For years, European railways have been looking for alternatives to herbicides such as the controversial glyposate to keep track areas free of plant growth. In 2017-2018, the International Union of Railways (UIC) commissioned the IZT for the first time to propose more environmentally friendly methods. In the follow-up project TRISTRAM (2019-2020), the best alternatives and recommendations for action from the previous project were further tested in the field and optimised for the European railways. This shortlist included organic acids such as pelargonic acid and the "electro-weeding" method from organic farming, in which electric fields kill the plants. Hot water or steam jets were also tested to fulfil the same purpose.