Bath has to get used to seeing its once green-covered railway embankments stripped of vegetation.
It’s part of the price that has to be paid for electrification of the Great Western line between London and Bristol.
The wire mesh has been laid to stop rabbits burrowing. Too big a warren could mean a collapse of the track above and a possible train derailment.
Low lying vegetation will grow through and cover the mesh mesh l am told. Hopefully, no rabbits left in old burrows.
For ‘rabbits’ I think you can safely read ‘badgers’ – but they’re a protected species so it’s tricker. There used to be a huge sett right by the bridge at pulteney road – so big you could see it with the naked eye – and it was months before Network Rail got around to doing anything – presumably because of legal issues. I’m not criticising NR for doing this – it must be done – but I happen to know there are a lot of badgers along the line into Bath.