📋 Tender Overview
ProRail will stop using chemical herbicides. ProRail currently still uses chemical weed control on roadbeds, inspection paths and in the control of certain plant species. This is necessary to guarantee the safety of these places. This will come to an end in phases in the coming years.
Inspection paths and roadbed
It is important that the railway track and the surrounding area are safe. We do this as much as possible in a sustainable way. But this is not possible everywhere. At the moment, ProRail only uses chemical pesticides on inspection paths along the track and in the roadbed of the track.
Weed control is necessary to guarantee safety and no suitable alternative methods are yet available for the above locations. We spray these products in a very targeted way on the weeds we want to control. We do not use any chemical pesticides on the verge along the railway.
Exploring Alternatives
These chemical pesticides have been shown to have negative effects on humans and the environment. Contractors carry out the weed control for ProRail. In new contracts that we enter into, we extend the ban. In addition to water extraction and groundwater protection areas, their use on inspection paths in Natura 2000 areas is prohibited with immediate effect. From 2026, all areas of NatuurNetwerkNederland will be added. In 2028, we will stop using it along the entire railway line in the Netherlands, provided that alternatives are available.
That is why we are researching alternatives. Based on the results, we conducted trials with alternatives at seven locations in the Netherlands last year. Here we have tested two alternatives. We are seeing promising results, but not yet enough to serve as a complete alternative. This year we will continue with more extensive trials.
