Great Western Coffee Shop

A row has broken out in Yate over Network Rail's replanting of a railway embankment (link below.)
http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&contentPK=17881272&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144922

All the trees were removed to stop the bank collapsing and the train operator has been carrying out stabilising work there near Rodborough and Chedworth streets.

As a member of this forum who resides less than 200 metres from the said embankment I know the past recent history of this embankment.

A few years ago a slip caused by the trees which had been allowed to grow unchacked on the particular enbankment resulted in a signal (3 aspect) having to be removed as it was leaning at a crazy angle.

The signal was sort of replaced some months later by bolting to a bridge a repeater two aspect colour signal (amber/green).

Currently there is a severe speed restriction over this embankment of 10mph and the line is very uneven.

The work carried out has seen the gradient of the embankment reduced whilst the width of the embankment at the base has been widened for extra stability and I am hoping that work to up the speed limit over the section will be carried out in the near future.

I have been a passenger on a train where the quick thinking of the driver brought the train to a halt short of an obstruction on the line caused by trees on an embankment keeling over in wind and bringing earth and vegetation tumbling onto the track.

I am no horturocolugist (cant spell that word but I guess you know what I mean) I cant say whether plant roots do bind soil togerther and stop landslips but observing the work which went on at this location Network Rail and their contractors have done an admirable job putting in herring bone drainage as part of the stabilsation work.

Whether planting shrubs will pacify residents, I dont know, but whos going to pay, the passenger again.

Having travelled over this curve six times this week I can confirm that there is not a 10mph speed restriction. Yes, the line is very uneven, some might call it bumpy but the longstanding 20mph speed restriction was actually lifted some months ago.