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OT: Network Rail Scrub Land

(19 posts)
  • Started 6 years ago by steveo
  • Latest reply from steveo
  • This topic is not resolved

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  1. steveo
    Member

    I moved house last year and now live within a few meters of the Edinburgh-Glasgow line.

    The bottom of my garden is (I'm guessing) an ex (now over grown) siding for the now long gone station at Saughton. The amount of scrubby plants is fine it probably blocks some of the noise but there are a couple of taller trees that block the sun in the morning disproportionately. Is there anyone in Network rail responsible keeping these areas undercontrol, or are they only interested if it starts to affect rail operations?

    Posted 6 years ago #

  2. gembo
    Member

    @steveo, yup just rail operations Network Rail not interested in how much shade their trees cast on your house. You never know they might allow you to chop down the trees or pay them to do it but I doubt it.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  3. Klaxon
    Member

    If you make a complaint to the public helpline usually someone meaningful will get back to you to discuss it, whether or not it merits action is a different matter.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  4. CycleCommute.CC
    Member

    My sister's street is next to a railway line and they just clubbed together to get the trees chopped down. It also allowed them to use the extra space as garden area so effectively doubled the size.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  5. dessert rat
    Member

    Asking in advance just opens the door to them saying no. Just do it and ask for forgiveness later - if they say anything, which is highly unlikely.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  6. steveo
    Member

    @Gembo I doubt they'd let me near those with a chainsaw they're a little close to the line, one wrong move would probably cost the scottish economy.. pounds.

    @Cheers, I'll give them a ring. Seems like the best time to try.

    @Galaxy, I'm a couple of meters below the line (which doesn't help), maybe we could get them turned in to allotments.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  7. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Here?

    Timewarp - Saughton

    Posted 6 years ago #

  8. steveo
    Member

    Yup, worst of the trees and things seem to be the bottom of my garden too.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  9. chdot
    Admin

    Impressive amount of trees further along too (never noticed this 'abandoned' land before)

    Posted 6 years ago #

  10. steveo
    Member

    Lost the cat in there for about 10 days a few months ago. Well I presume it was in there she disappeared, we searched and couldn't find her. Stuck her litter tray outside and a few hours later she turned up in the garden. Presumably got lost but found her scent.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  11. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Yup, worst of the trees and things seem to be the bottom of my garden too.

    Those "things" are, you will find, the Poddington Peas.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  12. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/09/revealed-network-rails-new-800m-scheme-to-remove-all-leaf-fall-trees

    Posted 5 years ago #

  13. unhurt
    Member

    I'd like to speak up in favour of scrubland! - brownfield sites are an important source of habitat mosaic increasingly absent from industrial farmland: see e.g.
    https://www.buglife.org.uk/campaigns-and-our-work/habitat-projects/brownfields

    Posted 5 years ago #

  14. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    This is another failure of our accounting system. Train journeys are accorded value but wildlife, childrens' play and clean air are not.

    I'll bet they clear the wild bit between the canal and the railway after the aqueduct which is full of odd encampments and BMX ramps and foxes.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  15. Klaxon
    Member

    Vegetation has been left for a long time on the railway due to economising budget cuts

    The cost of this is driver safety and delays

    Trains have to run at reduced speed through many areas in September and October due to leaf fall increasing braking distance, with trains employed full time spraying lines overnight postponing normal maintenance work.

    In high risk areas someone needs stationed pretty much full time to clear leaves from points as once a day isn't enough and they will fail.

    After a night of strong winds, it's normal now to have an entire morning service cancelled until a train has passed over every line at caution (stop on sight)

    This is to avoid incidents like this (these are all separate incidents):
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-16406196
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1294613/Miracle-escape-train-driver-120mph-express-struck-falling-tree.html
    https://twitter.com/scotrail/status/553484590590218241
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-39053418
    https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/train-services-suspended-fallen-tree-14382290
    https://twitter.com/scotrail/status/762293014601555969
    https://twitter.com/ScotRail/status/920192262264508416

    This isn't scrubland being cleared. It's operational land, and unmaintained foliage is causing regular, major problems. Clearances for HV lines are obvious in the deep forestry of the US. The clearway for safe operation is as wide as the masts are tall.

    To put it in cycling terms, the railway is a 3m shared path that's now 1m wide because the moss was never cleared and most of it is now a verge...

    Posted 5 years ago #

  16. chdot
    Admin

    @ Klaxon

    THANKS

    Useful background/detail.

    Key thing is probably “Vegetation has been left for a long time on the railway due to economising budget cuts”

    Councils do the same thing and sometimes excpect Sustrans/volunteers to do some vegetation clearing - NOT a possibility near live railways!

    The ‘save money by doing nothing’ option probably costs more (both delays - and worse - and more expense with larger trees) and there must be a real pressure to ‘remove more than necessary’ because there will still be no regular maintenance programme planned.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  17. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    A challenge to the view of this as clearing purely operational land;

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/11/local-council-issues-tree-preservation-orders-to-stop-network-rail-felling

    We do need to find ways of integrating our activities with nature.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  18. Klaxon
    Member

    Today


    https://twitter.com/Clinnick1/status/1007197985376219136

    also

    https://twitter.com/paulrgentleman/status/1007200175138508800

    Posted 5 years ago #

  19. steveo
    Member

    I received a letter the other day stating they're going to be cutting stuff back overnight, that's going to be fun. I know it needs done, and I know it needs done at night but its still going to be noisy. I'm also quite convinced its not going to help my problem in the OP.

    Posted 5 years ago #

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