Network Rail's vegetation problem

[TheEdge]

NR in Anglia are still going quite hard on their anti-tree agenda. Presumably it's related to the issues seen in previous Autumns with the 755s going missing from track circuits. The East Suffolk line is quite impressive in places now. Almost a decade I've been plying my trade along that line and only today did I see and realise quite how big some of the earthworks between Darsham and Halesworth are.

 

[WesternBiker]

This is the scene on the Sutton group between Wimbledon and Haydons Road this week. I have no idea why this section has been done when other stretches of the line are much more heavily wooded, unless there have been problems braking to the signal in the foreground.

One side has been pretty much cleared, and with shiny new black-painted steel fencing. No sign of work further along the line or on the opposite side of the cutting. The one thing I find a bit frustrating is that the old fencing and all the rubbish has just been left on the side of the cutting. They never seem to quite finish the job.

 

[Annetts key]

That type of vegetation clearance may well have been done by a contractor. They will only do what they are contracted to do, and no more…

 

[WesternBiker]

That's clearly the case here. It would not have taken a lot of effort to remove the old fencing or logs - both of which are now there to tempt ne'er do wells to place them on the track. (The fact local yobs access it is clear from the recent graffiti painted cabinet on the left). I realise this is a network-wide problem, and has been for a long time, but it's still frustrating to see.

 

[Annetts key]

That's clearly the case here. It would not have taken a lot of effort to remove the old fencing or logs - both of which are now there to tempt ne'er do wells to place them on the track. (The fact local yobs access it is clear from the recent graffiti painted cabinet on the left). I realise this is a network-wide problem, and has been for a long time, but it's still frustrating to see.

Even more so for those railway employees who work trackside…

 

[InOban]

The contract ought to have specified the removal of all such materials.

 

[172007]

The contract ought to have specified the removal of all such materials.

They do provide habitat for Flora and Fauna and Fungii though so that may be what they are left. The logs are relatively short in length so may not (not an expert) be as much as a danger to trains as immagined.

 

[HSTEd]

The contract ought to have specified the removal of all such materials.

How much are you willing to pay extra for this?

 

[Taunton]

How much are you willing to pay extra for this?

It will often happen with a contract that the extra required is ... nothing. The contractor knows NR will pay up to say £20k for the works. So they quote £20k. If the spec didn't include removal of rubbish they won't do it. If it did, they will.

 

[mcmad]

As 172007 says the 'logs' are often left in situ in piles to encourage use by wildlife. I've seen tweets from NR in the past specifically mentioning their use.

 

[WesternBiker]

As 172007 says the 'logs' are often left in situ in piles to encourage use by wildlife. I've seen tweets from NR in the past specifically mentioning their use.

Well, I think that’s fine – but it doesn’t detract from the fact there are rolls of old fencing left there, which could easily have been removed when the work finished. As Taunton says, I can’t believe the additional cost of removing those is significant.

 

[Meerkat]

As 172007 says the 'logs' are often left in situ in piles to encourage use by wildlife. I've seen tweets from NR in the past specifically mentioning their use.

The lineside piles of logs that I have seen are bound together (forgotten how) to make them impossible to move onto the track, not just left in a random pile.

Well, I think that’s fine – but it doesn’t detract from the fact there are rolls of old fencing left there, which could easily have been removed when the work finished. As Taunton says, I can’t believe the additional cost of removing those is significant.

Is that rolls of old fencing? It looks a bit like deliberately netted piles of dead wood - it maybe for nature to colonise but restrained to prevent vandalism or blowing onto track.

 

[WesternBiker]

Is that rolls of old fencing? It looks a bit like deliberately netted piles of dead wood - it maybe for nature to colonise but restrained to prevent vandalism or blowing onto track.

When they were taking it down, they were certainly rolling the chain link fencing - but I can take a closer look.

 

[Annetts key]

Well, I think that’s fine – but it doesn’t detract from the fact there are rolls of old fencing left there, which could easily have been removed when the work finished. As Taunton says, I can’t believe the additional cost of removing those is significant.

The contact most likely only included vegetation clearance. Not line-side clearance. The part of the organisation that specified for the work to be done may not have known what else there was there. Or those items may be the responsibility of a different part of the organisation. This is what you get when the railway is split into different bits, with different responsibilities… And no, often they don’t always talk to each another.

Sadly, this is not the only example. It’s rather too common.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Has an analysis ever been done as regards determining the number of trees falling per annum and blocking running lines where (i) the tree was growing on NR land and (ii) the tree was growing outwith NR land on some neighbouring property?

 

[WesternBiker]

Is that rolls of old fencing? It looks a bit like deliberately netted piles of dead wood - it maybe for nature to colonise but restrained to prevent vandalism or blowing onto track.

I took a closer look yesterday: the larger items of wood have indeed been rolled up - but in the old fencing. Whether that is permanent (as a nature reserve) or will be removed in due course is anyone's guess.

 

[The exile]

This is the scene on the Sutton group between Wimbledon and Haydons Road this week. I have no idea why this section has been done when other stretches of the line are much more heavily wooded, unless there have been problems braking to the signal in the foreground.

One side has been pretty much cleared, and with shiny new black-painted steel fencing. No sign of work further along the line or on the opposite side of the cutting. The one thing I find a bit frustrating is that the old fencing and all the rubbish has just been left on the side of the cutting. They never seem to quite finish the job.

View attachment 109842

I suppose in some circumstances like this it may well be that the vegetation clearance was done while and where a new fence was to be installed - rather than the other way around.

 

[WesternBiker]

I suppose in some circumstances like this it may well be that the vegetation clearance was done while and where a new fence was to be installed - rather than the other way around.

That does seem logical, doesn’t it? While you have people on site, do a number of jobs at the same time. It is also possible that the sheltered housing behind that stretch may have complained about trees in poor condition dropping branches on cars.

If that is the case, it was well timed, as there is a lot of tree debris around following storm Eunice. Some was removed from that stretch of track by this morning.