East West Rail commits to 10% net biodiversity gain target

Announced this week, the East West Railway Company (EWR Co) has set a target of 10% biodiversity net gain across a new rail link being built in the UK.

Known as the East West Rail project, which is the new rail link connecting East Anglia with Central, Southern and Western England, 20 Ecological Compensation Sites (ECSs), along the length of the route from Bicester to Bletchley, have been created to protect and reduce the impact of the project on various species and habitats.

A number of the ECSs created by EWRA have been transformed from low diversity, arable land into purpose-built wildlife havens, designed to benefit invertebrates, butterflied, birds, bats, reptiles and amphibians, otters and badgers.

Following this, EWR Co is now looking to continue the environmental work along their new project. The company committed to the 10% target in its latest proposals published in May.

EWRA Director, Mark Cuzner, said: ‘Reducing the project’s environmental impact has been a crucial factor in designing and building the East West Rail, which is why we have been working closely with ecologists, engineering designers, and construction teams to preserve or improve habitats at every opportunity.

‘We are delighted that our ECSs are proving to be a huge success and there are management plans in place for all of them to ensure they continue to flourish for many years to come.’

After the project is completed, the ECSs will be returned to their third-party landowners or to Network Rail, who will become the maintainers of these sites for years to come.

The ECSs – which incorporate 45 ponds, badger setts, a bat house, more than 70 bat boxes and the planting of more than 150,000 plants and trees – benefit some especially important species and habitats associated with the East West Rail project.

These include black poplar trees – the most endangered native timber tree in Britain – the rare black hairstreak butterfly, and barbastelle bats – one of the rarest species of mammals in the UK, listed as Near Threatened on the global IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

In addition to this news, the government have just announced over £10m has been confirmed to protect vital transport services in Greater Manchester, including trams and trains in the city. 

Image: Coralie Meurice