Clearing lineside vegetation

[uww11x]

With the hot temperatures affecting the country, is it now time Network Rail were proactive rather than reactive when it comes to maintaining track side vegetation?

 

[6Gman]

With the hot temperatures effecting the country. Is it now time Network Rail were Proactive rather than reactive when it comes to Maintaining track side?

Meaning?

(And hasn't all the recent - and controversial - lineside work been proactive?)

 

[DarloRich]

With the hot temperatures effecting the country. Is it now time Network Rail were Proactive rather than reactive when it comes to Maintaining track side?

There has been a recent controversy about this very subject. NR were being "proactive" but were heavily criticised for doing so.

Meaning?

(And hasn't all the recent - and controversial - lineside work been proactive?)

meaning any opportunity to have a dig.

 

[jayah]

With the hot temperatures effecting the country. Is it now time Network Rail were Proactive rather than reactive when it comes to Maintaining track side?

I can't believe there have been heat speed restrictions on the SWML in the recent heatwave. Most of the route from Clapham Jn to Woking is a forest of heavy trees reaching up many metres into the sky on both sides of the formation. There can't be much sunlight touches the rails even in July.

 

[DarloRich]

I can't believe there have been heat speed restrictions on the SWML in the recent heatwave. Most of the route from Clapham Jn to Woking is a forest of heavy trees reaching up many metres into the sky on both sides of the formation. There can't be much sunlight touches the rails even in July.

I doubt trees make much difference in this heat

 

[HowardGWR]

I doubt trees make much difference in this heat

Also the sun is at its highest point at the moment. The rails get the full blast of radiation.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I did Waterloo to Lymington today; I can confirm that the Sun does shine fully on the track for the vast majority of the route.

 

[High Dyke]

A recent report by a train driver of a signal being obscured by vegetation saw the local 'off-track' team attend. The offending trees were actually outside the railway boundary, but overhanging the signal. As it was considered a safety issue the team decided to cut the offending branches and face the media flak afterwards. Yes NR have been pilloried by the press recently for insensitive tree felling/pruning, but sometimes common sense has to prevail.

 

[snowball]

There has been a recent controversy about this very subject. NR were being "proactive" but were heavily criticised for doing so.
.

In fact it resulted in DfT setting up a review into Network Rail's vegetation clearance practices.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...s-review-of-tree-cutting-alongside-rail-lines

http://www.railtechnologymagazine.c...ork-rail-told-to-stop-axing-trees-this-season

 

[philthetube]

A recent report by a train driver of a signal being obscured by vegetation saw the local 'off-track' team attend. The offending trees were actually outside the railway boundary, but overhanging the signal. As it was considered a safety issue the team decided to cut the offending branches and face the media flak afterwards. Yes NR have been pilloried by the press recently for insensitive tree felling/pruning, but sometimes common sense has to prevail.

The amount of pruning needed to make a signal visible would not be enough to worry about, usually just a thin branch and a few leaves, they never get chance to be big branches as they need trimming. savage pruning and clearing leaves for signal sighting are totally different things.

Although a tree owner is responsible for growth over someone else's land it would not be reasonable or even possible to have tree owners trimming trees to allow signal sighting.

 

[jon0844]

In fact it resulted in DfT setting up a review into Network Rail's vegetation clearance practices.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...s-review-of-tree-cutting-alongside-rail-lines

http://www.railtechnologymagazine.c...ork-rail-told-to-stop-axing-trees-this-season

A rail user group has even managed to get trees re-planted near Hadley Wood I believe.

 

[snowball]

In fact it resulted in DfT setting up a review into Network Rail's vegetation clearance practices.

A DfT press release has appeared today about this:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...ment-chair-appointment-and-terms-of-reference

Rail Minister Jo Johnson has today (12 July 2018) announced the appointment of John Varley OBE TD to chair the review of Network Rail’s approach to vegetation management in England and Wales.

John Varley, who is currently the director of Clinton Devon Estates, will take up the post with immediate effect.

The review was launched by the Rail Minister on 10 May to consider how Network Rail can best ensure the safety of our railways, while also protecting wildlife and preserving trees. The full terms of reference have also been published today.

In his role at Clinton Devon Estates, John oversees the management of 10,000 hectares of land across East and North Devon, covering a range of operations, including farming, forestry and the maintenance of residential and commercial assets.

He previously served as an independent member advising the government during the Lawton Review, Making space for nature, in 2010. He was subsequently appointed to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ Independent Forestry Panel in 2011, and appointed as a judge on the government’s Nature Improvement Area Competition Panel. He is also a non-executive board member to the Environment Agency and Natural England, and is the current Chair to the Estates Business Group.

Network Rail Vegetation Management Review – terms of reference
The review will consider all aspects of Network Rail’s approach to vegetation management, including:

• The rationale, evidence base and effectiveness of Network Rail’s existing policy for managing vegetation — in particular, how environmental considerations are taken into account in the context of government’s ambition for the natural environment and its statutory duties for health and safety and its wider responsibilities for maintaining and enhancing network performance, delivering improved services to passengers (eg through improved mobile connectivity), and for ensuring value for money
• The effectiveness of Network Rail’s implementation of their existing vegetation management policy, and an options appraisal of alternative policies/models
• Identification of where best practice already exists, and whether best practice can be implemented more effectively on other parts of the network, taking into account route devolution
• Network Rail’s capacity and capability and that of its supply chain, and whether this is adequate to control vegetation in a way that strategically identifies and optimises opportunities to enhance wildlife and the natural environment both within the existing Network Rail footprint, and supports broader landscape scale initiatives of third parties
• Staff training, including of third parties and whether more skills are needed to identify alternative approaches to current felling practises; and where possible, scope for technological innovation eg improvements in adhesion management
• Network Rail’s ability to monitor and account for the number of trees felled and replaced, in the context of wider national biodiversity objectives, and how this can be aligned with best practice for environmental reporting
• Network Rail’s handling of communications to and from the public
• The extent of any recent or proposed changes in the scale or scope of the programme and underlying drivers

The review will not cover Network Rail’s activities in Scotland, which are a devolved matter for the Scottish Government.

 

[Llanigraham]

The amount of pruning needed to make a signal visible would not be enough to worry about, usually just a thin branch and a few leaves, they never get chance to be big branches as they need trimming. savage pruning and clearing leaves for signal sighting are totally different things.

Although a tree owner is responsible for growth over someone else's land it would not be reasonable or even possible to have tree owners trimming trees to allow signal sighting.

How do you know the amount of pruning that was needed?
Due to the weather at the moment many trees are dropping severely, and as has been found locally shedding whole branches.

 

[Ploughman]

A rail user group has even managed to get trees re-planted near Hadley Wood I believe.

During the Leeds NW Electrification, the residents along the lineside were offered trees for them to plant themselves in their gardens.
This was back in 1993-4.
This was done especially where the area had been heavily deforested inside the railway boundary fences.
No new trees planted on railway property, except in a very few locations and these would be conifers only.

 

[Macwomble]

and these would be conifers only.

Just hope they weren't planting Leylandii......they'll be mega tall by now.

 

[randyrippley]

Given all this dry weather, there's currently an excellent opportunity to burn off all that lineside growth. Lot easier than having to cut it down

 

[30907]

I sincerely hope that remark is tongue firmly in cheek.

 

[Llanigraham]

Given all this dry weather, there's currently an excellent opportunity to burn off all that lineside growth. Lot easier than having to cut it down

I really hope this is said in jest.

 

[Mugby]

I sincerely hope that remark is tongue firmly in cheek.

It was a common occurrence in BR days, in fact it was planned work, usually on Sunday mornings.

Controlled fires were a very effective means of keeping vegetation in check. Now they have to use weedkiller which doesn't work because it's not allowed to contain any effective ingredients which could get into the water supply.

 

[InOban]

In the steam age it didn't have to be planned. That's why the lineside trees are only about sixty years old.

 

[theageofthetra]

It was a common occurrence in BR days, in fact it was planned work, usually on Sunday mornings.

Controlled fires were a very effective means of keeping vegetation in check. Now they have to use weedkiller which doesn't work because it's not allowed to contain any effective ingredients which could get into the water supply.

Absolutely. Saw a excellent comment from someone with a lifetime in moorland management directly blame environmental groups and government for blocking controlled burns on Saddleworth and other moorland areas.

In Australia they have controlled burns on a regular basis to reduce the small dry combustibles which cause huge wildfires to spread.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Given all this dry weather, there's currently an excellent opportunity to burn off all that lineside growth. Lot easier than having to cut it down

I sincerely hope that remark is tongue firmly in cheek.

I really hope this is said in jest.

In the 1960s and 1970s that is exactly how BR controlled the growth. In steam days it happened anyway

 

[Llanigraham]

In the 1960s and 1970s that is exactly how BR controlled the growth. In steam days it happened anyway

But not in the middle of a drought!

 

[InOban]

Surely in steam days it always happened in a drought? A stray spark into dry vegetation....

 

[Llanigraham]

What happened in the past is not relevant to today.

There are plenty of instances of accidental fires from steam engines causing much damage to lineside properties, and that still happens today. Just look at what happened on the Vale of Rheidol this month.

The problem with "controlled burns" is that they take up manpower, something that the railway isn't overly supplied with nowadays, and they can easily get out of hand.

 

[Mugby]

Surely in steam days it always happened in a drought? A stray spark into dry vegetation....

Quite true but in steam days there was so little vegetation, any lineside fires quickly burnt out.

If you look at photos of the period, the track and lineside was incredibly neat and tidy, no shrubs, bushes, weeds, hardly any trees or vegetation.
Compare with today, the cess and lineside is a disgusting, unkempt mess!

 

[jimm]

It was a common occurrence in BR days, in fact it was planned work, usually on Sunday mornings.

Controlled fires were a very effective means of keeping vegetation in check. Now they have to use weedkiller which doesn't work because it's not allowed to contain any effective ingredients which could get into the water supply.

So-called 'controlled' fires can very quickly get out of control if the wind picks up or changes direction - which was one of the reasons why stubble burning was banned. Probably wasn't very good for telegraph pole lines alongside railways either when things got out of hand.

And you can keep the good old days when people sprayed god knows what chemicals all over the place with abandon.

Linesides got into the state they are in nowadays largely because BR stopped routine vegetation cutting in the early 1980s - long after the days of steam locos firing out hot cinders.

While Network Rail is finally making inroads after 30-odd years of neglect, the key issue is whether they have any plans to keep on top of things in the long term in the areas where they have been doing clearance work by just sending some people out with strimmers on a regular basis, or just let vegetation run riot again - not whether we set everything on fire or poison it.

 

[bspahh]

The Woodland Trust has an online survey which is running until September 14th
Review of Network Rail’s Approach to Vegetation Management

Thank you for your interest in the review of Network Rail’s approach to vegetation management.

The review has been commissioned by the Rail Minister, Jo Johnson. Its purpose is to consider how Network Rail can best ensure the safety and performance of the railways, while also protecting wildlife and preserving trees in line with government policy. You can see the full terms of reference on the Department for Transport website. The review is due to report back to the Minister in the Autumn.

This survey is open to all and is an opportunity to input to the review’s evidence base. It has a small number of quantitative and qualitative questions and there is opportunity at the end to give any further comments which have not been covered.

The survey will be open until 14 September and should take no more than 10 minutes to complete.

There is an article from the Woodland Trust which says:

Help shape the future of woods and trees lining the UK’s railways. Take the survey now.

For the millions of people that travel by rail every year, the view out of the carriage window of trees, woods and wildlife make a perfect respite from day to day travels. These woody areas, particularly those alongside the track, are also hugely important biodiversity corridors.

After a massive public outcry in May over plans to increase felling and clearances, the Government launched a review of Network Rail’s management of these lineside areas. We now need your help to influence the review’s outcomes.

At the bottom of this page is a link to the survey where you can answer the 24 questions from the official consultation. It’s a simple survey; many of the questions are simply asking how much you agree with a statement on a scale of 1-100. It should take you about 10 minutes to complete. We have compiled some recommendations that you can use to help inform your answers:

1. Woods and trees alongside railway lines are important - Network Rail must recognise the ecological value of their estate. This means understanding that these linear corridors are home to a huge array of wildlife and millions of trees that help filter pollution, absorb rainwater, dampen sound from passing trains etc.

2. Stop being negative about woods and trees – Network Rail often falls in to the trap of viewing trees and woods as a 'hazard' or 'problem that needs to be fixed'. A better, more positive approach to trees and woods will benefit both people and wildlife.

3. Tree removal and killing of stumps is not always the best solution – Network Rail needs to explore alternative management options, including those used successfully overseas, to find ways of retaining trees and woodland such as management through coppicing and pollarding.

4. Find new ways to make the estate pay – Network Rail should approach woods and trees as an asset. They should consider offsetting tree management costs through innovation, e.g. assess the potential of retrieval of coppice material and selling for biomass.

5. Government must hold Network Rail to account – Currently, Network Rail doesn’t have any biodiversity targets. Other similar government agencies such as Highways England do. Network Rail should be required to have a biodiversity action plan that includes measures relating to maintaining and enhancing the wildlife value of their estate’s trees and woodland. Their performance should in turn be monitored by the Office of Rail and Road.

6. Tree canopy cover is vital – Where trees are unavoidably removed, tree planting to replace the lost canopy cover is very important. We must not see an overall reduction in tree canopy cover from lineside management works.

7. Training staff – Network Rail admit their staff and contractors go too far on occasion with removals. Training of all 1,600 lineside staff and contractors should be conducted so they understand the value of the biodiversity under their management.

These are just a few suggestions; we’re sure that you will have many of your own, as well as experiences from your journeys or railway lines near where you live. The survey closes on 14th September. Please stand up for woods and trees and have your say.

(Edited to say its a Woodland Trust survey following https://twitter.com/FlywheelMedia1/status/1038861185830068224 ).

 

[bspahh]

When I was at school, 2 kids in the year below me died in the Seer Green rail crash which was prompted by a branch that fell onto the line

 

[a_c_skinner]

The trees are too close to enjoy, they just block the views of anything.