BIGGEST EVER CAMPAIGN UNVEILED FOR AUTUMN LEAF-FALL BATTLE

Monday 16 Oct 2006

BIGGEST EVER CAMPAIGN UNVEILED FOR AUTUMN LEAF-FALL BATTLE

Region & Route:: National

New techniques, new and better equipment and more people working round the clock than ever before will help keep rail passengers on the move this Autumn. Leaves on the line are no joking matter for the thousands of rail workers and millions of commuters who battle with the effect Autumn has on train services. Iain Coucher, Network Rail's Deputy Chief Executive, said: “Autumn and falling leaves are a challenge for railways the world over. The leaves form a mulch on the rails, which is as slippery as ice on the roads. And the same precautions have to be taken, that you take in your car, braking and accelerating slowly, which can lead to delays. “We do everything possible to prepare for Autumn – and everything possible to deal with the effects when it arrives. We invest in the best techniques and equipment and use dozens of ‘leaf-busting’ teams around the clock to keep the railways running. And we target these huge resources at the leaf-fall hotspots, which we can predict by using the latest satellite technology. Network Rail unveiled its arsenal for the annual battle with falling leaves:

24-hour control centres manned by teams dedicated to tackling autumn
A fleet of water-jetting trains shooting out water at an equivalent pressure of 1,000/bar (up to 1,000 times faster than the water coming out of your tap) will be getting rid of ‘leaf mulch’
Two ‘super-soaker’ trains in action on the West Coast Mainline between Willesden and Rugby and on the Hornsey to Hitchin route. The track will be blasted at 1,500/bar pressure while travelling at 60 mph. This follows extensive testing throughout the summer
The latest satellite navigation technology to reach hot-spots as soon as possible, these two-man ‘leaf-busting’ crews use railhead scrubbers, sand sticks and Natrusolve, which dissolves the leaf mulch to tackle the dangerous substance

Mr Coucher concluded: “We’re working closely with the train operators to mitigate Autumn’s effects as far as possible and keep passengers moving.”

Notes to editors

Autumn costs the rail industry approximately £60 million per year, including: £10 million for vegetation management, £34 million for autumn train borne operations, £5 million for ‘hot spot’ teams and other staff/operational costs, £10 million for damage to trains and track from leaf fall Weather and seasonal factors account for 10% of all delay minutes across the network in any one year There are 21, 000 miles of track nationally to keep clear there are six species of trees which cause particular problems They are all deciduous, broad-leaved and thrive by the railway: Ash, Sycamore, Poplar, Lime, Sweet chestnut, Horse chestnut

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