Tree Cutting

[DarloRich]

OP:

1. I assume you pay your taxes, making you a funder of the Government.
2. Network Rail is now an agency of the Department for Transport and thus a Government body
3. If NR didn't actively manage trees on it's property the outcome will eventually be either legal action against it by neighbours or disruption to the operation of the railway, costing you the taxpayer money to fund the results
4. However, in the case of disruption to the operation (and safety) of the line NR has a right under legislation to do whatever it deems reasonable to address the issue, including a right of compulsory entry to third party property at no notice.
5. So, NR could leave the trees, wait until they fall on the line, drive a tractor over your garden(s) to fix the issue and then haggle with you for three years about £5 in compo
6. Or it could do it's job, like it is doing
7. On a similar subject, it could also consider reclaiming all the little bits of railway land that have been stolen by petty neighbours illegally extending their rear boundaries. My favoured tool for this is the Cat 235 excavator, at 0300 hours, with the arisings being returned to the neighbour for disposal (e.g. dumped on their decking).

I commend this answer to the house.

BTW - you missed the need to install floodlights that rival Wembley stadium which are then left on for 17 weeks after the work

 

[goblinuser]

I commend this answer to the house.

BTW - you missed the need to install floodlights that rival Wembley stadium which are then left on for 17 weeks after the work

I am happy no one with these types of petty attitudes live near me

 

[D60]

In the recent thread about the unauthorised and evidently illegal cutting down of trees by neighbours on a Network Rail cutting-side in Bristol, 2 of the commonly stated misconceptions in respect of trees in nature vs trees on man-made operational structures, which have re-appeared in this thread, were effectively and informatively debunked by a couple of individuals with authoritative, practical, front-line working experience of the issues involved...

1. Trees help with ground stabilisation.
In nature, yes.
But on steep railway cutting sides and embankments, gravity, combined with the growing size and weight of maturing trees, causes them to gradually, season after season, slip/migrate/'walk' down the slope, carrying surface layers down with them.

2. Trees help to take up water and prevent flooding.
In nature, yes.
But on engineered railway formations, drains and culverts deal with flooding, until trees roots cause blockage and collapse, and autumn leaf fall compounds the problem.
Furthermore.. Deciduous trees of the kinds that self-seed and colonise railway formations, have active and dormant seasons. Needing large amounts of water during hot dry weather and low rainfall, and being dormant during the months of high winter rainfall. Leading to a repeated cycle of drying out, cracking and voiding, followed by saturation and overburden of the weakened structures. Contributing to the problems in point no.1.

So now after half a century of neglect from the mid-1960s onwards (see any before-and-after lineside pics during that period).. the body entrusted with the care and maintenance of our railway infrastructure now appears to be getting to grips with the effects of those decades of neglect by its predecessors since the mid-60s, in respect of tree growth on railway cuttings and embankments.

Nearby in Bristol, the extent of remediation works being undertaken to stabilise the embankments, cutting sides abd structures along the 4 mile Filton Bank following tree removal and vegetation clearance, over the last 2 years, as a vital prelude to the 4-tracking programme.. and the scale and evident expense of the work involved to reverse those decades of neglect, is quite something to behold..

 

[Ploughman]

OP

1. On a similar subject, it could also consider reclaiming all the little bits of railway land that have been stolen by petty neighbours illegally extending their rear boundaries. My favoured tool for this is the Cat 235 excavator, at 0300 hours, with the arisings being returned to the neighbour for disposal (e.g. dumped on their decking).

Did that at Filey a number of years back. Only we had a Dozer on site and a PC128 for the relay anyway.

 

[Ploughman]

that would of course be totally illegal.......

Not illegal at all as long as you work with DFRA or whatever they call themselves now.
Only problem is the furry creatures are likely to move back in 30 metres up track.

 

[Maxfly]

With regards to how far back the trees need to be cut down, in the recent snowy weather trees at least 30ft back from the running line were ending up with their tops in the 4ft such was the weight of snow bearing down on them.
The messy finish described by the op sounds like a flail has been through, thuthis is a quick and effective means of clearing encroaching vegetation and while it is ugly when first done you will be surprised how quickly it will recover either by the split wood weathering and being less obviously 'ripped' or when spring comes the fresh growth will hide the mess.

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Not illegal at all as long as you work with DFRA or whatever they call themselves now.
Only problem is the furry creatures are likely to move back in 30 metres up track.

Rabbits are a Pest under the Pest Act. Since they stopped us using Cymag or letting trappers with ferrets on, the options for carrying out our legal obligations have become very limited...

 

[bastien]

OP:

1. I assume you pay your taxes, making you a funder of the Government.
2. Network Rail is now an agency of the Department for Transport and thus a Government body
3. If NR didn't actively manage trees on it's property the outcome will eventually be either legal action against it by neighbours or disruption to the operation of the railway, costing you the taxpayer money to fund the results
4. However, in the case of disruption to the operation (and safety) of the line NR has a right under legislation to do whatever it deems reasonable to address the issue, including a right of compulsory entry to third party property at no notice.
5. So, NR could leave the trees, wait until they fall on the line, drive a tractor over your garden(s) to fix the issue and then haggle with you for three years about £5 in compo
6. Or it could do it's job, like it is doing
7. On a similar subject, it could also consider reclaiming all the little bits of railway land that have been stolen by petty neighbours illegally extending their rear boundaries. My favoured tool for this is the Cat 235 excavator, at 0300 hours, with the arisings being returned to the neighbour for disposal (e.g. dumped on their decking).

What if... Everyone who's nicked a bit of railway land has to pay a lease? How much £ are we talking?

 

[Joseph_Locke]

What if... Everyone who's nicked a bit of railway land has to pay a lease? How much £ are we talking?

Typical garden at 10m wide, average strip 2m, probably 10,000+ instances, so 20 hectares at £30k per annum (one third of the cost of agricultural land) each is £600k per year?

 

[furnessvale]

With regards to how far back the trees need to be cut down, in the recent snowy weather trees at least 30ft back from the running line were ending up with their tops in the 4ft such was the weight of snow bearing down on them.
The messy finish described by the op sounds like a flail has been through, thuthis is a quick and effective means of clearing encroaching vegetation and while it is ugly when first done you will be surprised how quickly it will recover either by the split wood weathering and being less obviously 'ripped' or when spring comes the fresh growth will hide the mess.

Measure the height of the tree. If laid out horizontal it is capable of touching the overheads or running lines as applicable, prune it or chop it. It's a safety issue.

 

[DarloRich]

What if... Everyone who's nicked a bit of railway land has to pay a lease? How much £ are we talking?

Typical garden at 10m wide, average strip 2m, probably 10,000+ instances, so 20 hectares at £30k per annum (one third of the cost of agricultural land) each is £600k per year?

It isnt worth the trouble - it would be peppercorn rent for such a small plot.

 

[bastien]

It isnt worth the trouble - it would be peppercorn rent for such a small plot.

Well that’s not going to pay for any wires is it? Still, it does bring home what a small area of land the railways actually occupy.

 

[DarloRich]

Well that’s not going to pay for any wires is it? Still, it does bring home what a small area of land the railways actually occupy.

The easiest thing to do is just to sell the land if that is appropriate.