Railways: Tree Felling
(asked on 9th July 2025) - View Source
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.
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 | ||||