Railways: Nature Conservation

It is not possible to confirm the number of protected species licences issued to Network Rail and its contractors over the last five years.

Network Rail has not made specific estimates of the cost or additional time to rail infrastructure projects arising from protected species licensing requirements. For Network Rail, such activities are embedded within wider project development, environmental mitigation and vegetation management processes, rather than recorded as discrete cost categories.

Licensing and survey requirements can influence project scheduling, particularly where seasonal survey constraints apply or where mitigation measures are required before works may proceed. However, the scale of any impacts on cost or programme varies significantly depending on the nature, location and timing of individual projects, and has not been quantified centrally. Effective project planning supports with limiting the impact of these requirements on project delivery.

As set out in Minister Mather’s reply to question UIN 5045 (2026–27), in response to Will Forster MP, where works may affect protected species, Network Rail seeks to carry out activities in a way that avoids the need for a licence wherever possible. Where non‑licensable approaches are not feasible, Network Rail or its appointed contractors will apply for the appropriate licence.

Network Rail does not record information on the time taken for projects to receive licences from statutory bodies. Bodies such as Natural England and Natural Resource Wales publish their own data on time taken to issue licences.