Closer monitoring and new technology aim to limit badger-related rail issues

ProRail announced on Thursday that it expects “almost no sudden major repairs or prolonged train disruptions caused by badgers” in the future. The rail operator says it is gradually gaining a better understanding of badger habitats and their behavior near the tracks.

ProRail attributes this to more thorough and frequent inspections, lessons learned from earlier measures, and the application of new techniques. “We are also gaining a clearer understanding of how badger burrowing affects railway safety,” the rail operator said in a statement.

Over the past few years, train services have been disrupted on multiple occasions due to badgers digging burrows beneath the tracks, which can cause track instability and sinking.

Under the new strategy, ProRail reports closer cooperation with partners, including ecologists and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). They are also using a “robot mole” to examine badger burrow networks.

“Where we once had to act quickly with large-scale interventions, we are now better able to focus on proactive and targeted measures in daily operations,” says program manager Simon Leertouwer. He adds that ProRail is now better at assessing risks, including determining “the urgency of a badger site.”

ProRail notes that, as badgers are a natural part of the environment and inhabit Dutch railway embankments, interventions will remain necessary. It will therefore not be possible to entirely prevent issues on the tracks caused by these animals.