The Environment
For six decades the Bluebell Railway has been serving the community
- It has always taken great efforts to identify, record and protect, wherever possible, the natural vegetation, trees and wildlife that are on its land.
- Bluebell maintains bird boxes along its line, and cares for major bat roosts in its historic tunnel.
- Bluebell takes immense care during engineering works to preserve flora and fauna, encouraging wildlife havens along the line side, and controlling the undergrowth to promote wild flowers especially the English Bluebell which is under threat in the region.
- During the Millennium Seed Bank Project organised by the National Trust at Wakehurst Place, Bluebell contributed over 120 varieties of wild flower from alongside the line including rare orchids.
The East Grinstead Extension significantly improves our environmental impact:
- Significantly increased public access created to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with few of the attendant problems of road traffic and environmental pollution.
- Greater access to National Trust properties at Standen, Wakehurst Place and Sheffield Park Gardens, with better transport options for the elderly, disabled and families with small children.
- In this way heritage education will be greatly enhanced for children outside the immediate locality, particularly those in the London and Surrey areas.
- Although steam traction burns carbon fuel, the Bluebell Railway is embracing a national initiative led by the Heritage Railway Association and examining sustainability and environmental impacts consistent with preserving its heritage image.
- Much reclaimed hardwood, recycled from scrap timber, is used in carriage restoration work.
- A whole range of materials have been recycled to build the extension, e.g. rails, sleepers, ballast, points, signalling equipment and much more.
- There is an acknowledged environmental benefit resulting from the removal of the rubbish from a "bare earth" site in the current location to a modern contained and controlled site.
For six decades the Bluebell Railway has been serving the community - Find out more about our impact on:
|
|
Don't forget to:
Donate
Volunteer
Join
|