As anyone with a garden will tell you, a patch of ground cannot be left untended for long before weeds, grasses, and other invasive plants pop up. CP has thousands of miles of track, property around our rails, and right-of-way to tend.

Fending off and responsibly managing trackside vegetation in all kinds of terrain and climates is a difficult task for CP ground crews. Especially in environmentally sensitive areas adjacent to bodies of water, urban and rural areas, and areas where agricultural activity is present.

To ensure our operations run safely, CP has developed an Integrated Vegetation Management Plan that investigates new and better technologies to use along our tracks.

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?

You might ask why anyone should care if weeds or grasses grow between the tracks. The answer is safety.

CP pays close attention to this because the vegetation growing around our tracks can impact the integrity of our roadbed.

Ballast provides an ideal bed for grasses and plants to root. Ballast is designed to drain water away from the track. As a result, vegetation will root within the ballast or near it. The vegetation grows, it blocks the ability of the ballast to effectively drain water, which in turn impacts our track structure and the integrity of the roadbed.

Similarly, those plants and trees growing alongside the track, in ditches and culverts, must also be watched. Their presence can pool water in a location, which can lead to damage of the roadbed.

In dry conditions, weeds and grasses can be a factor in creating potential fire hazards. Larger plants and other growth (such as trees and shrubs) along the right-of-way must be constantly watched to ensure they do not block or interfere with sightlines for railway signalling, signage, structures, or other apparatus.

Advanced vegetation control technology is enabling Canadian Pacific to manage these issues across our network. Several new technologies and practices that are helping us stay on top of unwanted weeds are the Chlorovision, EcoBlade, and Cut and Stump Treatment.

CHLOROVISION

Chlorovision is a camera-based system that can detect the presence of unwanted vegetation growing in the ballast. The track structure is divided into a nine-zone grid. Wherever the Chlorovision detects weed presence, the system will spray herbicide within that specific zone. The Chlorovision system helps CP to be more efficient with resources as well as ensuring the impact of herbicides use is reduced through pinpoint spraying as opposed to blanket-spraying an area.

ECOBLADE

Introduced in 2010, the EcoBlade is a device that allows for quick, effective, weed control with one-pass mowing and brush cutting. It is used adjacent to the track to manage right-of-way brush and tall weeds. Applying a herbicide to freshly cut surfaces is the most impactful way to prevent regrowth of woody and tall broad leafed species, which can potentially threaten the safety of our people and operation.

CUT AND STUMP TREATMENT

Cut and Stump Treatment is one of the most hands-on tactics CP uses to control unwanted vegetation along its tracks. In this process, an employee will cut down woody growth, and then spray the fresh stumps with a backpack herbicide sprayer to stop it from growing back. We were the first railway to widely use this approach, and we continue to use it in areas where mowing machines are not practical.

In addition to these methods, CP employees also mow and trim vegetation by hand.

This Canadian Pacific Magazine article is copyright 2013 by the Canadian Pacific Railway and is reprinted here with their permission. All logos, and trademarks are the property of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company.

Vancouver Island
British Columbia
Canada