Queensland Rail has used ‘snake charmers’ to scare off venomous visitors during a repaint of the South Pine Bridge.
Solar-powered snake repeller units were used to deter brown snakes as staff carried out maintenance work at the site.
The Eastern Brown Snake is considered by some to be the second most toxic land snake in the world.
Queensland Rail Network SEQ acting group general manager Rory MacManu, said: “Brown snakes in the area posed a very real danger to our staff and site visitors.
“The snake repeller units are solar-powered and emit an ultrasonic pulse, which snakes apparently feel as a vibration transmitted through the ground, making them alert to possible danger.”
The Caboolture line, Sunshine Coast line, and Queensland Rail Travel’s long-distance trains all cross the South Pine River at the border of Strathpine and Bald Hills.
The project had been delayed by three weeks because of floods.
Mr MacManu added: “The team put four separate coats on the bridge, and much of that work had to be hand-painted with a brush.”
