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A miniature railway crossing is being built for endangered hazel dormice in Lancashire
The miniature railway will encourage dormice to find food, look for a new mate or to find better nesting sites
Network Rail engineers are in the process of building a tiny railway crossing especially for endangered hazel dormice.
In a bid to combat the decline of the hazel dormice population, which is estimated to have dropped by 51% since 2000, Network Rail and wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) have teamed up to establish new dormouse populations across Lancashire.
The £40,000 conservation project involves fitting a twelve-metre long shielded tree-top structure to provide protection from predators on the side of an existing railway overbridge.
Clare Pengelly
PTES
The project also sees the construction of the ‘dormouse bridge’, a miniature railway track that will see dormice safely travel and live around the Furness Line, which is regularly used by freight trains that serve various industries on the Cumbrian Coast line.
The new mouse-sized climbing frame over tracks will connect populations and encourage them to find food, look for a new mate or find better nesting sites in the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Ecologists are also looking at how to improve the railway embankment to encourage dormice to use the new bridge to safely move from one side of the railway to the other.
Rory Kingdon, senior sponsor from Network Rail, said: “We’re delighted to be contributing £40,000 to this dormouse bridge over the Furness line to encourage the breeding of hazel dormice populations in danger of extinction, so they have a fighting chance to thrive for generations to come.
Henry Johnson
Clare Pengelly
“Network Rail is committed to improve biodiversity and protect habitats for the future. In fact, this work directly aligns to a major aim of the recent COP26 summit in Glasgow – to protect the natural environment and contribute to the conservation of nature.”
Ian White, dormouse and training officer at PTES, added: “This year dormice made a welcome return to Lancashire when we reintroduced thirty individuals to the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
“This new population has got off to an excellent start as we know at least twelve litters were born this year.”
Network Rail estimate that the ‘Dormouse Bridge’ will be completed next summer.