AS excuses go, it's up there with the wrong type of snow for explaining why the trains are running late.

But stressed commuters can rest easy that there is unlikely to be a delay because of badgers on the line in Scotland.

The Herald: Camley's cartoon: Network Rail's battle to save badgersCamley's cartoon: Network Rail's battle to save badgers

Network Rail has revealed that it has worked at dozens of sites in the past year to ensure that the furry mammals and the nation's railways do not cross paths.

Though rarely seen, badgers are commonly found along the railway network and create homes in embankments and many other areas of railway land.

But such close proximity to the network means that there are occasions when routine operations, maintenance, or enhancement activities impact on their territories and affect them in a number of ways - including destruction of setts and feeding grounds, and general disturbance by noise and light during the hours when the nocturnal animals are active.

The Herald:

A badger sett in Blantyre. Pic: Network Rail. 

Investigations have been carried out, habitats identified and decisions taken to ensure that machinery is kept well away from badgers dens - or setts.

James Morrison, a Network Rail ecologist on the Scotland route said: "We always consider wildlife and the environment ahead of major projects so we can approach the work in a way that minimises any environmental impact and helps avoid risk and delay for the project overall.

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"Providing simple environmental information enables us to design the railway and deliver projects in a way that considers wildlife already living around it.

"This saves a lot of time and money and means that any impacted wildlife or habitats can be avoided and, in this case, badgers can keep their homes."

During 2019, Network Rail’s ecologists worked under licence at more than 50 locations across Scotland to protect the iconic animal from the railway.

Badgers have long been persecuted in Britain, and were regarded as a pest in the past. Methods to deal with them once included the practice of badger baiting - which involves the burrowing creatures being dug out of their setts and mauled by dogs.

They are secretive and largely stay out of the way of people, although as their habitat comes under threat there have been increasing occasions where they have been encountered out of the wild.

The Herald:

A man-made sett

Two years ago, a marauding badger, described as 'very angry', forced staff to close the 500-year-old Craignethan Castle, near Lesmahagow, after getting into a cellar.

The animal left on its own accord after attempts to lure it out with food failed.

And in 2017 a homeowner in Beecraigs Country Park in Linlithgow, was given a shock when one of the wild animal  sneaked through a catflap and was caught having a nap on a cat bed.

On this occasion the creature was rescued by a member of the Scottish RSPCA, who said it had eaten all the cat food in a nearby dish before taking a nap.

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They are now a legally protected species, and the role of Network rail's ecologists is to ensure that any negative impacts of railway work are avoided or mitigated.

Instances where the interests of badgers and rail bosses came into conflict include platform works, the installation of masts for overhead wires, and other civil engineering work.

To avoid bothering the creatures, Network Rail carries out environmental survey to identify the presence of any protected habitats and species at a very early stage in the project. This information is used to help avoid any potential delays to essential upgrade works as well additional costs that come with it.

Knowledge gathered in the surveys are then used by designers to avoid siting equipment in areas which would affect the badger setts, meaning that badgers can continue to live alongside the railway and stay in their homes. It also saves time and money for those delivering the project.

The Herald:

However, if it is impossible avoid disturbing the animals, as a last resort ecologists will move them to a spot where they will not be affected by the work.

This can be a long process, which involves getting a licence and building new setts, potentially causing significant delays to upgrade work and additional costs.

This has led to other more innovative solutions being developed, including ‘training’ badgers to avoid certain ‘satellite’ setts and taking different paths to and from their main sett to avoid coming into contact with the railway.

Sites are also fenced off and gates are installed on existing paths and baited with peanuts or fruit to encourage the badger to use safe routes to get to and from their forage sites without harm.

Mr Morrison added: “It is part of Network Rail’s considerate approach to the protecting its lineside and to supporting wildlife and habitats on and around our infrastructure and another example of how we have and will continue to promote biodiversity and the wider environment through our work.”