Belvedere De-vegetation Project

THE CUSTOMER

Pro Rail Services Ltd. is a Railway civil engineering contractor who execute maintenance contracts on Network Rail infrastructure. This project took place on the South East Route of the network.

THE CHALLENGE

The track drainage system in the area had a history of blockages, which lead to numerous track flooding events induced by high vegetation to the drainage ditches.

Network Rail was keen for this to be addressed as part of its planned maintenance programme. Pro Rail Services Ltd. was commissioned to brushcut a 1000m section of CESS 3m wide to clear the drainage ditch to allow water to flow.

The project was tendered five weeks before possession. Pro Rail Services Ltd. was awarded the contract with three weeks to plan the works and mobilise its teams.

THE SOLUTION

The Pro Rail Services Ltd. planning team quickly put together a project plan that would ensure the works could be completed safely and effectively.

The teams consisted of one site manager, one engineer and 12 skilled de-vegetation operatives working across the site.

Green Mech Chippers, with trained operators, were also brought in to assist the delivery of this project

THE IMPLEMENTATION

Over the five-week programme, the Pro Rail Services Ltd. teams removed a 1000m x 3m section of thick vegetation.

Small trees and thick brambles were all chipped up and removed from site. The drainage channel was then raked out with hand digging executed to ensure that the drainage system was fit for purpose

THE RESULTS

A 3000m2 area of thickly vegetated CESS was removed to free up drainage blockages

All works carried out safely, with no incidents reported, precisely to Network Rail’s specification

Potential risk to passenger services from track flooding greatly reduced by installation of an optimum track drainage solution

No further incidents of track flooding has been reported since the execution of these works