ProRail is busy on Saturday removing badger burrows under the tracks at Geffen and Berghem. The animal once again ensures that train traffic in part of the province comes to a standstill for a week. Travelers are taking the extra travel time for granted this weekend. “But during the week it’s far from ideal.”
Next week, ProRail will be busy with all kinds of work on the track, which means that no trains will run between Den Bosch and Nijmegen. For example, roof plates at Oss station are being replaced and a railway bridge at Ravenstein is being tackled, but the railway management is mainly busy removing badgers’ burrows.
“Art castle in compensation.”
In Berghem, preparations were made on Saturday to remove the badger setts. “We installed flaps that allowed the badgers to leave the burrow for the last few days, but not back in. To compensate, we installed an artificial burrow,” says ecologist Erwin Vinke.
ProRail used wildlife cameras to monitor whether there were any badgers. “We haven’t seen them for the last few days. We are now excavating the corridors layer by layer and cameras are going in with it. If we see a badger, we stop and continue the next day to give them a chance to leave,” says Yorick Valk of ProRail.
“It was really not safe in Esch.”
In total, the thirteen pipes found under the railway at Geffen and Berghem will be closed and reinforced. At the end of March there were about twenty-five in Esch. “There was a risk of collapse due to the many empty spaces and the weight of the train. That was really not safe for travelers. Here we are already including the badger setts with the rest of the work.”
This causes some delays, but most travelers at Oss station are aware of this. “There was a sign at the station with an announcement,” says a boy on his way to his parents. “There’s nothing you can do about it. Normally it takes me half an hour to travel and now it takes an hour and three quarters. It makes a difference that it is the weekend because during the week it is far from ideal.”
“Already the fourth bus I’m wrong about.”
Traveler Marjon from Oss is hurriedly looking for the right bus. She doesn’t mind the delay, but finding the right bus isn’t really going to work yet. “This is already the fourth bus I’m wrong on,” she laughs when the bus driver tells her not to go in her direction.
“Luckily I always leave on time. The delays are a pity, but leaving earlier is not a problem, certainly not at the weekend.” Traveler Luuk is happy that he took a look at his travel planner this morning. “At first I did not know that I would be delayed. Fortunately, it is only fifteen minutes away.”
ProRail expects the work to last until Monday 8 May.