Key safety and performance work has been successfully completed by Network Rail on the West Highland Line between Craigendoran and Helensburgh.
Trees and other vegetation encroaching on the railway were removed along 2km of the line the reduce its impact on rail services.
This can pose serious safety risks when left untreated as this can obscure signals from a driver’s view.
This follows the recent completion of a £7m project to improve reliability on the West Highland Line.
The work on the West Highland Line also forms part of Network Rail’s aim to improve biodiversity along the line.
Several native trees have been replanted to help protect wildlife, the environment and communities nearby the line.
This is all part of Network Rail’s ambitious trial which aims to see no net loss of biodiversity by 2024 and an overall net gain by 2035.
Network Rail commented on the work completed on the West Highland Line and the importance of such work.
Kirsty Armstrong, Scheme Project Manager for Network Rail said: “While our priority is the safety and performance of the railway, this project has been planned and delivered to protect wildlife and promote biodiversity.
“We’re making positive efforts towards managing our lineside areas in a more environmentally friendly way as part of our commitment to a better, greener railway.
“We’ve taken a number of proactive steps to offset the impact of tree removal and created a mixture of habitats which support a range of species alongside the railway.
“It sets the standard for sustainable management of the lineside environment for the future.”
Network Rail will continue to monitor the biodiversity along the line and perform routine maintenance work to avoid future safety concerns.
