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Author Topic: Marsupials disrupt trains in France  (Read 2788 times)
Hal
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« on: September 21, 2020, 14:22:19 »

Unusual cause of rail disruption this morning in the western French district of Vend?e. The local newspaper Ouest France reports that two wallabies were seen close to the railway line between the cities of La Roche-sur-Yon and Nantes. To avoid any risk of an accident the SNCF (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) said its trains had to reduce speed. Gendarmes were on patrol to locate the marsupials.
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stuving
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« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2020, 15:36:13 »

Unusual cause of rail disruption this morning in the western French district of Vend?e. The local newspaper Ouest France reports that two wallabies were seen close to the railway line between the cities of La Roche-sur-Yon and Nantes. To avoid any risk of an accident the SNCF (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) said its trains had to reduce speed. Gendarmes were on patrol to locate the marsupials.

Unusual in Vend?e? More common in the Pennines?
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grahame
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« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2020, 15:43:38 »

Swans on the track?

Escaped Puma, Chessington North?
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stuving
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« Reply #3 on: September 21, 2020, 20:20:26 »

Meanwhile, some 400 km to the south, an even less common way of holding up the trains (from the BBC» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)):
Quote
French MP (Member of Parliament) left red-faced after parked car blocks train

It can be tempting to take a risk when parking in a hurry - but one French MP has shown why it's always worth checking where you've left the car.

Jean Lassalle, 65, was late to watch his son's rugby match in the south-western town of Bedous on Sunday.

"I was late, I saw this magnificent place and I parked there," he told local news outlet France Bleu.

But his mistake soon become clear: "I saw the [police] approaching me during the match," he said.

"When they explained the situation to me... I suddenly realised," he added.

Mr Lassalle, an independent MP who ran in the 2017 presidential election, was told his car had been left on a level crossing.

And as if to add to the jeopardy, the police said his vehicle was currently blocking a passenger train.

"I was totally surprised," Mr Lassalle told the Sud Ouest newspaper. He was then driven to the scene of the hold-up where he quickly moved his car.

"The train was indeed at a standstill," he said. "I apologised to the passengers. Everyone was very nice."

"Fortunately, the visibility from the train was good and there was no danger," he told France Bleu. "I have no excuse: it's been two years since the line [reopened] and I even inaugurated it? it's a big mistake."

Mr Lassalle escaped without a fine, but he had one suggestion for how similar mistakes could be avoided in future.

"If I had a driver like many of my peers, that would not happen!" he quipped to Sud Ouest.

That omits a line from the original French report - which makes it marginally less ridiculous. While the line was closed, he and others got used to parking on this, then out-of-use, level crossing. And it is right next to the village rugby pitch.

PS: The line was rebuilt and reopened in 2016, but was closed March-June this year following a landslip.  This line would, if reopened much further, go to Canfranc.
« Last Edit: September 21, 2020, 20:26:16 by stuving » Logged
johnneyw
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« Reply #4 on: September 21, 2020, 23:50:30 »

Unusual cause of rail disruption this morning in the western French district of Vend?e. The local newspaper Ouest France reports that two wallabies were seen close to the railway line between the cities of La Roche-sur-Yon and Nantes. To avoid any risk of an accident the SNCF (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) said its trains had to reduce speed. Gendarmes were on patrol to locate the marsupials.

Unusual in Vend?e? More common in the Pennines?

Most articles I've read suggest that the Pennines Walabies probably died out about 10 years ago and if not, their numbers are very low now.  Sightings still persist in the area of Selsley Hill near Stroud in the Cotswold Hills.
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grahame
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« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2020, 08:05:32 »

Unusual cause of rail disruption this morning in the western French district of Vend?e. The local newspaper Ouest France reports that two wallabies were seen close to the railway line between the cities of La Roche-sur-Yon and Nantes. To avoid any risk of an accident the SNCF (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) said its trains had to reduce speed. Gendarmes were on patrol to locate the marsupials.

Unusual in Vend?e? More common in the Pennines?

Most articles I've read suggest that the Pennines Walabies probably died out about 10 years ago and if not, their numbers are very low now.  Sightings still persist in the area of Selsley Hill near Stroud in the Cotswold Hills.

I recall tales of wallabies on the Dunstable Downs when living in the area - originating from escapees from Whipsnade Zoo.  Online research suggests that they're no longer any wallabies outside the confines of the zoo - gone, like the national railway line to Dunstable, though the Whipsnade and Umfolozi Railway (now renamed the Great Whipsnade Railway, also known as The Jumbo Express ) is still operational.  Perhaps that latter sometimes has delays due to animals on the line?
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Bob_Blakey
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« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2020, 08:19:23 »

.....To avoid any risk of an accident the SNCF (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) said its trains had to reduce speed. .....

Under what circumstances is a collision between a train and a wallaby going to result in an accident?
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stuving
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« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2020, 10:02:02 »

.....To avoid any risk of an accident the SNCF (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) said its trains had to reduce speed. .....

Under what circumstances is a collision between a train and a wallaby going to result in an accident?

Are you asking a wallaby?
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eightf48544
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« Reply #8 on: September 22, 2020, 17:37:16 »

French MP (Member of Parliament) left red-faced after parked car blocks train

Takes me back to my days at Waterloo, regular occurance on the Weymouth Tramway with all the crockles cars blocking the line. Reulting in regualr Bookings in the files of "Train Hit Car"
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grahame
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« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2020, 21:47:36 »

.... all the crockles cars blocking the line ...

I always though the term was "grockles", or is it regional?
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grahame
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« Reply #10 on: September 22, 2020, 21:51:59 »

... "grockles", or is it regional?

Just come across Emmets and Snowbirds ...
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johnneyw
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« Reply #11 on: September 22, 2020, 22:33:41 »

In South Devon the term "Haemorrhoids" was also used as "they go around in bunches and are a pain in the a**e". Haven't heard it for a while though.
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Hal
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« Reply #12 on: November 04, 2020, 14:03:50 »

If it's not wallabies, it's badgers.

The SNCF (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) is building an artificial badger sett near Colmar in the eastern region of Alsace, at a cost of EUR 30,000, according to a report in the local newspaper.

It is in response to badgers digging their setts adjacent to the railway and undermining the permanent way, a problem that has gone on for years, apparently.

The aim is to create a more attractive alternative dwelling for the badgers, to keep them away from the railway line and prevent damage.

The cost, the SNCF says, compares favourably to the expense of repeated badger expulsions and permanent way repairs.
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CyclingSid
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« Reply #13 on: November 05, 2020, 06:59:58 »

If it was this country presumably there would be concerns about the risk of passengers getting TB from the badgers.
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stuving
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« Reply #14 on: November 05, 2020, 10:22:05 »

If it was this country presumably there would be concerns about the risk of passengers getting TB from the badgers.

Funny you should say that ... from Whitcher Wildlife Ecology Consultants
Quote
Badger Burrowing Sites, Southwest, 2018

On a yearly basis Network Rail identify locations on railway lines throughout the United Kingdom where animal burrows potentially threaten the safety of the railway line. This year sixteen sites have been selected in the southwest of England as being high priority. The QTS Group were commissioned to carry out remedial works at these sites including gassing rabbits, excluding badgers, filling cavities and meshing the embankments and cutting sides where necessary.

Whitcher Wildlife Ltd were commissioned to carry out badger surveys at the sites to identify where badgers were present and to advise on the way to proceed. Where badgers are identified to be potentially affecting the safety of the railway line exclusion works will be carried out under a Natural England licence. Artificial badger setts will be constructed to replace any main badger setts which may be prior to works commencing on the sites during July 2018.

On receipt of the licences Whitcher Wildlife Ltd will advise on areas to be cleared of vegetation and meshed for the purpose of excluding the badgers. Whitcher Wildlife Ltd will then fit one-way exclusion gates to the setts to prevent the badgers from entering the setts. These gates will be monitored until the exclusion period is complete.

Upon completion of the exclusion period Whitcher Wildlife Ltd will remove the exclusion gates and supervise the grout filling of the badger setts to ensure that no cavities remain underneath the railway line and to prevent the badgers from returning.

See? We've even got specialist consultant/contractor business doing it! (QTS are Network Rail's main "devegetation" contractor, as well as doing earthworks, drainage etc.) Can anyone name one of these Southwest sites?
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