THIRTY-METRE masts are to be introduced throughout the region as part of a major scheme to improve rail safety.

Network Rail intends to introduce the masts every 10km (6.2 miles) along the entire railway system.

More than 2,000 pyramid-shaped structures will enable train drivers and signallers to communicate by radio and inform each other of potential dangers.

According to a spokesman from Network Rail - formerly Railtrack - the company will not need planning permission to go ahead with the scheme.

The proposal has been welcomed by Ernie Preston, secretary of the North-East Rail Passenger Committee, who is based in York.

He said: "Anything that improves the service to passengers and the safety of trains has got to be a good thing."

But the chairman of York Civic Trust, Darrell Buttery, said the masts sounded incredibly intrusive.

He said: "One would initially welcome anything to improve safety, but there must be a time when we go too far. It sounds like something from War Of The Worlds, with huge monolithic structures marching over the landscape."

Mike O'Carroll, chairman of North Yorkshire anti-pylon group REVOLT, said he was concerned for the people who would live near the masts.

He said: "I would like to see good consultation with local communities about the siting of these masts."

A Network Rail spokesman said the masts needed to be 30 metres (98 ft) high to work effectively.

He said: "Reducing the height will mean many more masts, and much more expense. This new safety feature will mean for the first time there is a national system of driver- to-signaller radio communication covering 100 per cent of the network."

At the moment drivers can only communicate with their regional control centre. It is hoped the system will prevent accidents in radio blackspots.

In January, 1995, a guard was killed and 30 people were injured when a train collided with a derailed passenger train at Aisgill on the Settle to Carlisle line.

The official inquiry into the accident said it could have been less serious if there had been better radio communications.

Network Rail insists the masts, which will cost hundreds of millions of pounds, will not carry commercial operators' equipment. It hopes to have the entire infrastructure completed by 2006.

The Network Rail spokesman said: "The masts are being constructed using permitted development rights that we have on railway land, which means that we do not need planning permission to build structures necessary for the operation or safety of the railway.

"We are currently in the process of notifying local planning authorities of our intentions, and we are working with them as much as possible."

Planning officials from North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council said they were not yet aware of the scheme.

Updated: 12:10 Tuesday, May 27, 2003