Havering Friends of the Earth

Taking the Liberty Line?

Network Rail owns the land which forms embankments on either side of the Liberty Line, the newly-named London Overground route between Upminster and Romford. This land acts as a wildlife corridor with mature trees, birds, badgers, bats, reptiles and insects.

Early in 2022, Network Rail began a wholesale felling of trees along the line, not having consulted with residents or any local environmental groups such as HFoE. The strong protest against this made Network Rail promise to handle the situation in a more appropriate manner in future, if it wanted to dispose of dead, dangerous or diseased trees.

However, at the beginning of 2025, the sound of chainsaws suddenly echoed once again along the railway. Residents were immediately up in arms; HFoE members joined forces with other local environmental and neighbourhood protest groups, and were supported by MPs Andrew Rosindell and Julia Lopez. Andrew has raised the issue in parliament, but all to no avail.

The MPs are now demanding a meeting with Network Rail and hope to set this up shortly. Meanwhile locals are outraged that seemingly healthy trees, which were in no way near the railway track, were felled at Emerson Park station. Residents were given confusing information about which trees were to be felled adjoining their houses. When questioned, the contractor blamed Network Rail for the inconsistencies and Network Rail blamed the contractor.

We have asked Havering council to issue tree protection orders on the many mature oak and sycamore trees along the line. But the council is facing bankruptcy and has no tree officer at present.

We, together with the residents, want the tree felling to stop and will do all we can to put an end to what some describe as environmental vandalism.