Monday 16 Oct 2006
BIGGEST-EVER CAMPAIGN UNVEILED FOR AUTUMN LEAF-FALL BATTLE (EAST MIDLANDS)
- Region & Route:
New techniques, new and better equipment and more people working around the clock than ever before will help keep rail passengers on the move this autumn.
Dyan Crowther, Network Rail Route Director, said: “Autumn and falling leaves are a challenge for railways the world over. The leaves form 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 ‘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 technology. Network Rail unveiled its arsenal for the battle with falling leaves, including: · A 24-hour control centre in Derby manned by a team dedicated to tackling autumn. · Two water-jetting trains shooting out water at an equivalent pressure of 1,000/bar (up to 1000 faster than the water coming out of your tap) will be getting rid of ‘leaf mulch’ across the East Midlands · The latest satellite navigation technology to reach hot-spots as soon as possible. Three, two man ‘leaf busting’ crews based in the East Midlands will be using rail head scrubbers, sand sticks and Natrusolve, which dissolves the leaf mulch. Mrs Crowther concluded: “We work closely with train operators to mitigate autumn’s effects as far as possible and keep passengers moving.” Central Trains is recognised as an industry leader in dealing with leaf fall issues, giving its drivers specialist training to cope with the rail conditions, using driving simulators, installing anti-leaf sprayers on many of its trains, and briefing staff on particular problem areas. Gavin Bell, Central Trains’ Director of Network Services, said: “We’re working closely with Network Rail and other rail industry bodies to do everything we can to minimise the effect leaf fall has on our passengers, but just as in a car on a slippery surface, there will be times when trains have to slow down to stay safe. Our drivers are trained to operate trains safely in these conditions using a driving simulator and by trying out the conditions for real during specially arranged night time skid pan training sessions” From October 22 to 9 December, some Central Trains services will be timetabled to take up to five minutes longer – either leaving very slightly earlier or arriving very slightly later. There will also be changes to the off-peak Nottingham, Worksop (Robin Hood Line) timetable. No connections to other services will be affected. Across the country, autumn costs the rail industry approximately £60 million a year, including: £10 million for vegetation management over 21,000 miles of track, £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
Notes to editors
About Central Trains: Central Trains is one of Britain’s major train companies, operating an extensive network of services throughout the Midlands. Central provides fast and frequent local rail services and long distance services run from the Midlands to South Wales, the North West, East Anglia and the East Coast. Services provided by Central Trains are an integral part of the Britain’s rail network – connecting with 19 out of the current 25 train operators. Every day: 1,323 Central Trains services travel 60,000 miles carrying 112,000 passenger journeys. The routes affected by the autumn changes are: • Nottingham – Lincoln • Newark – Grimsby via Lincoln • Doncaster – Peterborough via Lincoln • Birmingham – Liverpool via Penkridge, Stafford, Crewe, Winsford and Hartford • Liverpool – Norwich via Manchester, Nottingham and Grantham • Derby - Matlock At peak times, Nottingham, Mansfield, Worksop, (Robin Hood Line) are largely unchanged. At off peak times: Buses will replace trains between Newstead and Hucknall where passengers can connect with train services to Nottingham. • The half hourly service at Sutton Parkway will be reduced to an hourly frequency. • Services will not call at Bulwell. Southbound passengers will be advised to use the frequent tram service to Nottingham. Northbound passengers can catch the tram to Hucknall for connections with northbound trains to Mansfield and Worksop. Full details are available from National Rail Enquiries (08457 484950), and Central Trains’ website, www.centraltrains.co.uk.
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