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Monday 2 Oct 2023

Autumn leaf blasting trains now keeping North West rail routes clear

Region & Route:

North West & Central

A fleet of ‘leaf-busting’ trains are now blasting leaves off the line to help keep rail passengers and freight moving across the North West this autumn.

From yesterday (Sunday 1 October) until mid-December, six specialist trains will wash leaf debris from up to 106,162 miles of track across the region while trees are shedding their leaves.

Network Rail’s seasonal delivery depot at Wigan Springs Branch is the North West’s nerve centre for keeping tracks clear between Crewe and Carlisle this autumn.

The total miles of track treated over this time will be equivalent to going over four (4.263) times around the equator.

After railway lines have been cleared with high pressure water jets, the machines then apply rails with a sand-like gel to help passenger and freight train wheels grip the tracks.

Regarded as the railway’s equivalent of black ice on the roads, leaves on the line can create issues when they stick to damp rails and are compressed by moving trains into a thin, black layer which can affect train braking and acceleration.

The build-up of leaf mulch can also stop on track sensors from working - causing delays.

The equipment shows signallers in control rooms exactly where trains are on the network.

Dave Shawcross, Network Rail seasons delivery manager, said: “Leaves on the line are a big problem for the railway. It disrupts services and inconveniences people’s journeys and every year, Network Rail and train operators work together to battle against the elements to get passengers and freight to their destinations”.

“We are ready to keep people and goods moving across all major North West rail routes, running a safe and reliable service for our customers this autumn.”

Last year Network Rail spent £5 million on the North West route during its autumn efforts to keep passengers moving.

This year, 177 traction gel applicators have been positioned across the routes rail network. They spray a special sand-like gel onto the rails to help provide extra grip for train wheels.

Specialist teams will be positioned across the North West to check that our autumn treatment programme is working effectively and provide additional support where necessary.

For more information on how we deal with leaves on the line visit www.networkrail.co.uk/leaves