Trees Growing on the Track - Rhoose Station.

[Envoy]

I was at Rhoose (Cardiff Airport) station the other day and noticed a pine tree seedling had taken root between the tracks (photo 1). This would I guess have been relatively easy to yank out. A little further on and a small pine tree (photo 2) was growing - which would required a shovel to dig out. Just on the north side of the railway are massive Scot’s Pines (photo 3) so it is obvious that the pines now growing between the tracks are this species.

I just can't understand why action is not taken when tree seedlings have taken root on the railway? The tough needles of pine trees might be more resistant to weedkiller than other plants and deciduous trees.

 

[Viper]

I suspect a lot of it comes down to the availability of teams to do it, availability of access for them to be able to do it, and the budgets available to perform de-veg. There are likely more urgent de-veg requirements on a long list so these will probably sit very far down the list until they become a problem and are promoted further up the workbank.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Definitely a growing problem. Been variously discussed on here on more than one occasion. Here's one such previous thread...

vegetation management

I was not sure where to put this, here seems as good as anywhere given the old chestnut about steam being responsible for keeping vegetation under control. I find this unlikely 'in toto', but can believe ejected cinders burnt patches of vegetation in dry weather. When did non maintenance of...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Envoy]

I suspect a lot of it comes down to the availability of teams to do it, availability of access for them to be able to do it, and the budgets available to perform de-veg. There are likely more urgent de-veg requirements on a long list so these will probably sit very far down the list until they become a problem and are promoted further up the workbank.

By doing nothing and just letting such seedlings get bigger, it will cost them more in the long run.

 

[The exile]

By doing nothing and just letting such seedlings get bigger, it will cost them more in the long run.

One of the many inadequacies of the bean-counter is the inability to see beyond the end of their own nose.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Definitely a growing problem. Been variously discussed on here on more than one occasion. Here's one such previous thread...

I see what you did there...

 

[bleeder4]

Staying in South Wales area, I did Bahamas to Swansea the other week and saw there is a whole load of trees growing between the tracks around Neath, clearly visible from the footbridge between Milland Road and Mile End Road.

This YT video filmed the train from that bridge, it is quite shocking. Jump to around the 3 minute mark.

 

[Envoy]

The trees growing between the tracks at Neath are Silver Birch - plus Buddleia bushes.

 

[Skeletor]

I suspect a lot of it comes down to the availability of teams to do it, availability of access for them to be able to do it, and the budgets available to perform de-veg. There are likely more urgent de-veg requirements on a long list so these will probably sit very far down the list until they become a problem and are promoted further up the workbank.

I was actually taken aback at the costs of de-vegging works.

NR announced recently they’re carrying out £2m worth of devegging works from Inverkip Station to Wemyss Bay Station.

That’s approximately £1m per 1 mile of track to carry out the works.

 

[6Gman]

I was actually taken aback at the costs of de-vegging works.

NR announced recently they’re carrying out £2m worth of devegging works from Inverkip Station to Wemyss Bay Station.

That’s approximately £1m per 1 mile of track to carry out the works.

I'm not surprised. Knowing what it can cost to have trees felled/trimmed on easily accessed sites the cost of doing such works distant from road access, with OHLE to be considered, must be steep.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Jul 2025 ==

One of the many inadequacies of the bean-counter is the inability to see beyond the end of their own nose.

But if the budget is fixed you can't spend it on preventative work if urgent work uses all the money.

 

[tfw756rider]

Definitely a growing problem.

I see what you did there...

Reminded me of:

 

[philthetube]

I was actually taken aback at the costs of de-vegging works.

NR announced recently they’re carrying out £2m worth of devegging works from Inverkip Station to Wemyss Bay Station.

That’s approximately £1m per 1 mile of track to carry out the works.

And if someone walked down the track once a year and pulled out all the seedlings it would cost virtually nothing.

 

[zwk500]

And if someone walked down the track once a year and pulled out all the seedlings it would cost virtually nothing.

Doing it once a year would be pointless because it only takes a few weeks for a seedling to get set sufficiently that they aren't coming out easily by hand.

 

[Envoy]

Doing it once a year would be pointless because it only takes a few weeks for a seedling to get set sufficiently that they aren't coming out easily by hand.

It probably depends on what it is. The very small pine seedling in my photo is probably about 1 year old & could probably be yanked out by hand. The other one is probably about 2 to 3 years old and would need digging out.

If they at least sent a weed spraying train along once a year, it should knock out most stuff if they chose an optimum time.

 

[zwk500]

It probably depends on what it is. The very small pine seedling in my photo is probably about 1 year old & could probably be yanked out by hand. The other one is probably about 2 to 3 years old and would need digging out.

Agree it depends on what it is. Some stuff is incredibly quick-setting.

If they at least sent a weed spraying train along once a year, it should knock out most stuff if they chose an optimum time.

Although the allowable concentrations of herbicides now make that less effective than it used to be. Also there's only so many weedkilling trains and there's a narrow window for the optimum time.

 

[The exile]

But if the budget is fixed you can't spend it on preventative work if urgent work uses all the money.

But it’s the bean-counters that fixed the budget in the first place. Anyway - there’s apparently money for replacing perfectly serviceable station signage with GBR lettering (and no doubt many similar examples).

 

[Annetts key]

But it’s the bean-counters that fixed the budget in the first place. Anyway - there’s apparently money for replacing perfectly serviceable station signage with GBR lettering (and no doubt many similar examples).

But that comes out of a different budget...

Let me remind everyone. The vegetation control comes under Network Rail Off Track (who do work on track despite the name) unless it's vegetation on a structure in which case it's the structures department. Off Track is part of Network Rail maintenance. Network Rail maintenance has been subjected to cuts to both budgets and staff multiple times over the last fifteen years.

On some regions, Network Rail does not actually have any staff in the structures department - this work being contracted out.

What you can see is the result.

 

[Viper]

It probably depends on what it is. The very small pine seedling in my photo is probably about 1 year old & could probably be yanked out by hand. The other one is probably about 2 to 3 years old and would need digging out.

If they at least sent a weed spraying train along once a year, it should knock out most stuff if they chose an optimum time.

You can't just "send someone out on track" when someone spots a rogue lettuce growing in the 6ft. I imagine de-veg is planned with an off-track, or contractor, team going out to sort out a wider area that it posing a more urgent risk to the network.

They'll be planned in advance around possessions, not ad-hoc because someone spotted a weed. Weed spraying trains certainly won't be cheap and once a year wouldn't be anywhere near enough, never mind any consideration towards the environmental factors.