In 2022, Network Rail and ZSL’s London HogWatch and Monitoring and Technology Team began collaborating around a comprehensive programme of research and monitoring activities designed to enhance our understanding of British lineside wildlife. The habitats around railway lines in cities may provide important sites for a wide range of plants, and insects and potentially are important corridors for a range of mammal species, including hedgehogs.

In Phase 1 of the collaboration, which was completed in March 2023, ZSL developed and trialled innovative technologies for monitoring lineside biodiversity efficiently and at a safe distance. Phase 2 commenced in April 2023 to investigate the effect of lineside habitat on British wildlife in rural and urban environments, trialling methods for small mammal monitoring on lineside environments, novel technologies for remote monitoring of dormouse nest boxes and scoping methods and technologies for landscape-scale monitoring of biodiversity across British Rail network.

We deployed a total of 111 camera traps and 80 passive acoustic sensors, collecting over 200,000 images during 1,667 camera-trap days, and 3,700 hours of acoustic data. Thus far we have seen evidence of the use of these sites by a range of species including hedgehogs, badgers, and foxes. This project was nominated for Best Practice Innovation Award by CIEEM (Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management) and was highly recommended.

In 2024/25, we continued our collaboration with Network Rail and the Monitoring and Technology team within ZSL. The focus of this phase of the project was supporting and advising on methodology to monitor biodiversity net gain targets and help inform better land-use practices for conservation and biodiversity.