It is a very huge menace when shrubs and trees grow in places where they are unwelcome especially when their presence in such places curtails a certain right or enjoyment. There is no denying that vegetation is a very important part of our environment but everything as we know it has a limit. This is especially true for the rail industry which is faced with the task of wiping out plants and keeping them a safe distance away from rail lines for safety reasons. Centuries later, the struggle continues and people find it necessary to carry out railroad brush cutting.
The approach that the rail industry has taken so far to curb the menace is three-fold, that is, the spraying weeds and cutting along track approach; to cut and maintain brush off track approach; and the managing vegetation at grade crossings approach. All of these approaches are not very effective unless railroad brush cutting is done alongside these methods.
Some weeds like koshia and the Russian thistle are herbicide resistant and this is just a tip of the iceberg of the challenges that this industry is faced with. Years and years of use of the same herbicide has rendered these herbs resistant therefore making it impossible to do away with them by singularly spraying them. This situation has been made worse by the fact that there is a very limited variety of herbicide to choose from since they are mainly manufactured for agricultural purposes and therefore it is very difficult to rotate or change the types of herbicide used so that the herbs do not become resistant.
The fact that herbicide use has been banned in several countries around the world cannot make the situation any tougher. There is a lot of advocacy for environmental conversation and this does not go down well with the weed-spraying method of eradication. Reports have been made in the past of habitats being destroyed due to the use of herbicides especially along rivers and swamps since even good vegetation and trees may be destroyed in some cases.
Railroad cutting is a very effective and efficient method because some on-track cutters can cut on both sides of the rail. This is very effective in time saving since double the work is done in one trip as compared to the tedious and time-consuming process of spraying herbicides from section to section, for example.
The machine is also uncomplicated and quite very easy to operate ones someone gets the gist of it. It does not require any form of special training to get how it works and hence any Tom, Dick or Harry can take the wheel. This is aided by the fact that it is much lighter than usual locomotives and does not need locomotives to move about.
A lot of money has been spent by governments on the rail industry in a bid to remove vegetation along the railroads but still a permanent solution is elusive. This has made millions of dollars to be flushed down the drain year after year. One of the major causes why the process is so expensive is fuel. The good news is that the railroad brush cutter uses very minimal fuel unlike other locomotives and therefore a whole lot of money is to be saved if this approach is to be adopted.
Therefore, on a balance of scales the benefits of railroad brush cutting far outweigh the setbacks since it is a very cost effective and time saving method, it offers long-term remedy and it is environmentally friendly.
The approach that the rail industry has taken so far to curb the menace is three-fold, that is, the spraying weeds and cutting along track approach; to cut and maintain brush off track approach; and the managing vegetation at grade crossings approach. All of these approaches are not very effective unless railroad brush cutting is done alongside these methods.
Some weeds like koshia and the Russian thistle are herbicide resistant and this is just a tip of the iceberg of the challenges that this industry is faced with. Years and years of use of the same herbicide has rendered these herbs resistant therefore making it impossible to do away with them by singularly spraying them. This situation has been made worse by the fact that there is a very limited variety of herbicide to choose from since they are mainly manufactured for agricultural purposes and therefore it is very difficult to rotate or change the types of herbicide used so that the herbs do not become resistant.
The fact that herbicide use has been banned in several countries around the world cannot make the situation any tougher. There is a lot of advocacy for environmental conversation and this does not go down well with the weed-spraying method of eradication. Reports have been made in the past of habitats being destroyed due to the use of herbicides especially along rivers and swamps since even good vegetation and trees may be destroyed in some cases.
Railroad cutting is a very effective and efficient method because some on-track cutters can cut on both sides of the rail. This is very effective in time saving since double the work is done in one trip as compared to the tedious and time-consuming process of spraying herbicides from section to section, for example.
The machine is also uncomplicated and quite very easy to operate ones someone gets the gist of it. It does not require any form of special training to get how it works and hence any Tom, Dick or Harry can take the wheel. This is aided by the fact that it is much lighter than usual locomotives and does not need locomotives to move about.
A lot of money has been spent by governments on the rail industry in a bid to remove vegetation along the railroads but still a permanent solution is elusive. This has made millions of dollars to be flushed down the drain year after year. One of the major causes why the process is so expensive is fuel. The good news is that the railroad brush cutter uses very minimal fuel unlike other locomotives and therefore a whole lot of money is to be saved if this approach is to be adopted.
Therefore, on a balance of scales the benefits of railroad brush cutting far outweigh the setbacks since it is a very cost effective and time saving method, it offers long-term remedy and it is environmentally friendly.
No comments:
Post a Comment