Dec. 01 2023
Source Page: How to protect and manage the urban forestFound: Urban trees are everywhere in our towns and cities; they grow on streets, next to railways and canals
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 90 of the Williams-Shapps plan for rail, what progress his Department has made towards (a) tree planting and (b) introducing other (i) green initiatives and (ii) energy efficiency measures across the rail estate.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
To maintain operational safety on the railways, Network Rail does not intend to plant more trees on the rail estate. Instead Network Rail has been working with the Tree Council to plant around 250,000 trees in communities over the past three years. Network Rail is also working with its neighbours, supported by Defra Nature for Climate funding, to encourage tree planting at a suitable distance away from the railway. Network Rail has committed to no net loss of biodiversity on the rail estate by 2024 and net gain by 2035.
Network Rail and all Department for Transport (DfT) contracted Train Operating Companies (TOCs) are required to set out their decarbonisation strategies and produce validated Science Based Targets, setting out clear and deliverable pathways to Net Zero 2050. Network Rail and the DfT TOCs are all delivering energy efficiency measures across the rail estate to achieve their decarbonisation commitments. Progress against commitments is monitored by DfT.
Network Rail is also pursuing other green initiatives, including supporting new renewable energy projects in the UK for energy use on the rail estate.
Mentions:
1: Mountain, Edward (Con - Highlands and Islands) I also have an interest in a wild fishery.I have an interest in trees. - Speech Link
2: McAllan, Màiri (SNP - Clydesdale) it for the record—the safe, efficient and continued running of the transport network, including our railways - Speech Link
3: McAllan, Màiri (SNP - Clydesdale) per cent, in comparison with 85.6 per cent in the rest of the UK.If I remember correctly, since the railways - Speech Link
4: Doris, Bob (SNP - Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) I am not querying—as Mr Lumsden did—whether it was correct to take the railways into public ownership - Speech Link
5: Mountain, Edward (Con - Highlands and Islands) I think that Mark Ruskell wants to come in on railways. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Bill Wiggin (Con - North Herefordshire) There are overhanging trees, and there is green plant growth on the road signs. - Speech Link
2: Bill Wiggin (Con - North Herefordshire) So bus by demand is definitely where the future lies because, turning to the railways, the train service - Speech Link
3: Guy Opperman (Con - Hexham) As we have seen with the Waverley line in Scotland, there is a definite desire for such railways to be - Speech Link
Written Evidence Jan. 09 2024
Inquiry: Urban Green SpacesFound: watercourses • contamination from former industrial uses • nature disconnection by infrastructure e.g. railways
Dec. 19 2023
Source Page: Beavers: how to manage them and when you need a licenceFound: dig burrows and channels into the banks of waterbodies (for example, a lake, river or stream), fell trees
Mentions:
1: Jack Brereton (Con - Stoke-on-Trent South) Friend said.When we can see the wood for the trees, the important point is this: there are localised - Speech Link
2: Wera Hobhouse (LD - Bath) High-speed rail should modernise our railways, connect more of the country and increase capacity. - Speech Link
3: Rob Butler (Con - Aylesbury) We want railways that are right for our communities, right for our society and right for our economy. - Speech Link
Written Evidence Jan. 09 2024
Inquiry: Urban Green SpacesFound: to say they are essential infrastructure and should receive the same priority as our roads and railways
Found: Trees, forests and hedges - some frequently asked questions
Dec. 06 2023
Source Page: Planning and transport authorities: get environmental advice on planningFound: agricultural use Yes No affects protected species Yes No affects ancient woodland and veteran trees