Engineers protect wildlife while rebuilding tracks

Engineers from Network Rail who have been working on a line which closed following a landslip said they have also been protecting wildlife as they carried out the works.

The line between Dorking, in Surrey, and Horsham, in West Sussex, shut on 23 January after the track was affected by a landslip near Ockley.

The site is home to protected species, including dormice and great crested newts, many of which are hibernating.

Engineers worked with Natural England to make sure the animals were not disturbed or moved while the works were taking place.

Sophie Mairesse, a Network Rail ecologist, said: "In winter, the issue that we have is that a lot of the animals are hibernating and they find places to hide.

"They are often found in cracks in the ground, where dormice make nests, and rotten tree stumps have a lot of cavities underneath."

The animals can be susceptible in winter time when they are asleep.

The engineers were required to make thorough checks and to be "very careful" when removing animals, Network Rail said.

Any animals that had to be moved were put in a designated safe space, which also protected them from predators, such as foxes.

Works between the two stations have been completed and the line is due to reopen for trains on Monday.

Buses have replaced trains throughout the whole closure and continue to do so.

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