Network Rail has, reportedly, used drones to plan and carry out an unadvertised 'culling' of trees along its tracks (https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/apr/29/millions-of-trees-at-risk-in-secretive-network-rail-felling-programme). The claimed concern of NR is the possibility of leaves from oak, beech and sycamore et cetera falling on to the rails and delaying journey times. This is a very considerable destruction of animal habitats and food supplies (the actual area of land involved is substantial) and, perhaps, should have been discussed more openly before the activity was undertaken. This exercise might well also influence the lives of people with housing near the tracks (visual and sound protections being removed) and might well also increase the likelihood of land-slides in some locations. One should add the obvious observations that rail lines are long and thin and traffic on them is much less than on the roads. Edge effects (where habitats meet) greatly increase biodiversity and vehicles kill many animals. Consequently, removing trees along these routes will have a substantial effect.
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