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Monday 2 Oct 2023

Drones and leaf busting trains keeping rail routes clear this autumn

Region & Route:

North West & Central

| North West & Central: Central

A special fleet of ‘leaf-busting’ trains have started blasting leaves off the line to help keep passengers and freight moving across the West Midlands, West Coast and Chiltern main lines this autumn.

From yesterday (Sunday 1 October) until mid-December, six specialist trains started clearing leaf debris off railway lines.

They will treat 100,946 miles of track across the region while trees are shedding their leaves. That's equivalent to going almost four times around the equator, and 20% more track will be treated than in 2022.

Following a successful pilot last year, aerial drones are being used across Network Rail's Central and West Coast South routes to check known hotspots where leaf fall can cause the worst disruption.

For the first time remote cameras will be set up in three places most prone to leaf fall disruption. This will give control rooms a view of conditions at any time so track teams can be sent to clear the railway as quickly as possible.

The seasonal delivery depot at Kings Norton in Birmingham is the nerve centre for keeping tracks in the West Midlands, West Coast main line to Euston and Chiltern main line to Marylebone clear for passengers this autumn.

Three trains known as MPVs (multi-purpose vehicles) and three trains called RHTTs (rail head treatment trains) will operate from the Kings Norton depot.

After railway lines have been cleared with high pressure water jets, the machines then apply rails with a glue-like coating 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.

Martin Colmey, operations director for Network Rail’s Central route, said: “Leaves on the line are a big problem for the railway. It disrupts services and inconveniences passengers 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 the West Midlands and Chiltern Main line running a safe and reliable service for our customers.”

Last year Network Rail spent £4.5 million to keep passengers in the West Midlands and across the Chiltern main line moving during autumn.

This year, 108 traction gel applicators have been positioned across the Central route. 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 region to check that the autumn treatment programme is working effectively and provide additional support where necessary.

For more information on how Network Rail deals with leaves on the line visit www.networkrail.co.uk/leaves