Media centre

Monday 18 Oct 2004

TURNING OVER NEW LEAVES TO REDUCE DELAYS

Region & Route:

‘Leaves on the line’ - is not an excuse but a very real problem – and this year is no exception. As Autumn arrives, Network Rail’s plan of action is to get the leaves off the lines as quickly as possible, giving them less time to settle. The company has been planning for this year’s leaf fall since January and is more prepared than ever to tackle the problem around the West Midlands. Steve Derrick, General Manager, Network Rail for the West Midlands & Chilterns said: “Leaves on the line is the railway equivalent of ‘black ice’ on the road. What was once regarded as a bit of a joke is now recognised as a serious safety and performance issue. “ A robust plan has been put in place to tackle the effects of Autumn including:

• Multi Purpose Vehicles (MPV) and Railhead Treatment Trains (RHTT) based at the Bescot Depot. These are fitted with water jets to blast the rail and remove the leaf ‘mulch’ and sandite to increase adhesion on the rail after cleaning
• Proactive programme of vegetation management to reduce the number of leaves around the railway
• 8 mobile leaf-fall teams on hand to deal with trouble spots
• Poor Adhesion Display Signs (PADS) to alert drivers to problem areas

• Frequent leaf fall and wind throw forecasts provided by the Met Office throughout Autumn, in addition to daily weather forecasts
• Leaf fall checks throughout the night

Network Rail will work closely with the train operating companies, ensuring as smooth a service as possible during the leaf-fall period. Central Trains will be running a special timetable on the Cross City line to maintain punctuality and reliability. Nigel Pennington, Director of West Midlands Services for Central Trains said: “This temporary timetable will maintain train reliability on the Cross City Line throughout what is traditionally a difficult time of year for railway operations. Our drivers are specially trained to operate trains safely in these conditions, this includes slowing trains sooner for stations and signals and moving off again more slowly.” Mr Derrick added: “Although we can’t control the elements, we are constantly looking for new ways of tackling the problem. We have learned from the past couple of years and we are confident that our proactive approach in planning for the leaf-fall season, will help us minimise delays.”