Vegetation growing out of control?

[Irascible]

nd it is impossible to avoid coming to the conclusion that the Swiss have a strong national compulsion for tidiness. Even in deeply rural areas there is no question of small roads being invaded or obscured by vegetation

They also have nowhere near as many hedges as we do - most of their land is extremely open.

 

[Mordac]

It seems extraordinary that the ORR never seem to have thought of this before imposing restrictions. Time was when on main lines trains used to slow to 20mph past works in hand. Despite no end of modern technology, seemingly not felt possible now.

They don't have any incentives to care about that. That's the problem with securocracy.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I have recently been following coverage of the two main cycling stage races held in Switzerland each year and it is impossible to avoid coming to the conclusion that the Swiss have a strong national compulsion for tidiness. Even in deeply rural areas there is no question of small roads being invaded or obscured by vegetation. Verges are very obviously maintained meticulously and the same goes for railway boundaries. While Switzerland is well known for its relative affluence compared to just about everywhere else it's still clear that the will exists to ensure that the wider environment is carefully managed.

As stated in multiple posts the key is to "nip the problems in the bud" ie deal with potential problems while they are still small. It does require an ongoing commitment to maintaining a particular standard of appearance. And that includes finding the money to pay for it.

This.

How come in an affluent country where one supposes there is very little cheap labour available Switzerland gets things like tidying done ?.

As for pride. In Scandinavia (or is it Germany ?) I recall people are responsible for how tidy their immediate environment is. Extends to clearing the snow off the path outside your house. In the UK its someone elses job and very few people care.

Nip in the bud - exactly.

We really are a very messy country.

 

[Henffordd]

Robert Macfarlane's book "The Old Ways" is, in part, a biography of Edward Thomas (he of "Adlestrop"). Macfarlane writes: "The overlooked and the unnoticed attract [Thomas] .... 'the long narrowing wedge of irises that runs alongside and between the rails of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway.'" Thomas wrote that in about 1895.

 

[Taunton]

This.

How come in an affluent country where one supposes there is very little cheap labour available Switzerland gets things like tidying done ?.

As for pride. In Scandinavia (or is it Germany ?) I recall people are responsible for how tidy their immediate environment is. Extends to clearing the snow off the path outside your house. In the UK its someone elses job and very few people care.

Nip in the bud - exactly.

We really are a very messy country.

Actually quite a lot of such labour in Switzerland. Traditionally from Southern Italy, in more recent times from Eastern Europe. It was once apparently normal that for Italian national elections such workers were given a free return ticket home for the weekend to vote, to the extent that SBB and FS had to run extensive extra trains to move the workforce to and fro.

I spoke to a Swiss about the need for such keen and extensive inspection of tickets, given the national ethic of compliance. They said "Indeed so, but don't forget we also have all the Italian 'Gastarbeiter' ".

Clearing the snow outside own homes was something that was long done, especially in the North of England, and immediately. This extended to including for the old lady who lived across the street.

 

[Recessio]

Robert Macfarlane's book "The Old Ways" is, in part, a biography of Edward Thomas (he of "Adlestrop"). Macfarlane writes: "The overlooked and the unnoticed attract [Thomas] .... 'the long narrowing wedge of irises that runs alongside and between the rails of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway.'" Thomas wrote that in about 1895.

There's parts of the network that look like they haven't been trimmed since 1895

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

I’ve done a lot of travelling on our roads around the country in the last couple if weeks, and the amount of foliage on verges, hedges and obscuring signs is easily the most I’ve ever seen.

On the basis that it is unlikely that NR and every highway authority has decided at the same time to do less vegetation work, my hypothesis is that it has been a particularly string growing season (as it has been very warm and wet, on average) and the high rainfall is weighing the vegetation down.

For sure this years spring growth has been turbo charged by the weather conditions but because of years of unchecked vegetation management the consequences have also been turbo charged. As a result signals risk becoming obscured but ive seem numerous location areas that are overgrown so next time there is a fault that needs attendance they are going to spend half an hour clearing it. Then we have decades of scrap left along the lineside being covered over and creating hidden trip hazards for trackside staff. One also has suspect this years leaf fall season will bring along another set of problems. I don't underestimate what a challenge this is going to be to tackle but NR needs to find a way of leveraging more support from other disciplines, particularly P.Way, to tackle low level vegetation that doesn't need specialist vegetation contractors.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

On the side of the raft over the Brighton side of Victoria station, a small tree is growing out the side of the building...

If that's the one half way up the side of the shopping centre facing the Chatham side of the station near the country end of the building, I reported that several years ago...

 

[londonmidland]

I'm hearing there's an obscured signal in the Bletchley area, which is causing a few delays. Apparently two days worth of work is required to remove the vegetation, due to a significant amount being present.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

This does seem a matter for the rail unions to take up, as their membership could be physically affected by incidents caused by overgrown and unchecked vegetation.

 

[theageofthetra]

This does seem a matter for the rail unions to take up, as their membership could be physically affected by incidents caused by overgrown and unchecked vegetation.

Quite correct, it's national issue too. What are they doing about the appalling state of the lineside and the risk to their members?

 

[D6130]

This does seem a matter for the rail unions to take up, as their membership could be physically affected by incidents caused by overgrown and unchecked vegetation.

They - and especially ASLEF - have been taking it up for years, with very little effect. When the inevitable accident eventually occurs, their solicitors and barristers will take Network Rail to the cleaners.

 

[Tazi Hupefi]

They - and especially ASLEF - have been taking it up for years, with very little effect. When the inevitable accident eventually occurs, their solicitors and barristers will take Network Rail to the cleaners.

It's ASLEF members who need to take a large proportion of the blame for this situation.

Most drivers aren't interested in stopping their train, contacting the signaller to report a partially obscured signal, filling in a RT3185 form, and then explaining the delay to their TOC. That signal at Bletchley will have been problematic for days, it doesn't just become suddenly obscured out of the blue.

Especially on the WCML, drivers can feel under pressure to continue regardless (even though there's no actual pressure) - because they're aware of how congested the infrastructure is and how delays can spiral. See the recent RAIB report on the Freightliner Stafford incident, drivers are hyper aware of the impact of delays.

Once all the delays build up and are allocated to Network Rail, watch the chainsaws appear.

 

[D6130]

It's ASLEF members who need to take a large proportion of the blame for this situation.

Most drivers aren't interested in stopping their train, contacting the signaller to report a partially obscured signal, filling in a RT3185 form, and then explaining the delay to their TOC. That signal at Bletchley will have been problematic for days, it doesn't just become suddenly obscured out of the blue.

Once all the delays build up and are allocated to Network Rail, watch the chainsaws appear.

Encroaching vegetation first became a noticeable problem - i.e. obscuring signals and signs, plus scraping along the sides of trains - during and following Railtrack's 'maintenance holiday' in the mid-late 1990s. At that time I was an ASLEF local rep - firstly depot Health & Safety Rep and later branch secretary - and not only was I scrupulous about stopping to report vegetation issues and submitting RT3185 forms, but I also strongly encouraged other drivers - both verbally and in writing - to do the same. Admittedly, there will always be some drivers who can't be bothered to do so....but they too risk being called to account at an accident enquiry.

 

[Snow1964]

Seems a FFCCTV camera (forward facing TV) has been added to a LNER Azuma. To trial scanning for hazards and vegetation, using AI from CrossTech

• 12-month Network Rail pilot project underway to automate detection of potential hazards such as overhanging trees, leaves and subsidence that risk disruption.
• ‘Front-Facing CCTV’ digital monitoring will optimise safety and maintenance of infrastructure and vegetation using AI technology from CrossTech.
• Digital asset monitoring project has been facilitated by Hitachi Rail, applying CrossTech technology to LNER Azuma trains.

Network Rail, LNER, CrossTech and Hitachi Rail are collaborating to trial the latest in digital asset monitoring to observe the natural environment and track, including vegetation and embankments.

Monitoring areas in real-time further enhances safety, helping detect potential hazards like overhanging or invasive tree species, leaves on the track, or embankment subsidence that could cause harm or delays. Network Rail previously estimated that vegetation-related incidents cost up to £3 million annually in the Southern region alone.

The new forward-facing CCTV camera (FFCCTV) has been installed inside the driver’s cabin of a LNER Azuma train for the 12-month trial, which started in May. The operational Azuma train now has a key role in digitising infrastructure monitoring and maintenance on the East Coast Main Line. This solution uses the very latest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) camera sensor technology.

• The FFCCTV digital monitoring solution will be able to detect:
  • Leaves on track
  • Overhanging trees]
  • Invasive and hazardous tree species
  • Low ballast signal and level crossing and signal sightings
  • Embankment and track condition, including subsidence

Next generation vegetation and infrastructure digital monitoring trialled on East Coast Main Line

12-month Network Rail pilot project underway to automate detection of potential hazards such as overhanging trees, leaves and subsidence that risk...

www.mynewsdesk.com

Tackling vegetation management with artificial intelligence - Network Rail

Take a look at how we're trialling managing vegetation on the side of our track using artificial intelligence.

www.networkrail.co.uk

 

[theageofthetra]

Seems a FFCCTV camera (forward facing TV) has been added to a LNER Azuma. To trial scanning for hazards and vegetation, using AI from CrossTech

Next generation vegetation and infrastructure digital monitoring trialled on East Coast Main Line

12-month Network Rail pilot project underway to automate detection of potential hazards such as overhanging trees, leaves and subsidence that risk...

www.mynewsdesk.com

Tackling vegetation management with artificial intelligence - Network Rail

Take a look at how we're trialling managing vegetation on the side of our track using artificial intelligence.

www.networkrail.co.uk

We've had those on our units for a while and unless a driver reports an obscured signal it's resulted in nothing being done. The Lineside is the worst I've ever seen it with trees hanging over and reaching down to the 6 ft

I'm sure nothing will be done until a driver is killed or seriously injured by a fallen tree or thick branch.