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Clapham train disaster garden 'left neglected' by Network Rail
Miranda Bryant30 Jul 2009
A memorial garden for the victims of the Clapham rail disaster has been neglected for so long it is "unrecognisable", claim commuters.
The Battersea garden, visible from the railway line, was planted as a dedication to the 35 killed and more than 100 injured in 1988 in one of London's worst train crashes.
"It's been left as if the crash didn't happen. It's unrecognisable," said Andrew Collis, a TV producer at Teddington Studios, who commutes from Tukewell in Essex to Teddington.
"It's of no lesser value than the 7/7 memorial. Anybody who had someone involved in the crash would be absolutely shocked. It had such a wide reaching effect on everyone, yet if you look at the garden it seems to have been totally forgotten."
The disaster took place on 12 December 1988, when two commuter trains collided during morning rush hour then a third, empty train crashed into the wreckage. An inquiry found the main cause was a mistake made during wiring work on signals in the area.
An appeal raised £443,000, most of which was spent on a roadside sculpture and the garden. The sculpture was unveiled on 1 November 1989 and the garden, which runs along the rail embankment and was planted with shrubs and daffodils, soon after.
The sculpture is maintained in good condition by Wandsworth council but the gardens are owned by Network Rail, which today promised a clean-up.
A spokesman said: "We maintain the embankment. The site is inspected and work required is carried out approximately every six months.
"We carried out a substantial amount of clearance and replanting in advance of the 20th anniversary last year, so the next planned inspection is imminent. As it has been highlighted to us that the vegetation needs some attention, we will look to bring this date forward."
Neglect and vandalism are commonplace among London's memorials. In 2001, rubble was dumped on the £300,000 garden at Ladbroke Grove dedicated to victims of the Paddington rail disaster.
More recently, graffiti vandals attacked sculptures to commemorate victims of the 7/7 attacks.
Chris Sumner, chairman of the London Parks and Gardens Trust, said: "People react to an event at a particular time, then [memorials] end up not getting looked after in the long term. That's why I get so worried about all the new monuments getting built."
Reader views (3)
Re: Andrew's comments about neglected graveyards.
Firstly, I struggle to think of a chruch graveyard I have seen which wasn't well maintained. Secondly, local councils have a statutory duty to maintain closed graveyards (like those around most churches), althoguh the church can opt to take the money and do the maintainence itself. If a churchyard is neglected, you should complain to your local council.
- Tom West, Bath, UK, 30/07/2009 16:55
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So what's new in dumpUK?
- Ted, London, 30/07/2009 13:35
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This isn't so very different a state of affairs as that prevailing in churchyards across the UK. When was the last time you saw fewer than three-quarters of the graves in a churchyard neglected and weed-choked?
Most graves go neglected by their descendants after a few decades. It's not so surprising Network Rail should be the same in this regard.
- Andrew, London, UK, 30/07/2009 12:48
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