OLIVER PAIPOONGE – Spring is right around the corner. As new life begins to blossom, CN advises the Municipality of Oliver Paipoonge that they will start spraying right-of-way sections to ensure that vegetation doesn’t compromise the rails.
CN uses chemical control techniques on the ballast section and specific locations of the rights-of-way throughout the network for safety reasons. The ballast section typically ranges from 16-24 feet which are primarily gravel and supports the track structure. The right-of-way portions are outside the ballast section to the CN property boundary. When applying chemicals via spray, train or truck, surfacing additives make the chemical work better.
The reasoning behind the chemical spraying of vegetation is for public safety. If not appropriately managed, trees, brush, or other vegetation can severely compromise rail, leading to motor vehicle collisions.
In her program notice, Luanne Patterson, environmental assessment and senior system manager, states that “Vegetation can impede the view motorists have of oncoming trains and increase the risk of crossing accidents. Moreover, unwanted vegetation can damage the integrity of the railbed, interfere with signals and switches, contribute to trackside fires, compromise employee and citizens’ safety, and reduce visibility for train crews at road crossings/train control signals and trackside warning devices.”
CN has control methods when spraying to ensure that the public won’t come in contact with the chemicals. Application in these safety-critical areas is done by spray trucks or spray trains with downcast nozzles that spray a short distance above the ground surface with shrouded booms specially designed to limit the chemicals from drifting. The right-of-way section is maintained using mechanical control methods such as mowing or brush cutting and may be chemically treated to control noxious or invasive weeds or brush.
If your community has any noxious weed removal requests, CN is asking that you contact CN's Public Inquiry Line at [email protected] or fill out the form at www.cn.ca/vegetation before June 1 with specific information and location.
CN will make every effort to include those locations as part of our 2022 Vegetation Management Program. All notices sent after the above data will be included in the 2023 Vegetation Management Plan.
