This week marks the start of the autumn season on the railway and Network Rail's fleet of 61 leaf-busting trains are getting ready to tack the ‘leaves on the line' problem.
Similar to the issues that black ice on roads can cause, leaves on the line create problems when they stick to wet rails and are compressed by the trains which travel over them. This creates a thin black layer on the rails which affect how quickly a train can brake or accelerate.
In addition, it can cause problems with train detection equipment making it harder to detect the location of a train. These problems can lead to delays or cancellations for passengers.
Network Rail has teams on standby 24/7 to help deal with the problems, and the 61 leaf busting trains travel around the network spraying water onto the rail at very high pressure (1500 bar) and this clears the leaf mulch from the line.
As well as clearing the leaf mulch the trains also apply a gel, containing a mix of sand and steel grains to help the train run along the rails as they would normally.
Last year the trains treated 895,217 miles of track, the same as travelling to the moon 3.5 times.
Nick King, Network Rail's network services director, said: “Our preparation for this year's autumnal weather has been as comprehensive as ever, and our highly skilled frontline teams and leaf-busting trains will be working non-stop to help keep the tracks clear and services running on time.
“We have worked tirelessly to make sure passengers can travel by rail safely over recent months – for example through enhanced cleaning regimes at stations and introducing hand sanitiser points at our stations. Passengers should continue to follow Government guidance on the use of public transport by wearing a face covering, maintaining social distancing and travelling at quieter times where possible.”
Robert Nisbet, Director of Nations and Regions for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents the rail industry, said: “We are committed to making sure that improved performance continues as the seasons change, helping people to travel with confidence.
“Train operators and Network Rail are working together to keep people moving by running leaf-clearing trains, putting response teams on standby and investing in better technology on board trains to reduce the impact of autumnal weather.”
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Nice. At least it keeps the tracks safer for trains to use.
very interesting and informative is there a time when these trains run or just when required
My partner and I saw one running last Saturday 3 Oct north of Ely, heading onto the Norwich route. Real-time Trains lists when they run….
And the snowploughs ready in case of snow comes in Winter that affects the railways.