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16 THE DAVEY BULLETIN | May/June 2021 The safety of every Canadian citizen who crosses a Canadian Pacific Railway track in a vehicle is the focus of an ongoing, collaborative effort among The Davey Tree Expert Company of Canada, Limited, Rail, Residential and Canada Davey Resource Group (DRG) operations. Davey Canada employees are working together to help client CP Rail as part of a coast-to-coast effort to improve the safety of railroad crossings by increasing sightlines for both trains and vehicles as they approach the crossings. In 2014, Transport Canada, the country's transportation governing body, issued a multitude of new regulations related to reducing accidents at all railroad crossings. One component of those new requirements included maintenance of sightlines within the land on which the road is situated and over land in the vicinity of the grade crossing. In many cases, this work necessitates pruning or removal of trees and vegetation along CP Rail tracks. Greg McRae, manager, Davey Canada Rail division, said Davey is responsible for 8,600 crossings across 7,000 miles of track as CP Rail's primary rail clearance contractor for all mechanical and herbicide vegetation management. MISSION "We're managing this work with a variety of equipment all across Canada in all types of terrain and weather," McRae said. "We're in year three of the work, and it's likely going to span into a fourth year." Mechanical vegetation management consists of crews pruning and clearing trees within the railroad right-of-way using bucket trucks, excavator-type grappling equipment and other vehicles specially equipped to traverse the tracks. Mechanical vegetation management is supported by Canada Residential offices through reallocation of available personnel and equipment resources. The rail division has its own specific equipment and personnel, but when Residential offices provide support the employee count on the project can grow to between 40 to 60, McRae said. "We're working with our client on a daily basis to improve efficiency and tackle challenges related to completing an initiative of this size," he said. That mechanical vegetation management typically occurs from January to April and then September through December. Mechanical work pauses from May through August to avoid disrupting nesting, migratory birds. In summer months, work shifts to herbicide vegetation management via the rail division's specially outfitted spray train and its crew. Canada DRG provides a host of services to assist the mechanical vegetation management. In mid-February, a polar vortex sunk temperatures to -40 degrees Celsius, before the wind chill is factored in, across the Canadian prairie region. The temperatures were so cold bucket trucks and other equipment could not work because hydraulic fluid could not function properly. The arctic temperatures did not stop Canada DRG crews from continuing their survey work for Canadian Pacific Railway vegetation management. "DRG's planning work was essential for the following operational vegetation crews to commence work. For this project we worked in pairs and were outfitted appropriately to remain safe while working in the extreme conditions," said Dylan Glazer, manager, Canada DRG. This crew was working near Banff, Alberta. Davey Canada's Rail division uses a variety of equipment for vegetation management for CP Rail. SAFER RAIL CROSSINGS GET 'ONEDAVEY' TREATMENT IN CANADA