We’re pleased to report strong early results from our new Vegetation Management Program, which we’ve bolstered to mitigate the risks of overgrowth across our Interstate network.
Targeting key locations that we’ve identified in collaboration with train operators, the program is designed to improve safety for network users by clearing vegetation in close proximity to railway lines.
“Vegetation management is a key priority at ARTC to ensure clear lines of sight throughout our rail corridors for the safety of rail users and to minimise other risks such as bushfires,” said Adrian Teaha, ARTC’s General Manager Property, Development & Partnerships.
“Extreme wet weather over the past couple of years has presented significant challenges, including increased soil saturation and vegetation growth adjacent to our network, so we’ve ramped up our Vegetation Management Program in support of our commitment to safety and network reliability.
“Over the past 12 months, we’ve cleared excess vegetation to almost 300km of track, which has in turn led to a 40% decrease in vegetation-related incidents over the past six months.
“We’ve also set up a new operations team dedicated to vegetation management, and have improved the way we incorporate vegetation works into our routine track possessions as part of standard network maintenance activities we undertake throughout the year.
“As a key ongoing focus, our vegetation management activities will also continue to explore new technology to keep improving the way we do things, such as our adoption of LiDAR data for more comprehensive vegetation mapping across our network.”
