GTE operates in multiple states for a variety of clients in Australia, providing a range of services on and off track, specialising in the application of herbicides on main running lines, yards and sidings, level crossings and rail reserves. With state of the art plant and equipment, GTE provide quality service delivery to meet our clients’ needs.
Vegetation control allows the railway operators to maintain safe and efficient passage of freight and passenger trains on the network. It is very important to coordinate the control of weeds and pests in a collaborative manner with each rail network and GTE. This approach helps to prevent weeds and pests from establishing or spreading along the rail network or on to neighboring properties. If vegetation is left to grow along the rail corridor, the hazardous outcomes of this include impassable firebreaks, vermin, poor drainage, sight issues for train drivers, and even possible train derailment. Public safety at crossings is paramount, and high grasses and weeds can also cause inadvertent injury to pedestrians if bitten by animals and reptiles taking refuge in these areas, or tripping hazards.
Before we started servicing one of our current client’s corridors, we photographed some sections of track to illustrate the dangers and unsightly effect of non-management.
Weed Spray Rail Corridor
Our mainline spraying operations are time flexible, fitting in with the needs of each client, geographical location, weather conditions, corridor timetables, and other factors. It is common for our mainline spraying to occur after the last train and before the first train (ALTBFT), so that our staff can take advantage of the quieter periods on rail. We apply herbicides with our hi-rail vehicles, fully compliant and fitted out with the spray apparatus and booms capable of a very wide swathe. The types of herbicide used depend greatly on the type of treatment (residual or knockdown, or combination) and the season, weeds (and resistance levels) to be targeted in the area, weather conditions, environmental factors and previous treatments.
Specialised Equipment
GTE’s state of the art plant and equipment includes the most specialized vehicles dedicated to both on and off track weed spraying operation.
We use mainline vehicles fitted with a revolutionary rail guidance system designed and installed by TracWest. The computerized system allows accurate control of varied widths for the spray swathe. The regulated herbicide applications are controlled in cab and work effectively at swathes from 2-10 metres, and at speeds between 5-25 kms/hour.
Data Reporting
Due to the nature of the railway corridors and the timetables we need to fit in with, our operations staff often work at night (ALTBFT – after the last train and before the first train), and often in remote areas of Australia. Our reporting obligations require the details of our weed spray activities to be reported to the client within tight time-frames, and so GTE have developed specific ways to record and transfer the data to our administrative team for capture, analysis and reporting to our clients through digital technologies.
Client Networks
GTE Track Spray have an excellent relationship with their clients. In fact, GTE were originally approached by some of our larger current clients through our proven results, high standards of customer service, efficiency and quality and our demonstrated positive vegetation control results.
GTE has been the preferred supplier for vegetation control for some of our clients since 2001. GTE’s long term, whole-of-corridor approach has further developed the effectiveness of our weed control results for those clients who have opted for this level of treatment plan.
