Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of vegetation clearance carried out by Network Rail under temporary variations on Network Rail’s biodiversity commitments.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The government has not made an assessment of the impact of vegetation clearance carried out by Network Rail under temporary variations on Network Rail’s biodiversity commitments. Any work carried out by Network Rail under temporary variation against the vegetation standard, would still be following its biodiversity standard. Network Rail is committed to increasing biodiversity across its estate, but vegetation management is still necessary to maintain a safe and efficient railway.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the negative impact on soil cohesion when trackside trees and bushes are cut back hard and the roots destroyed by poison, or root killing herbicides, by Network Rail.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network Rail recognises that vegetation can both support and affect the stability of railway embankments and cuttings. While roots help stabilise soil by absorbing moisture, vegetation can also increase risks such as soil drying and cracking, or rockfall.
To manage these risks, Network Rail operates in line with its vegetation and earthworks standards. Where trees are felled for safety or operational reasons, stump treatments are sometimes used to prevent regrowth, but they are never applied to retained trees or branches. In many locations, Network Rail cuts trees back to encourage regrowth, helping to maintain both biodiversity and soil stability.
Based on information provided by Network Rail, the Government’s assessment is that these measures help to minimise the risk of negative impacts on soil cohesion and support a balanced approach to safety, performance and environmental protection in managing lineside vegetation.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 21 July (HL9261), what plans they have to impose a ban on all tree and shrubbery clearance work by Network Rail from March to August inclusive to avoid disturbing songbirds during nesting season.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The government has no plans to impose a ban on tree and shrubbery clearance work by Network Rail. As stated in the previous answer (HL9261), Network Rail has processes in place for managing tree removal around nesting season. Network Rail has committed to increase biodiversity across the rail estate by 2035 but ultimately must prioritise the safe and efficient operation of the railway. Vegetation with suspected or identified nesting birds would only be removed if safety concerns were significant and following consultation with ecologists, lawyers and the British Transport Police.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 11 February (HL4485), what assessment have they made, if any, of the number of potholes in the car park of Penrith Station; and what steps they are taking, if any, to ensure that Network Rail will repair any potholes.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
No assessment has been made by officials about the number of potholes in the car park at Penrith. We understand from Avanti West Coast and Network Rail that a temporary repair of potholes has been put in place at the station front, and a re-surfacing of the road at the station is expected within the coming year. Avanti West Coast will raise with Network Rail the importance of the car park in any plans for pothole repairs.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether Network Rail has plans to install a shelter for passengers at the southern end of platform 1 of Penrith Station; and, if it has no such plans, why not.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
There are currently no plans to install a shelter at the southern end of platform 1 as most of the station is covered by existing canopies. The decision to install a shelter would require agreement from Avanti West Coast as station manager and Network Rail as station owner. The Department expects Avanti West Coast collaborate with Network Rail to identify opportunities for investment, above and beyond essential renewals for station investments, where affordable.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking against those responsible for Network Rail mistakenly cutting down 300 trees in Derbyshire.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The government is not taking action against Network Rail for trees removed on the Midland Main Line between Wingfield and Clay Cross. All the vegetation managed in this area was to ensure the safe operation of trains on the track. Any trees within 6.5m of the line and any capable of falling within 4m of the track were either removed or reduced in size. Dead, dying and diseased trees (some with the fungal infection Ash Dieback), as well as healthy trees which were obstructing the view of train conductors and drivers, were cut back or managed due to the risk they posed to the safe operation of the railway. This was done in line with Network Rail’s tree risk assessment model.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what chemicals Network Rail use to prevent regrowth from the stumps of trees or bushes they have cut down.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network Rail currently uses chemicals to prevent tree regrowth as well as other methods such as coppicing. Network Rail is also trialling grazing on a number of parts of the network to manage vegetation. The chemicals Network Rail uses on the rail estate for vegetation management are included in the table below.
| Location | Application method | Description | Active Ingredient 1 |
Non- water source protection area sites | On track | Handheld equipment | Total weed control – vegetation management of grasses and broadleaf weed species | Diflufenican Glyphosate Flazasulfuron Sulfosulfuron Flumioxazin |
Selective weed control – vegetation management of broadleaf weed species | 2,4-D Amine Triclopyr 2 Dicamba Glyphosate Max plugs 3 | |||
Rail mounted equipment | Total weed control – vegetation management of grasses and broadleaf weed species | Diflufenican Glyphosate Flazasulfuron Sulfosulfuron | ||
Flail strip and off track areas | Rail mounted and handheld equipment | Selective weed control – for vegetation control | Citronella Oil 2,4-D Amine Aminopyralid 4 Fluroxypyr MCPA Triclopyr 2 Dicamba Mecoprop P Glyphosate Max plugs 3 Glyphosate 5 | |
Identified water source protection area sites (unless identified as no spray) | On track | Handheld equipment | Total weed control – vegetation management of broadleaf weed species | Citronella Oil Glyphosate |
Selective weed control – vegetation management of broadleaf weed species | see note 1 | |||
Rail mounted equipment | Total weed control – vegetation management of grasses and broadleaf weed species | Glyphosate | ||
Flail strip and off track areas | Rail mounted & handheld equipment | Selective weed control – for vegetation control | Glyphosate 5 | |
Extra vulnerable water source protection area sites | No use of any herbicide is permissible unless prior permission and site-specific assessment has been agreed by all parties. An AqHerb01 Form is available from the Environment Agency to initiate this process. In Scotland herbicides can be applied near water to control invasive non-native species (INNS) under general binding rule 23 of the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2022. Application of herbicide near water to control non-INNS requires a registration under the same regulations to be applied for, an application form is available from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. | |||
Notes: 1 Any active ingredient not listed requires prior permission and site-specific assessment agreed by all parties 2 Only as amine formulation and in mixtures 3 Stump treatment only 4 Not to be used within drip line of desirable trees 5 Spot application only | ||||
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on wildlife of Network Rail cutting down trees, bushes and hedges during nesting season, and what plans they have to end this practice.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The government has not made an assessment of this. Network Rail has processes in place for managing tree removal around nesting season. In advance of any work there are, amongst other checks and surveys, specific checks to identify if there are any nesting birds within the vegetation Network Rail is planning to manage. Any identified or suspected nesting birds are left in situ and an exclusion zone created around them. Teams return after any chicks have fledged. If there are particular safety concerns with the vegetation, there are exemptions within the legislation which Network Rail could use following consultation with ecologists, lawyers and the British Transport Police.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of trees and bushes alongside railway lines that have been cut down in excess of that required to prevent trees falling on the lines.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The government has not made an estimate of this figure. Network Rail must prioritise the performance and safe operation of the railway whilst also carrying out its activities in a way that minimises harm, and wherever possible improves the natural habitat. Trees are removed from beside the railway line for a number of reasons beyond the risk of falling on the line, including invasive species, pests or disease (such as ash dieback) and leaf fall.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide level access onto trains by acquiring level access rolling stock, raising platform levels or lowering trackbeds.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Level access onto trains brings a range of benefits and enables easier journeys for passengers with different access requirements. The government has committed to develop a long-term strategy for rolling stock and associated infrastructure, which will look at and consider the issue of level access as part of this work.