NOS News•
ProRail is allowed to expel the badgers under the track at Esch. Last night, the rail manager received an exemption from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). Because badgers are a protected species, they cannot simply be expelled.
“We can let the badgers leave the track with measures,” says ProRail. The work may only take place during the day, because badgers are nocturnal animals.
Due to the badger sett under the railway, no trains have been running between Den Bosch and Boxtel since Tuesday.
Check valves
ProRail already started preparations yesterday. The railway embankment has been mowed to make the site less attractive to badgers and check valves have been installed at the ends of the corridors of the badger sett. This gives the badger the opportunity to safely leave the burrow overnight, but the non-return valves prevent it from returning to it.
This morning, at first daylight, the excavation of the badger sett will begin. Excavators carefully dig in from the outside of the embankment. If badgers are still found in the castle, they will be anesthetized and collected. This is done under the supervision of a veterinarian and an ecologist.
Fill holes with sand
As soon as it is certain that there are no more badgers under the track, the holes are filled with sand and then the hole dug in the embankment is closed again. Anti-digging mesh is also being installed to prevent badgers from digging into the railway embankment in the future.
If all goes well, ProRail expects trains to run again by the end of next week.
Kunstbrucht in Molkwerum
Badgers have also caused damage to the track at the Frisian Molkwerum, causing train traffic to be halted. The repair work there will take longer than in Esch.
Here, too, anti-digging mesh is applied as a first deterrent measure. Then the non-return valves follow. The badgers then get a week of ‘rest’ and thus time to independently go to the newly constructed artificial castle.
On 3 April, ProRail will start excavating the railway embankment. If everything goes according to plan, trains can start running again between Leeuwarden and Stavoren on Monday 24 April.
