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Thursday 26 Sep 2024

VIDEO: Can we help adders multiply on the railway?

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National

That’s the question put to Network Rail ecologist Alex Baldwin in this short film about some of the reptilian and amphibian wildlife that lives along the line.

Britain’s only venomous snakes are rare, but they are found across all parts of the country, from Cornwall to Scotland, and some of the habitats created by the railway are perfect for them and other reptiles. A notable location is Shap Fell, between Penrith and Oxenholme, on the West Coast Main Line, featured in the film.

For starters, signalling and power cables are traditionally placed in concrete troughs along the line, which provide fantastic sheltered and warm spots for snakes to hide and in the breeding season, for grass snakes to look after their eggs and adders to give birth.

Alex said: “The nature of the lineside is that it creates excellent spaces for snakes to bask – as cold-blooded animals they can’t raise their body temperatures any other way – but there is also usually enough vegetation to provide homes for the creatures they eat too and places to hide from predators. And very importantly, there is minimal disturbance from people, which is key.

“We’re also managing our lineside more sensitively today. We try and retain low-growing native species, create features such as log piles, and generally improve the lineside as a wildlife corridor.”

And what about how to work around them?

Alex added: “We advise our colleagues working on the railway on how to be respectful of snakes, not just because they are protected species, but also because adders are venomous. Although their bites are rarely serious, it’s still not something you want to be dealing with at work!”

The video - also available on YouTube and other social media - also investigates a former railway yard in Northamptonshire, which has been turned into a natural haven for wildlife and eventually, it is hoped, Great Crested Newts.

For more information on how Network Rail is helping make Britain more biodiverse, head to networkrail.co.uk/biodiversity