Overnight tree cutting on railway to go ahead between Innerwick and Penmanshiel

Tree and vegetation management will be taking place between Innerwick and Penmanshiel, Network Rail has said.

The work is expected to run from the beginning of January until the end of February.

It added the work would keep passengers safe and ensure trains continue to run on time.

From January 8, for approximately eight weeks, all woody vegetation within a minimum of 6-metres of the track will be cleared.  Any noxious and invasive non-native weeds within the railway boundary will also be removed.

Trees within falling distance of the railway will also be felled selectively or cut back to leave a well-balanced tree canopy. Trees with special significance, such as those with heritage or specimen importance, will be looked at on a case-by-case basis and be retained where it is safe to do so.

Ahead of the work, environmental surveys have been carried out. Network Rail has also worked with ecologists to minimise the impact of the work on the environment.

Those living closest to the line have been advised about the work in advance.

Kirsty Armstrong, project manager for the vegetation clearance work, said: “We manage thousands of railway embankments and constantly work to manage trees and vegetation so that everything which grows lineside is safe and does not cause delays to trains. This keeps passengers safe and reduces risk for neighbours.

“To keep trains running during the day, much of this work is unavoidably carried out at night for safety reasons. Our teams are always mindful of the impact their work can have on lineside neighbours and do what they can to minimise this.  We want to apologise in advance if anyone is disturbed by the work.”

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