Working close to railway

[Con]

I've been to look at a job. 

The client's garden backs on to a railway line. The client has a row of beech which was once a hedge to reduce. Behind the beech is their fence, 30 ft of embankment and then the tracks.

I am confident I can deal with the job from the clients garden. 

Do I need to inform/ get permission to carry out the work. The line is low speed diesel trains (not electrfied)

Thanks

[rapalaman]

I’d guess it will depend on the size? Someone much more qualified than me will be along soon to advise!

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Con said:

I've been to look at a job. 

The client's garden backs on to a railway line. The client has a row of beech which was once a hedge to reduce. Behind the beech is their fence, 30 ft of embankment and then the tracks.

I am confident I can deal with the job from the clients garden. 

Do I need to inform/ get permission to carry out the work. The line is low speed diesel trains (not electrfied)

Thanks

I'm no longer qualified, and never was to write a safe system of work on the railway, but if it's 3metres from the line it is not on or near the track, so the work doesn't require railway qualified people. Are any parts of the trees over network rail land? If not then  the normal RAMS  can cover the risks (which would include not felling trees within 2 tree lengths of the line). If any access onto NR land is required then the offtrack manager will need to be informed and then things get complicated because he will want to impose all sorts of conditions to cover their arses which tends to make life expensive.

 

Bear in mind the high cost "safety" culture at NR has reduced accidents many fold but these accidents were almost exclusively  to rail workers being struck by trains, mostly at night, but the safety costs are applied to any work on NR land and this resulted in the few arb firms that embraced the paperwork enjoying a false monopoly which made a few people very rich.

 

I couldn't possibly comment on what I would do in this situation.

[htb]

6 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

I couldn't possibly comment on what I would do in this situation.

Buy a local timetable and aim for the gaps.

[Con]

7 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

I'm no longer qualified, and never was to write a safe system of work on the railway, but if it's 3metres from the line it is not on or near the track, so the work doesn't require railway qualified people. Are any parts of the trees over network rail land? If not then  the normal RAMS  can cover the risks (which would include not felling trees within 2 tree lengths of the line). If any access onto NR land is required then the offtrack manager will need to be informed and then things get complicated because he will want to impose all sorts of conditions to cover their arses which tends to make life expensive.

 

Bear in mind the high cost "safety" culture at NR has reduced accidents many fold but these accidents were almost exclusively  to rail workers being struck by trains, mostly at night, but the safety costs are applied to any work on NR land and this resulted in the few arb firms that embraced the paperwork enjoying a false monopoly which made a few people very rich.

 

I couldn't possibly comment on what I would do in this situation.

Thanks. I appreciate it's impossible for anyone to give me an exact course of action.  But you've pretty much answered my question in that I was looking for procedures, protocols etc. 

Regarding the trees, were they to be felled they would reach the track  but it's not a fell, just reduction. 

Also forgot to mention, the clients had rail network out in the hopes that they would do the work. They said no, as they weren't there's and they posed no interference to them

[Con]

8 minutes ago, htb said:

Buy a local timetable and aim for the gaps.

If they ever ran on time I would?

[jfc]

I have tried to do a job overhanging rail lines. I have emailed and left messages with the office in Glasgow that deal with Scottish NR issues. They have never replied so I gave up. I didn't really want the job in the first place so am relieved not to have to jump through NR hoops, as it sounds a nightmare. Just bear in mind that if anything does go wrong NR have lots of lawyers to sue your ass and probably make you bankrupt! All the best, jan.

[htb]

Just now, Con said:

If they ever ran on time I would?

If they ever ran

[Con]

4 minutes ago, htb said:

If they ever ran

Good thinking. Pick a strike day!

Shouldn't have to wait too long 

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Vote Labour, you’ll have all the time in the world to do the work - and then have an end of work BBQ & PU on the tracks ?