The railways are actively developing a holistic approach to integrated vegetation management on railway tracks.
The UIC Sustainable Land Use (SLU) Sector has been continuously working on vegetation management methods by benchmarking UIC member companies since 2017.
From 2017 to 2018, the UIC HERBIE project focused on the most promising methods of weed control available for railways in partnership with the Institute for Futures Studies and Technology Assessment (IZT) based in Berlin. The results of the project are available at:
As a result of the project, the most promising alternative methods such as using electro-weeding, hot water, hot foam, organic acids, geotextiles, was selected for further evaluation.
From 2019 to the end of 2020, the UIC TRISTRAM project aims to progress from a single method to a flexible mix of methods; from conventional chemical treatments to alternative, herbicide-free methods. Since the study was undertaken again in collaboration with IZT, the project is investigating alternative methods with regard to herbicides used for vegetation control. In addition, the SLU Sector pursues its close collaboration with CER to provide UIC with the political discussions currently happening in EU and to promote the new strategy of UIC at European level.
The last TRISTRAM meeting held on 13 February was attended by technical experts from DB AG, FS, INFRABEL, ÖBB, SBB CFF FFS, SNCB/NMBS, SNCF, TRAFIKVERKET and IZT.
As a conclusion of the SLU Sector meeting the members agreed to publish the “Strategy Paper on the Future of Vegetation Control” on the UIC website. The document will be available via the following link:
https://uic.org/sustainable-development/environment/sustainable-land-use
If you wish to participate in the TRISTRAM project please check out https://uic.org/events/tristram-knowledge-exchange
Save the date: UIC SLU Sector will hold the Railway Vegetation Management Workshop from 10 – 11 March 2021 at UIC HQ in Paris.
