A catchment-based approach to the mitigation of erosion problems in a railway cutting

The strategies used to mitigate complex erosion problems in a railway cutting are presented in this paper. The field trials site consists of a 650 m long cutting located in the Boundary Hill coalmine railway balloon, approximately 40 km north-east of Biloela, in Central Queensland. A catchment-based approach was adopted in the mitigation of the erosion problems at the field trials site, viewing the cutting as an integral part of a drainage system that extends beyond the railway easement. Several earth banks and catch drains were constructed to divert runoff away from the railway cutting crest. A series of rock check dams were put in the catch drains to help control flow velocity, erosion, and trap sediment. All erosion pipe inlets and outlets were excavated and filled with basalt spoil material obtained from the nearby mine. The site was well graded to prevent ponding of runoff water on the disturbed areas. The batters are being stabilised with grasses and soil ameliorants. Although it is too early to fully assess the effectiveness of the strategies employed, the field trials are successful so far. It is believed that the research outcomes from the field trials have a high potential for transfer to other erosion problem sites.