Railroad Vegetation Management

The main concern today is to bring vegetation under control through the use of a combination of different measures appropriate to the specific situation. More specifically, this means that preventive measures should already be addressed in the planning and projecting phase, and that the periodical maintenance of the lines must be guaranteed. To complement this, existing vegetation is removed using measures that combat the symptoms.

• Vegetation that is interfering with railway operations and/or causing safety issues
• Ballast section vegetation
• Noxious weeds and invasive plants
• Vegetation that interferes with sightline requirements
• Danger trees (trees, because of defects, that can fall onto tracks)
• Certain amounts and varieties of vegetation in railway yards, station grounds, around buildings and signal infrastructure.

If not managed properly, unwanted vegetation can:

• Damage the integrity of the roadbed
• Inhibit the operation of signals and switches
• Hinder the inspection of the track structure and trains
• Cause trackside fires
• Compromise employee safety when train crews and entraining and detraining
• Reduce visibility at public road crossings, which increases the risk of train-vehicle collisions.