Genuinely interesting pattern you're onto here. I've been cross-referencing some of the North American reports with old railway survey maps and there does seem to be something to it, not just railways but the whole corridor concept - old drovers roads, abandoned canals, that sort of thing.
My working theory is these things use linear features as travel routes, same as any large predator would. Railways especially cut through terrain that was never developed, so you've got old growth, cover, and a straight line between territories.
What I keep wondering though is whether the railways follow older routes that were already significant to wildlife long before anyone laid a single sleeper. The land itself might matter more than the infrastructure on top of it.
Anyone mapped this properly? Like actually plotted sighting coordinates against historical railway data? Because if someone has the patience for that kind of project the results could be genuinely compelling. Would love to see if the UK has any comparable clustering near the old Beeching closure lines.
