the rail engineer • April 2014
PAUL ROEBUCK
T
he average train commuter travelling to and from work each day will look out on a blur of houses, back gardens, embankments and trees. In fact they will see lots and lots of trees, they form a large part of the 30,000 hectares of lineside vegetation along 20,000 miles of track across Network Rail-owned land alone. Trees on embankments are ever present in the world of railways, and have many positive benefits. They play an important role for the environment and are extremely valuable for wildlife. The importance of lineside vegetation has been recognised by local authorities around the country, where a number of lineside tracts have been designated for their biodiversity value.
green space, are home to a wide diversity of species. Birds nesting in the woodlands include tawny owl and great and lesser spotted woodpeckers. Slow-worms and common lizards are both present and can usually be found under logs beneath the canopy of the trees. Stag beetles, which are characteristic of this part of London, also roam amongst these woods. PHOTO: RICHARD DORRELL
Trees - beneficial overall
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A row of poplar trees provides screening.
Variety of species Over 1,000 hectares of lineside land in London have been identified as Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs) more than 40 such sites in total. On my personal commute home I travel past the Forest Hill to New Cross Gate Railway Cutting SINC. Woodland and scrub of various types cover the majority of the cutting. The woodland has a tree canopy of sycamore and ash, plus an occasional oak. Less frequent trees and shrubs include hazel, blackthorn, sessile oak, yew, and silver birch. It is a pleasure to watch the trees’ characteristics change through the seasons on a journey that also takes in some very urban views such as Millwall football stadium and Canary Wharf. The mix of habitats on the cutting, and its links to other
Along with accommodating habitat for wildlife, trees on embankments provide multiple environmental benefits. They reduce the ‘heat island’ effect, lowering temperatures in built-up urban environments. Wooded areas, such as the Forest Hill to New Cross Gate cutting, improve health and wellbeing for local communities through provision of green space for people to enjoy. They also act as a focal point for community and education projects with regular volunteering activities. Railway embankments may also support rare or veteran species of the trees themselves. For example, further afield, the bank just above the railway at Moulsecoomb (near Brighton) was planted in 1964 as an elm wood known as the Crespin Way Arboretum where a ‘champion’ veteran elm known as Ulmus ‘202’ (a dutch hybrid) exists.