon after she launched a campaign and online petition calling on Network Rail to improve safety by fencing off the stretch of track running between Harlow Town station and the Templefields industrial estate. At first Network Rail refused to erect barriers along the path, insisting that trackside borders were fit for purpose. Ms Herbert said: “Ever since I started this campaign Network Rail has been saying that public safety along the track was adequate, that they had no duty of care to domestic dogs and the lack of fencing was lega, despite there being no physical barrier to prevent access. “They said vegetation was sufficient. They kept saying it was fenced with a post and wire which was very much invisible and did nothing to prevent people from accessing the track either.” Last year Harlow Council installed safety fencing along one of the most dangerous sections of pathway. Then around three months ago Ms Herbert was advised during a Town Park Users Group meeting that the council and green team volunteers had been asked to lower the water levels in the streams to enable Network Rail to install fencing. “Since then and not wishing to get my hopes up, I checked periodically for this fence to appear. Last week when I decided to have another check I was totally, totally stunned. “I went up the railway bridge and looked over and couldn’t believe my eyes. What I saw was about a quarter of a mile, possibly more, of palisade fencing - exactly what we had been asking for and been constantly denied.” Network Rail has now erected safety fencing on both sides of the track and behind the streams”. Ms Herbert added: “This part of the park is so beautiful and it was our favourite place but after what happened, it became the worst place on earth. I couldn’t even look there without remembering the horror of that night. “Now, the whole atmosphere has changed; there is a kind of peace there once more. I just wish it didn’t take the death of my beloved dog to make this happen “ Read more: harlowstar.co.uk/News/Harlow-news/Harlow-dog-owners-victory-in-rail-fence-crusade-20140709092856.htm#ixzz374bVz5ru
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 13:56:47 +0000
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