For years, European railways have been looking for alternatives to herbicides such as the controversial glyposate to keep track areas free of plant growth. For the first time, the International Union of Railways (UIC) commissioned the IZT in 2017-2018 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 European railways. This shortlist includes organic acids such as pelargonic acid as well as the "electro-weeding" method from organic farming, where electric fields kill the plants. Also tested were hot water or steam jets, which are said to serve the same purpose.