Vegetation management issues across the network?

[londonmidland]

I've noticed a large amount of weeds and bushes growing across various parts of the rail network, to the point where the side of the train is even touching it in some locations. Even well used lines seem to have weeds growing through them, where previously they were clear of any sort of foliage.

It seems this issue arises every few years, where there will be a mass vegetation management program, for it then to be left for a couple of years and foliage gets 'out of control'.

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed this?

 

[Grumpy Git]

I've noticed this too. There are a lot of buddleia growing all over the network and whilst great for butterflies, it's makes everywhere look unloved.

 

[Geeves]

I think this topic arrives every summer and every summer nothing happens. Any time the tree felling crew or foliage removal starts a huge mass of complaints come from 'concerned residents'

 

[yorksrob]

Something about the hot, wet nature of this year has made the vegetation go particularly bonkers for some reason (I observe this from my own garden).

I think NR will have to have a bit of a blitz.

 

[Tracked]

Something about the hot, wet nature of this year has made the vegetation go particularly bonkers for some reason (I observe this from my own garden).

I think NR will have to have a bit of a blitz.

It's gone crazy this year, been out walking & cycling a lot this week and there's a few places where weeds have overgrown to the point of some fairly wide paths being single file through them (have seen the council out cutting them down occasionally, but they grow back really quickly).

 

[Envoy]

Once those mauve flowers finish on the buddleia, they form seed heads. Once the seed heads are dark brown they start to disperse. They can blow in the wind or be swept along by the slip stream of trains. Those seeds can then germinate in any nook or cranny including gaps in the bricks of buildings - which they then produced to cause massive damage.

I guess that now is the time to spray the Japanese knotweed so that the leaves can absorb the poison? Wonder if the bug treatment worked?

 

[Grumpy Git]

I get the impression that the resources to prevent/remove weeds has been reduced to the point where the railway spends at least 2x as much doing it eventually (when they approach Amazonian proportions) and repairing the damage they cause?

 

[Bald Rick]

This summer has been perfect growing conditions. The deveg teams are out and about, but there’s only so much they can cover. Also, there are rules about when they can work due to birds nesting etc. There are invariably more complaints from neighbours about people in orange out with chainsaws than there are about encroachment of vegetation (with the single exception of Japanese Knotweed).

Highways teams are having similar issues this year.

 

[Aictos]

Probably a reason but what happened to those weed sprayer trains that BR used to run? Is it not possible for the RHTT sets to to used to spray weed killer onto the track as they're only used in leaf fall season are they not?

 

[Meerkat]

How is de veg done - does it need possessions or temp speed limits/caution signals?
I know a lot is chainsaws they can carry in, but a chipper can’t be carried in and it looks like some stuff gets taken away??

 

[Bald Rick]

Depends where it is. If it is far enough away from the running line, and there is no chance of any of the vegetation, staff or equipment encroaching onto the running line, then it can be done without blocking the line. But any tree felling normally needs the line to be blocked. And that usually means night time for this sort of work.

 

[Meerkat]

Depends where it is. If it is far enough away from the running line, and there is no chance of any of the vegetation, staff or equipment encroaching onto the running line, then it can be done without blocking the line. But any tree felling normally needs the line to be blocked. And that usually means night time for this sort of work.

Chain saws at night?! And presumably generators for the really good lighting you want for operating them at night! Do they really do rope work at night? That would be sub-optimal for the neighbours…..
Can they normally leave the cuttings or do they have to find a safe route to lug it to an access point?
Presumably creating loads of leaves to blow around all at once isn’t ideal.

 

[Bald Rick]

Chain saws at night?! And presumably generators for the really good lighting you want for operating them at night! Do they really do rope work at night? That would be sub-optimal for the neighbours…..

Yes.

Can they normally leave the cuttings or do they have to find a safe route to lug it to an access point?
Presumably creating loads of leaves to blow around all at once isn’t ideal.

It depends. Increasingly the small stuff is left behind as it is good for local biodiversity.

 

[Bigman]

The top of viaduct across Kirkstall and Burley Roads in Leeds is full of bushes/vegetation and looks a real eyesore.

 

[Grumpy Git]

Chain saws at night?! And presumably generators for the really good lighting you want for operating them at night! Do they really do rope work at night? That would be sub-optimal for the neighbours…..
Can they normally leave the cuttings or do they have to find a safe route to lug it to an access point?
Presumably creating loads of leaves to blow around all at once isn’t ideal.

Yes, they felled a big sycamore in the night right by me. We were informed by letter from Network Rail beforehand, (I never heard a thing, but the tree was gone the next day)!

 

[Meerkat]

It depends. Increasingly the small stuff is left behind as it is good for local biodiversity.

I have noticed they leave little triangular stacks of logs as bug hotels, though sensibly they wire them together to prevent them being helped onto the track……

 

[yorksrob]

I have noticed they leave little triangular stacks of logs as bug hotels, though sensibly they wire them together to prevent them being helped onto the track……

That's good. I'm glad they're doing that.

Shows that BR can still contribute to bio-diversity without having trees falling on the trains !

 

[Grumpy Git]

I have noticed they leave little triangular stacks of logs as bug hotels, though sensibly they wire them together to prevent them being helped onto the track……

Yes, a good policy, (the stack and the wiring).

 

[Skie]

Of course the stuff left behind breaks down and forms compost for the next generation of trees and weeds. Or dries out and is an arsonists wet dream.

 

[high camera]

All the brick arch viaducts through Manchester city centre covered in the stuff, major root damage coming if they dont sort it out.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

This approach seems to be not too dissimilar to the latter days of British Rail when maintenance on certain parts of the network was cut back to the absolute minimum (unlike the vegetation itself!) often resulting in lineside structures / buildings ending up having to be demolished as they deteriorated beyond a certain point.

 

[Grumpy Git]

This approach seems to be not too dissimilar to the latter days of British Rail when maintenance on certain parts of the network was cut back to the absolute minimum (unlike the vegetation itself!) often resulting in lineside structures / buildings ending up having to be demolished.

In other words, save a penny today then end-up spending £1,000 in five years time, (or even better £100,000 in ten tears time).

"I" get the bonus for "saving" the money today and be damned the bloke who is in charge when I'm smoking my cigar somewhere else.

Short-termism is rife in this country.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

In other words, save a penny today so you have to spend £1,000 in five years time. Short-termism is rife in this country.

In a nutshell!

 

[Railwaysceptic]

All the brick arch viaducts through Manchester city centre covered in the stuff, major root damage coming if they dont sort it out.

Not just in Manchester. Not just brick arch viaducts. Brickwork all over the network is in danger if vegetation doesn't get tackled in time.

 

[Anonymous10]

In other words, save a penny today then end-up spending £1,000 in five years time, (or even better £100,000 in ten tears time).

"I" get the bonus for "saving" the money today and be damned the bloke who is in charge when I'm smoking my cigar somewhere else.

Short-termism is rife in this country.

long term thinking and politics of any kind be it business or government dont work together well

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Short-termism is rife in this country.

sadly so very true.

long term thinking and politics of any kind be it business or government dont work together well

 

[vidal]

There seemed to be a lot less when locos and units seemed to be constantly leaking fuel oil onto the running line.

James

 

[Grumpy Git]

There seemed to be a lot less when locos and units seemed to be constantly leaking fuel oil onto the running line.

James

Although there is a lot less "fertiliser" nowadays!

 

[Gostav]

Is possible use herbicides and spraying by train to curb the vegetation?

 

[mcmad]

Is possible use herbicides and spraying by train to curb the vegetation?

it is and Network Rail do using the MPV fleet but sadly the hericides are now so watered down along with other H&S restrictions on spraying that they're effectiveness is greatly diminished