Over 1,750 trains cancelled due to fallen trees

Over 1,750 train cancellations in 2017/18 were due to incidents involving trees and leaves, an independent review of Network Rail has found.

The report, commissioned by the Department of Transport, says that more than 1,750 trains were cancelled because of fallen trees, branches and leaves, a rising trend seen over the last nine years.

In 2009/2010, there were 11,500 incidents on rail lines involving trees and branches, rising to nearly 19,000 in 2017/8.

During the summer of 2018, storms Ali and Bronagh led to over 150 incidents of trees or branches on the tracks in less than 48 hours.

Network Rail is one of the UK’s largest landowners, and manages nearly 16,000 miles of lineside across England and Wales.

The rail service provider owns 6.3million trees with 13 million trees are within falling distance of its tracks. According to its own figures, it cuts down about 1,000 trees a week.

Prior to 1960, much of the foliage at the railside was managed through ‘annual burning, scrub clearance and grass cutting with vegetation kept generally very low due to the risk of fire from passing steam trains.’

Currently, trees are managed on a risk-based need, with a focus on safety and performance.

Lines with a speed limit under 60mph require woody vegetation within 3 metres of the track to be cleared, increasing to 5 metres for those with limits over 60mph.

There are further requirements that vegetation is cleared to 3.5 metres from overhead line equipment and that all stumps are killed ‘to prevent coppice growth.’

Despite spending £40million a year over the past four years on vegetation control, Network Rail still has a large backlog of work, the report concluded, which may lead to an increase in trees felled.

Separate figures have also revealed that foliage on the line last year caused 3,261 hours of delays, a rise of 70% in the last decade. 

Last month, local rail operator Northern claimed ‘excess wet leaves’ had damaged train wheels, causing several carriages to be taken out of service, according to the BBC.

The report into Network Rail’s vegetation management found problems caused by leaves on the railway lines, such as poor performance issues and signalling issues, translate into an annual economic cost of almost £300 million.

Chairman of local rail campaign group, STORM (Support the Oldham Rochdale Manchester rail lines), Richard Greenwood, said: “One newspaper has revealed that Network Rail stopped their programme of trimming and removing trees to reduce the problems from leaf fall this autumn as a result of pressure from the Woodland Trust charity.

“However, the Woodland Trust is currently advertising widely that planting more and more trees helps butterflies. A handful of species maybe, but for the rest, more trees are a disaster.”

A second STORM member added: “The Trust was founded to protect woods from plundering and to create new woods by planting. Network Rail's trees aren't woods; they're self-seeded weeds.

“Lest it be overlooked, an average of six people annually are killed by trees. If six people annually were killed on the railway, there would be uproar.”

However, a senior conservation advisor for the Woodland Trust has said that Network Rail must be held to account for the way it manages trees along its routes.

Dr Nick Atkinson said: “The Woodland Trust is supportive of this report and urges government to fast track the implementation of its recommendations.

“The report is unapologetic in highlighting the significant problems currently experienced in Network Rail’s approach to lineside vegetation management. Its conclusion that Network Rail does not take in to account accepted environmental best practice throughout all its estate, is alarming, and urgently needs addressing. The report sets out steps for this to occur.

“We are particularly encouraged by the recognition of the need for a culture change within Network Rail when it comes to biodiversity and the environment. Safety for the travelling public and rail staff is paramount, but the report is clear that this does not need to be compromised to better deliver for the environment also. A shift in attitude and approach will help the organisation value trees for the multiple benefits they bring. 

“While it is good to see a recommended structure for holding Network Rail to account through the means of Key Performance Indicators such as no net loss and more importantly net biodiversity gain by 2040, we believe government must not just implement this but also establish enforcement powers should those standards be breached. In particular, there needs to be a transparent means of accounting for nature, through, for example, the regular updating of a national tree canopy map. 

“Furthermore, we would still like to see an explicit commitment from Government that there will not be a net reduction in canopy cover due to work on the Network Rail estate.

"Where felling is necessary it should be accompanied by the planting of sufficient trees to replace any lost canopy.”