This is a picture of a railway embankment near our home which was, until a few weeks ago, laden with trees. The trees served the purpose of hiding an ugly railway embankment and deadening the noise of the trains to the surrounding neighbourhood.
Then Scotrail came along.
With no advance warning or consultation they cut hundreds of trees down.
The photo below shows only a small fraction of the area of environmental vandalism.
When I passed by there today, incredulous at the mess left by Scotrail, I noticed this plaque fixed to the railings by cable ties.
Presumably the reason for this tree cull was some problem with tree roots and the railway.
But they had been managed previously for decades.
The roots provided fabric and support for steep embankments. They provided strength and prevented subsidence in heavy rain.
They were a part of the local landscape and provided some relief in an otherwise rather featureless part of town.
They represented the changing seasons and were a natural boundary for the railway.
They just needed managing.
Sadly no longer.
Scotrail.
Plonkers.
Filed under: Craigendoran, Helensburgh Tagged: | environment, scotrail, trees
The same sort of thing happened to the trees on the railway embankment near me. For a while it looked like the vestiges of the Battle Of The Somme. Then they got rid of even the stumps.
Let the train take the strain…bollocks. They have a target to reduce their carbon footprint by 20% by 2020 and yet they chop down mature trees which will now release the CO2 back into the atmosphere…bollocks. I am far from a tree hugger but acts like this make me want to hug a stump. See more of their doublespeak here.
http://www.scotrail.co.uk/environment/what-were-doing.html
Smiler, I’ve contacted Scotrail to ask them how this squares with their environmental guff. I await their reply.
It’s probably a pre-emptive strike against leaves on the line.
Oh my god!!!!
My flat looks onto the railway embankment at Bonhill road. It is a haven for lots of small birds such as House sparrows and Blue Tits.
I have been putting out food for them during the worst of the weather even though I will probably get a letter from the factor.
I’m shocked to think how it will affect them as they are in decline in the area as it is!
I will watch your update from Scotrail with great interest.
Can I take a slightly different tack here ?
Without knowing Scotrail’s reasons for removing these trees in Helensburgh, I have no way of discerning if it is a needless act of destruction – if it is then it deserves condemnation.
However, for some years now the foliage adjacent to a number of Scotland’s railways and certain roads, especially in the summer months has begun to assume epic proportions.
Ironically the West Highland Line to Mallaig was recently voted the most romantic line in the world; all fina and well unless you travel it between March and November and want to actually see anything. You almost certainly won’t for long stretches.
And whilst I don’t wish Scotland to become some sort of tourist-dependent country, are these bushes, trees and shrubs immediately bordering the lines really so vital to the planet’s wellbeing that they can’t be cut back ?
Two more examples. This summer checkout the canopy and encroaching walls of foliage on Dunglass Hill above Bowling on the A82, it’s akin to driving thro a tunnel of encroaching trees.
And finally, my own local railway station, Dumbarton East, once had the most magnificent platfrorm views over the Kilpatrick Hills. Until some prick decided years ago to plant a series of these abominable quick-growing trees in East End Park. Result? A station hemmed in by shrubbery and with no vista whatsoever and a muggers hideaway.
As Debbie points out, wildlife’s natural habitat in this country is diminishing at a rapid rate particularly that of birds. That is why the RSPB and others now recommend that people feed the birds all year round and not stop as previous in spring. Trees, hedges and bogland are disappearing, much of it to provide sites for out of town single story retail barns while town centres die. However probably the most important habitats left in semi rural and urban areas are those adjacent to roads and railways.
The people here to a man and woman regard what has been done by Scotrail as environmental vandalism and they’re right. The tourism angle doesn’t apply unless Colgrain School, the cemetry and Kirkmichael count as sites of special interest. Where previously there was a pleasing relief of greenery in a rather dull part of town, now there is (further) wasteland. As I said HUNDREDS of trees have been cut down. Not “cut back” – destroyed.
You’re entitled to your view Ferncake, just as I thought I was entitled to my lack of view and noise from a railway line!
I have occasion sometimes to deliver goods to Manse Brae in Bowling above Dunglass. I have seen shiskine, red poles and goldfinches there. There’s also a healthy bird of prey population. I would urge you to cycle or walk that stretch on the cycle path as I used to regularly when I lived at Barnhill and ask you if the trees there are such a bad thing.
Hmmm,
Have I been using the same Dumbarton East station??
The one I use has views of Dumbuck Quarry and the scarring of the hill. The smell of Curry and Urine wafting gently in the breeze and of course the lilting tones of the yobs high on buckfast or something else in the park below. Oh, and lets not forget the noise and fumes from the traffic hurtling along the Glasgow road just to the right!
At least with the trees I don’t feel so exposed to the madness below. Watching the birds go about their business takes my mind of things for the short time that I have to use the station.
Not exactly my idea of the best place to admire the view. Still, I wonder if that is their excuse for cutting down the rain forest! There must be some spectacular views of rocks and waste ground under all that folage somewhere!!
As for muggers, most of Dumbarton’s stations are prime targets. More so Dumbarton Central with it’s tunnels and the dark quiet road on the Broadmeadow Estate side of the station.
I had a Robin sitting on a branch, singing a merry song just above my car this morning. He fair lifted my spirits. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that when I go out tomorrow morning that the wee chap will still have a branch to sit on and see me on my way to another dreary day at the office.
And no, I’m not a tree hugger. I for one think that the ones on the Renton road are a danger to motorists who travel the road every day. I belive that they should cut down the dangerous ones and replace them with new ones to prevent landslides.
We need to manage our woods in the area a lot better than we have so far. I grew up in Castlegreen Street and it saddens my heart when I see that all the trees that I played in near the bridge have gone. All that’s left is a few poor examples of what used to be and a mixture of bog and grass not even fit to walk a dog on a good day! Still, I suppose the residents there now prefer to look at the decaying factory instead of trees full of life and colour.
I think we’re talking about different things here. Wanton destrction of wildlife habitats is completely wrong, but that’s not what I seek. I keep my garden and it’s shrubbery fairly under control – is it unreasonable to ask our roads and railway agencies to do likewise ? Or maybe we all enjoy the litter-arresting features of the gently swaying midsummer savannah along the central reservation of the A82 at the Boulevard Hotel ?
As for Dumbarton East, Debbie, the smell of curry, yobs etc., is hardly germane to the point being discussed. I’d be interested to know if you recall the view prior to the looming trees appearing.
And Ben-Lo, yes I have both walked and cycled that path at Bowling on numerous occasions; in midsummer it is yet another canopy of foliage and home to a zillion airborne insects – give me the more aesthetically pleasing Overtoun Estate any day.
What about the vandalism that has been going on at Sandpoint Marina in Dumbarton opposite the rock.
There has been no hydrological survey and the environmental agency SEPA have been a complete waste of time.
This is both a tidal river (two rivers in fact) and has a strong fluvial flow coming down from Loch Lomond.
If you have any questions go and see it for yourself, best viewed from half-way up Dumbarton Rock.
It is without doubt the worst case of environmental damage i have seen in Scotland.
Ooops, sorry to digress from the point Fren Cake.
And here was me thinking that this was a blog for ‘free speach’!
Yes I remember the view before the trees grew but not one of my most memorable.
I’m away to study the dictionary and read up on the rules! Good night all…..
Lol, getting to that time of night.
Of course I meant ‘speech’
I’m pleased to say the Helensburgh Advertiser has picked up on the story and is running it next week using the photos and quotes from this blog.
So far no reply from Scotrail.
As for free speech, yes it IS a free speech blog and everyone is entitled to their view. However Jimmy I’ve deleted a section of your comment as it made serious allegations against a clearly identified individual which unfortunately I can’t allow.
Shame you couldnt just leave it Rab. I’m sure we all know who Jimmy was talking about and He has been taken to court twice for the ecological damage he’s done to land he bought in the Dumbarton area. Found guilty, it made the papers too. So to my mind he should be named and shamed. I’ll happily share photos of the damage done at Maryland Farm for any who might be interested.
Interesting blog, I’ll have to keep my eye on it.
[...] The Ben Lomond Free Press calls Scotrail out on its cutting down of trees on railway embankments. Silversprite isn’t impressed with big corporations either this month, after spotting a strange sign in the window of Domino’s Pizza. [...]
No problem, Rab. The real problem lies with the individuals in the organisations that are supposed to uphold their own rules and conditions and act in the interests of the local people and the local environment.
If Joe Bloggs living in some suburban semi decides to change a tile on his roof the planning department come down on him like a (if you’ll pardon the pun) ton of bricks.
I would have thought interfering with the fluvial flow of the second most powerful river in Scotland, next to one of the main heritage attractions in the county would have been of serious concern but no. The silence, I think, tells its own story.
It’s Railtrack that would have been cutting down trees – not First Scotrail. First Scotrail are the ones who don’t make their trains run on time, Railtrack are the ones who do the infrastructure stuff…
Thanks Steve
It’s actually Network Rail who are responsible as I discovered in a very curt email from Scotrail!
[...] – An Apology Posted on February 23, 2009 by bigrab In my recent posting about the hellish mess left on the railway embankments near my home by the butchering of hundreds [...]