Lineside vegetation in light of recent heatwaves

[Brush 4]

It should be, if not, create it.

 

[Bald Rick]

It should be, if not, create it.

Who’s paying?

 

[Geeves]

Who’s paying?

The same people that pay all the delay repay and now government controlled TOC delays department middle men, the good old tax payer.

Is there a way to direct the money to employ an NR Vegetation crew?

Oh look here's an extremely busy route through the centre of major city that could anywhere in the UK right.

Embarrassing

 

[Harpo]

However the recent fire at Stourbridge which has closed the OWW Kidderminster to Stourbridge Junction route this weekend did not appear to originate from the railway.

There’s a fine avenue of mature silver birch on the lineside after Stourbridge Junction heading towards Lye. Lucky the fire was the other side of Stourbridge.

 

[richard_S]

They need to have teams round the country clearing the vegetation all year round. When they chop down the buddleia they need to kill the roots.

 

[peteb]

They need to have teams round the country clearing the vegetation all year round. When they chop down the buddleia they need to kill the roots.

Agreed but how to meet environmental concerns?

 

[richard_S]

Agreed but how to meet environmental concerns?

Yes I agree with that.

 

[Magrar]

When the direct cause of these wildfires is climate change, is it remotely wise to be seen expending even more carbon in an effort to completely eliminate all carbon capturing vegetation from the permanent way?

 

[Bald Rick]

The same people that pay all the delay repay and now government controlled TOC delays department middle men, the good old tax payer.

Is there a way to direct the money to employ an NR Vegetation crew?

They need to have teams round the country clearing the vegetation all year round. When they chop down the buddleia they need to kill the roots.

There are teams all around the country who do this all year round (along with fixing fences etc).

 

[al78]

When the direct cause of these wildfires is climate change, is it remotely wise to be seen expending even more carbon in an effort to completely eliminate all carbon capturing vegetation from the permanent way?

It isn't climate change enhances the severity of wildfires through rising temperatures and more severe dry spells, but it isn't a cause in itself. Removing line side vegetation is unlikely to make any significant difference to the carbon footprint, afforestation is a far better method, although I am not in general a fan of treating the natural world as little more than an inconvenience to be disposed of at will, the UK is already one of the most nature depleted countries in the world.

 

[JohnofWessex]

And unlike strimmer you can make a curry from it when its finished with

 

[mmh]

Given the recent heatwaves and numerous fire incidents across the UK, isn't it time for Network Rail to adopt a more robust policy to seek funding to properly de-vegetate the lineside?

No, because trees, probably much to the disappointment of the press, haven't started combusting because a train goes past them.

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Cutting back is pointless if you don't kill the roots

Killing the roots of buddleia in many places on the railway would perhaps cause a lot more risk.

 

[renegademaster]

When the direct cause of these wildfires is climate change

Well there's no realistic way of reversing it and clearing vegetation will be a tiny amount of carbon in the grand scheme of things, something has got to be done other than giving up

 

[mmh]

Agreed but how to meet environmental concerns?

A 70s style government information campaign explaining that sometimes the weather changes and some summers are hotter than others.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Aug 2026 ==

When the direct cause of these wildfires is climate change

I wonder if some people arrested for arson will use that as their defence, if they end up in court. Not putting any money on that.