Media centre

Friday 14 Oct 2005

NEWS RELEASE, INTERVIEW AND PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

Region & Route:

| Southern

Date:                          22 October 2004 Time/location:         9.15, Dollands Moor railway depot, Bargrove Newington                                     Folkestone, CT18 8 BH                                     Meet at Sandling station at 9.15am Photo                         See Network Rail’s Weather Strategy Manager and our ‘A’ opportunity:             Team demonstrate our leaf-busting train (MPV) and hand-held sanding/scrubbing equipment.                       Media contacts:        Jenny Sacre 020 7557 8107 jenny.sacre@networkrail.co.uk “Leaves on the line” – the seasonal headline that captures the imagination.  Well, it is not a joke but a very real problem for the railway and Network Rail’s Kent route has been planning for autumn since the New Year. The majority of the south’s 1,580 route miles is nestled within dense trees and foliage that is resplendent in the summer months.  All the while a whole team is working behind the scenes planning for the oncoming leaf fall season. This year, not only do we have purpose-built leaf-busting vehicles, but also a whole range of unique equipment to combat what Mother Nature throws at us. The problem: The railway network is vulnerable from the effects of what we call “low adhesion.” Wet leaves fall onto the rail and are crushed by train wheels, which then turns the leaves into a hard, Teflon-like surface on top of the rail.  This can cause trains to slip and slide. - more - Kent - 2 This problem is the railways’ equivalent of black ice on the road.  Leaves can also cover the track to an extent that it causes a track circuit failure, where the electrical contact between the wheel and the track is lost. Both of these problems can lead to safety concerns and severe train delays. The solution: There is no easy solution, but technology and forward planning helps and we have numerous measures in place: ·        Proactive programme of vegetation management – this year we are spending £4m on autumn vegetation clearance ·        The Kent route has seven dedicated Multi Purpose Vehicles (MPVs) which will clock up thousands of miles over the nine-week autumn period ·        Use of special treatments:  1,750 litres of Natrusolve/Orange Cleanse (environmentally-friendly products that dissolve leaf mulch) have been ordered to use in 15 ltr back pack sprayers ·        42 static sandite units, operated by trains travelling over trigger treddles, at crucial locations, such as junctions, inclines and approaches to stations.  We have ordered 5,000 litres of traction gel for the sandite machines. ·        8 petrol driven railhead scrubbing machines (ERCUs) ·        20 trigger operated hand operated double-wheeled sand sticks which spread sand onto the railhead The main plan of attack is to get the leaves off the lines as quickly as possible, and break down the leaf mulch regularly, giving them less chance to settle.  This is carried out by a fleet of Multi Purpose Vehicles (MPVs).  The Kent route has seven MPVs which travel around the network day and night, firstly spraying a 1000psi high-powered water jet on the rails to removes the leaves and then spreading sandite over the rail to increase adhesion.  - more - Kent - 3 The effectiveness of the sanding system to improve braking performance in low adhesion conditions is critical for operational safety. If the MPV is unable to remove the leaf mulch or a problem area is not covered by the MPV a member of one of our dedicated ‘A Teams’ (Adhesions Teams) will use alternative techniques, such as Natrusolve, railhead scrubbers or sand sticks.  Kent has nine dedicated, two-man ‘A Teams’ who reactively deal with any areas with built up leaf mulch and proactively target key locations.  It is hard to judge when the leaves will start falling, but the teams will be available around the clock from 3 October until 4 December. Dave Ward, Route Director, Network Rail said:  “Autumn is a very real problem for the railway industry and this year we have invested in excess of £5 million and a great deal of time into combating the problems Mother Nature throws at us.  We have learned from the past few autumn’s and we are confident that our proactive approach will help to reduce any possible delays.” If you would like to see an MPV, interview our Weather Strategy Manager, see rail scrubbing or applying sandite in action – please contact Jenny Sacre in the press office on 020 7557 8107.