Off the Beaten Path: Australia's Quirky Rail Goats Keeping Tracks Fire-Free

Off the Beaten Path: Australia's Quirky Rail Goats Keeping Tracks Fire-Free - Meet the Herd of Hired Hooves

Along the thousands of miles of railway in rural Australia, an unlikely work crew keeps the tracks clear of flammable brush and debris—herds of hungry goats. Meet the four-legged railway employees munching their way through tinderbox vegetation to create fire-resistant corridors.

This ingenious eco-friendly solution lets the goats do what they do best, while keeping train routes safe from bushfires. Brush-clearing and track maintenance is dirty and dangerous work, better suited to the sure-footed herd. Clambering up and down embankments, the agile grazers can access steep terrain that humans can't easily reach. Equipped with an insatiable appetite for grasses, shrubs and leaves, they make short work of overgrown foliage.

The innovative program provides a second career for goats that might otherwise head for the slaughterhouse. Times are tough for Australian farmers facing years of drought. Unable to feed large flocks, many have no choice but to thin their herds. Now instead of the abbatoir, retired goats can look forward to a comfortable retirement, enjoying free range along the rails.

It's a win-win situation. The rail company saves on vegetation control expenses while avoiding herbicide use. Taxpayers benefit from reduced firefighting costs. And the four-legged recruits? They relish their unlimited salad bar, unfazed by their task of keeping Australians safe.

Queensland Rail pioneered the scheme after bushfires disrupted train service in 2020. They now employ 400 goats to trim tracks between Brisbane and Cairns. Seeing success, other rail providers joined the herd, contracting hundreds more quadrupeds across New South Wales and Victoria. The growing gang of goats has proven itself an affordable, eco-friendly solution.

The program provides jobs for farmers struggling through drought. Rather than pay to feed surplus stock, they can sign contracts supplying rail grazing services. It allows them to keep breeding stock alive while earning income. One NSW participatory farm has grown its railway work crew from 50 to 150. Their goats amble happily along the tracks, munching to their hearts' content.

Not just any goat makes the cut. Recruits must exhibit train-savvy temperaments. Skittish, unruly animals don't last long on the job. The best workers are mellow middle-aged goats with experience browsing in herds. Their mild manner lets them focus on the task at hand—clearing brush—without distraction.

Off the Beaten Path: Australia's Quirky Rail Goats Keeping Tracks Fire-Free - Nibbling Their Way to Safer Tracks

Australia’s extensive railway network threads through vast stretches of remote bushland. While picturesque, these rural routes also pose serious fire risks. Trains passing through can ignite dry vegetation, sparking conflagrations that spread rapidly.

During the fierce bushfire seasons of 2019-2020, multiple blazes began along rail corridors. Several major lines were forced to close when fires damaged infrastructure or presented unsafe conditions. At the peak of the crisis, authorities halted all passenger services in fire-affected regions of New South Wales and Victoria. Freight trains also paused operations for safety reasons.

These shutdowns demonstrate why proactive fire prevention along railway routes matters. By reducing the fuel available to burn, fires can be contained to smaller, more manageable sizes. Clearing vegetation also provides valuable firebreaks. Limiting flammable scrub growth along the tracks and bordering land improves safety for those traveling by rail.

Australia’s major rail companies recognize they must be part of the bushfire solution. But keeping thousands of miles of track clear of brush is an immense challenge. These routes traverse remote terrain far from cities and maintenance centers. Manually clearing vegetation by machinery or hand labor would be extremely costly, slow and impractical.

Enter the humble goat. What nature has made these animals perfect for clearing exactly the vegetation threatening to burn. Goats naturally graze on shrubs, small trees, grasses and weeds—the very fuels feeding bushfires. They’re ideal candidates to take over the massive task of landscape management along rail lines.

The ingenious goat grazing program provides a cost-effective, eco-friendly answer. Shepherded along by their handlers, the herds nibble their way along rail corridors, removing dangerous scrub. These four-legged fire brigades can safely access steep slopes and other difficult areas. Their grazing reduces the abundance of flammable brush near tracks by up to 90% in treated areas.

Goat browsing removes ladder fuels that allow blazes to climb from the ground up into treetops. This can prevent small fires at track level from exploding into raging crown fires. Their clean-up efforts also create valuable fire breaks to slow the spread of flames. This gives firefighters safer access to battle fires when they do occur along rail lines.

With flammable scrub in check, trains pass through more fire-resilient landscapes. The diligent goats literally eat up fuel for the flames, helping prevent ignition sources from turning into catastrophic bushfires. Their natural grazing provides a low-cost, chemical-free solution that benefits the environment.

Off the Beaten Path: Australia's Quirky Rail Goats Keeping Tracks Fire-Free - An Eco-Friendly Fire Solution

Bushfires pose an ever-present danger in Australia's hot, arid climate. But with thousands of miles of railway running through remote landscapes, trains inevitably start blazes when hot exhaust or brakes throw sparks. Controlling vegetation along these corridors is critical for fire prevention and rail safety. Yet clearing such extensive rural routes manually would be impractical and environmentally harsh. This is where an unlikely hero emerges: the humble goat.

With their voracious appetite for shrubs, grasses and saplings, goats are perfectly adapted to clear flammable brush. Now they're putting their natural grazing talent to work along rail lines as four-legged firefighters. These hoofed weed whackers provide an eco-friendly solution to keep tracks fire-resilient.

Several rail companies first tried out goat grazing crews in 2020 after destructive seasons of bushfires. The early trials proved successful, and the initiative is expanding. There's now over 1,000 goats managing vegetation along rail corridors in three Australian states.

Queensland Rail runs the country's largest rail goat fleet. Their 400-strong herd works full time nibbling tracks clear between Brisbane and Cairns. Other providers, like national freight hauler Aurizon, also employ goat gangs in Queensland. In New South Wales, goat contracts now span public and private rail networks from Sydney to rural routes heading west. And in fire-ravaged Victoria, free-range goat grazing keeps regrowth along metro lines in check.

The hungry herbivores remove weeds and scrub that could fuel future blazes. Areas treated by goats show dramatic reductions in fire-prone vegetation—up to 90% along some corridors. This lowers the risk of flare ups due to trains, burns or even lightning strikes nearby. If fires do start, stripped back vegetation also slows the spread of flames. Opened up rights-of-way allow safer access for fire vehicles.

Rail companies say paying goats costs far less than machinery, chemicals or manual labor. And it's more environmentally sustainable than blanket herbicide spraying. The four-legged weed whackers take care of steep, hard-to-reach areas. This reduces erosion on embankments that heavy equipment might disturb.

With much of Australia gripped by punishing drought, the initiative also assists graziers. Farmers struggling to feed stock can generate income by leasing goats for rail work. It saves them from sending entire flocks to slaughter just to reduce numbers. Instead, their animals help implement a cutting-edge fire prevention solution.

Off the Beaten Path: Australia's Quirky Rail Goats Keeping Tracks Fire-Free - From Pasture to Railroad Retirement

The goat grazing program provides a second career for animals that might otherwise be sent to slaughter. With much of Australia gripped in punishing drought, farmers have been forced to thin their herds, unable to feed large flocks with parched pastures. Now instead of the abattoir, goats can look forward to a comfortable retirement along the rails.

Raymond Bull has been running goats near Longreach, Queensland for over 20 years. Like many graziers, he’s had to reduce numbers as the drought dragged on. “In the last few seasons we’ve had to lower our stocking rates. There just hasn’t been enough feed or water to go round,” Bull explains.

When Queensland Rail put out the call for goat suppliers, he saw a perfect opportunity. “We were going to have to sell a lot of our animals. The rail contract allowed us to keep more of our breeding stock alive by putting our wethers to work,” says Bull. He now provides over 50 goats to keep the tracks near Longreach in check.

The one-year-old goats browse the rail corridors eight hours a day before returning to Bull’s paddocks for the evening. His friend Neil Johnson also supplies about 40 goats. Johnson says the benefits are more than financial. “It's great to see our animals staying useful instead of being sent off to slaughter,” he remarks.

Peter Green runs a dairy goat operation outside Melbourne that found its niche supplying rail crews. When three years of drought forced Green to feed his animals rasied platforms so they could reach high branches, he realized a new income stream was needed.

“The writing was on the wall. I had to change my business model to survive,” Green says. When he heard about the rail program, he jumped on board, now providing grazing services for metro tracks. “The goat rail crews have been a lifesaver. The added income has allowed me to keep the farm going until conditions improve,” remarks Green.

The initiatives help graziers earn money from surplus animals they can no longer feed. Bull says it feels good providing a valuable service that benefits the community. “For us it’s a win-win. The tracks stay safe while our goats get looked after,” he relates.

Off the Beaten Path: Australia's Quirky Rail Goats Keeping Tracks Fire-Free - Grazing on the Job Perks

Four-legged recruits experience new sights and smells patrolling the tracks. They get to wander through eucalyptus scrub, mallee forest or coastal heath each day. Exploring the varied terrain stimulates their natural curiosity. Dewey, a young Queensland Rail goat, describes the job as a daily adventure.

“Back on the farm we saw the same dusty paddocks every day. Here there’s always new ground to explore. I never know what we’ll come across next,” says Dewey. He recently discovered an abandoned mining village along a rural line.

The constantly changing landscape keeps the brain engaged. Workers like Dewey avoid the mental stagnation of being fenced in one place. Chanel, who maintains tracks near Dubbo, says she loves experiencing nature’s seasonal transformations.

“Watching the bush change through the seasons never gets old. One day there’s spring wildflowers blooming as far as you can see. A few months later, it’s turned golden for autumn,” she relates. “It beats staring at the same dirt all year.”

Roaming wide swathes prevents overgrazing that depletes resources. Rotating grazing zones allows vegetation to regrow. Bevan, a NSW rail vet, says: “They never run out of feed here like back home when the paddocks were bare.”

The active lifestyle also yields fitness benefits. Walking over 15 kilometers daily provides loads of exercise. Quentin, now in his 10th year patrolling rails, believes the job has added years to his life.

“I’ve never been so fit. I’ve still got all my own teeth and hair! Can’t say that about most of my paddock mates,” laughs Quentin. He enjoys greeting travelers aboard passing trains. “It brightens my day to see the smiles and waves. Beats hanging out with cranky old Bill back on the farm.”

“I’ve never been so relaxed! I know my babies are safe here while they’re working,” she says. “I don’t have to be on alert constantly scanning for predators like foxes or wild dogs.”

When their rail shift wraps up, the animals return to roomy paddocks for the night. It sure beats jostling for space in overcrowded feedlots. Hazel describes her riverfront lodging near Coffs Harbour as “goat paradise”.

Off the Beaten Path: Australia's Quirky Rail Goats Keeping Tracks Fire-Free - No Shenanigans From These Hard Workers

These goat gangs take their vegetation management responsibilities seriously. Don't expect them to horse around or shirk their duties. They understand the important role they play in reducing fire risks along the railway.

Simon, a station manager outside Dubbo, feared his new recruits might be more mischief-makers than dedicated weed whackers. But he was impressed by their professionalism. "These goats come to work ready to browse every day," he relates. "You won't catch them lazing about or causing distractions."

Simon says the animals methodically traverse their designated zone, removing potential fuel hazards. "They don't miss a trick, diligently grazing even hidden nooks and bushes other methods might overlook." He's noticed less stray scrub and saplings since deploying the goat brigades.

According to Chris, a longtime Queensland Rail supervisor, the secret lies in choosing personalities well-suited for the rail environment. "We pick calm, mature goats rather than youngsters looking for fun," he explains. "Their steady temperament sets the tone for the whole crew."

Responsible workers like Hazel, who patrols tracks near Mackay, take pride in doing the job right. She's not chasing glory or thrills—just fulfilling her duty to the team. "We know folks rely on us to keep the routes in shape," says Hazel. "If we don't browse those brushy bits, who will?"

Veteran goat Leroy once thwarted disaster when he sniffed out smoldering sparks before afull bushfire erupted. "I may be getting long in the tooth, but this sniffer still works," chuckles Leroy. "Not looking to be a hero--just using my experience to help out where I can."

According tofilelist handler Joan, conscientiousness and strong work ethic define her rail recruits. "These goats understand lives depend on them removing those hazardous fuels," she says. "They'd never dream of slacking off with so much at stake."

Reliable workers like Bruno forgo thrills to get the job done right. He once passed up chasing a lizard to continue clearing priority vegetation. "That scrub wasn't going to browse itself," remarks Bruno. "When you're entrusted with this duty, you can't let minor distractions throw you off track."

Off the Beaten Path: Australia's Quirky Rail Goats Keeping Tracks Fire-Free - Four-Legged Employees With Benefits

Australia's rail grazing goats enjoy on-the-job perks and benefits rare in the livestock world. They thrive on the mental stimulation of constantly changing terrain. Chanel, who maintains tracks near Dubbo, relishes nature's seasonal transformations along her patrol route. “Watching the bush change through the seasons never gets old. One day there’s spring wildflowers blooming as far as you can see. A few months later, it’s turned golden for autumn,” she relates.

The active lifestyle yields fitness dividends. Quentin, now in his 10th year patrolling rails, believes the job has added years to his life. “I’ve never been so fit. I’ve still got all my own teeth and hair! Can’t say that about most of my paddock mates,” laughs Quentin. He enjoys greeting travelers aboard passing trains. “It brightens my day to see the smiles and waves. Beats hanging out with cranky old Bill back on the farm.”

Mothers like Hazel feel less stress knowing their babies are protected on the job. “I’ve never been so relaxed! I know my babies are safe here while they’re working,” she says. “I don’t have to be on alert constantly scanning for predators like foxes or wild dogs.”

When their rail shift finishes, the animals return to roomy paddocks for the night. It sure beats overcrowded feedlots. Lodgings like Hazel's riverfront camp near Coffs Harbour offer "goat paradise."

These four-legged workers take pride in their service keeping communities safer. Old-timer Leroy once thwarted disaster when he sniffed out smoldering sparks before a major bushfire erupted. "I may be getting long in the tooth, but this sniffer still works," chuckles Leroy. "Not looking to be a hero--just using my experience to help out where I can."

Conscientious goats like Bruno forgo distractions to get the job done right. He once passed up chasing a lizard to stay focused on clearing priority vegetation. "That scrub wasn't going to browse itself," remarks Bruno. "When you're entrusted with this duty, you can't let minor distractions throw you off track."

Hazel understands the importance of removing hazardous fuels. "If we don't browse those brushy bits near the tracks, who will?" she asks. These devoted weed whackers know lives depend on their fire prevention efforts. Their work ethic and professionalism is driven by public service, not glory-seeking.

Off the Beaten Path: Australia's Quirky Rail Goats Keeping Tracks Fire-Free - Baa-ckbreaking Labor in the Land Down Under

These sure-footed weed whackers make fire prevention look easy, but patrolling thousands of miles of rail corridor is serious business. The goat crews put in long days, constantly on the move from dawn until dusk. Their work is physically demanding, though the four-legged firefighters never complain. The opportunity to support their struggling farmers and protect communities from bushfires keeps them motivated.

Experienced goat railway workers like Matilda describe the job as tougher than it looks. “People see us wandering along nibbling leaves and think it's all sunshine and roses. But we're out there slogging away in baking 40 degree (104 F) heat or torrential downpours,” says Matilda.

The elements pose challenges foreign to sheltered barn goats. Damp winter conditions saturate their coats, which takes forever to dry out. Summer brings threats of dehydration and sunburn on exposed terrain.

Insects plague the goats mercilessly. “The flies are diabolical some days,” relates Neville. “No matter how much we swish our tails, they keep swarming our faces.” He’s learned to spy out shady spots under trees to escape the worst heat and pests.

The scratchy vegetation plays havoc with their skin and fleece. “We’re covered in scrapes from pushing through prickly scrub all day,” says Lucy. Goat handlers provide first aid for cuts and apply wound spray to prevent infections.

Sore muscles come with the territory after miles of up and down steep terrain. “Clambering these gravel slopes wears you out. I ache all over some evenings,” says Maxine. But she gets satisfaction knowing her hard yards make a difference.

Foot health is a common issue without soft pasture. Rocky ballast and hard clay quickly wears down hooves. Handlers check for limping workers like Pedro whose hoof grew painfully overgrown. “I powered through at first but it was agony walking on that long hoof,” he says. A quick trim later, Pedro’s back battling the brush.

Through discomfort and adversity, the goat gangs stick together. Comradery buoys their spirits when the going gets tough. “We’ve got each other’s backs out here,” Neville says. His buddy Pepe once helped him limp home after Neville twisted his ankle crossing a creek.