TRAIN giants Railtrack and St Helens Council have done a deal to stop environmental damage to mature trees at a Newton rail embankment.

Residents feared the felling of old oak and sycamore trees on the south side of Newton station would create an eyesore and went against government environmental policies.

A council spokeswoman said environmental officers were powerless to act as Railtrack were a statutory agency owning the land.

But Railtrack insisted trees were only cut down in the interests of health and safety and offered to replant more trees in a year's time.

They insisted that the trees had been chopped to prevent an accident blackspot.

"Leaves falling on the line is effectively like black ice on the track," commented Shami Choudhry, Railtrack corporate affairs officer. She also said drivers had experienced visibility difficulties in the area.

"Cutting trees encourages new growth in the undergrowth," said Ms Choudhry, adding that the situation would be reassessed if vegetation did not grow within a year.

Environmental chiefs said they were satisfied after Railtrack promised to replant trees if vegetation did not grow on the embankment by the track.

But one resident commented: "It is ironic that this should happen at a time when we are being encouraged to plant trees for the millennium."

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