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Thursday 3 Oct 2024

Voting opens! Have your say on naming one of Network Rail’s autumn leaf-busting trains

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National

• More than a thousand name suggestions have been whittled down to just four- which will get your vote in the search for a fitting name for one of Network Rail’s leaf busting trains?

 

• Voting is now open at www.networkrail.co.uk/stories/can-you-help-name-one-of-our-leaf-busting-trains/, closes midnight Friday 11 October

 

• The winning name will feature on one of Network Rail’s fleet of leaf-busting trains as they travel Britain clearing the rails to keep the railway running this autumn

The power is in your hands to decide which of the shortlist of four names will be bestowed upon one of the unsung heroes of the British Autumn, with the grand reveal planned for Thursday 24th October.

More than 1,300 individual nominations were submitted by the public, before being painstakingly whittled down by our panel of judges: railway historian, presenter and author Tim Dunn, Minister of State for Rail, Lord Peter Hendy, and Network Rail’s seasonal delivery director Lisa Angus.

An array of fantastic name suggestions, including: ‘Britney Clears’, ‘Buster Grimes’, ‘Don’t Stop De-Leafing’, and ‘Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Anti-Leaf Machiney’ fell just short of making the final shortlist, proving just how tough competition was.

The final shortlisted names, in alphabetical order, are:

• Ctrl Alt De-leaf
• Leaf-Fall Weapon
• Pulp Friction
• The Autumn Avenger

Railway author, presenter and historian Tim Dunn said:

“Who needs Leafy McLeafFace when we have this shortlist of terrific - and really quite fitting - names to bestow upon one of these legendary leaf-busting behemoths.

“I knew Britain wouldn't let us down: entries ranged from the witty, clever and even touching - through to utterly shameless Dad-grade puns. It’s been a joy to be a part of the judging process to name a leaf-buster, my fellow judges and I found it tricky to narrow down all the brilliant entries to just four names.

“So a massive thank you to all those who took the time to submit a name – now it’s over to YOU, the British public. Head over to Network Rail’s website right now to vote for your preferred name for one of these ‘mulch’-loved machines.”

Rail Minister Lord Hendy said:

“While autumn is no doubt a challenging time for the railway, highly-skilled teams and a fleet of leaf-busting machines are at the ready to clear tracks to help minimise disruption and ensure services run on time.

“I’m pleased this competition will shine a light on the people who work tirelessly to keep our rail network safe, and I look forward to hearing what name the public choose.”

Network Rail’s seasonal delivery director, Lisa Angus, said:

“We had a lot of fun reading through the name suggestions, so a huge thank you to everyone who took part.

“Though this competition is just a way of bringing some light-hearted ‘re-leaf’ this autumn, it’s been great to see a growing awareness of the serious problems leaves on the line pose to the railway, both here and across the world, and an appreciation of the mammoth task we undertake each year to keep passengers moving through the season.”

Though often seen as a figure of fun, leaves represent a serious threat to the railway across not only Britain, but also countries across the world. When trains pass over leaves- particularly during periods of wet weather- the heat and weight of the trains bake them into a thin, slippery layer on the rail, similar to black ice on the roads. This mulch can also interfere with signalling systems, forming a barrier between the train wheels and the electrical parts of the track that help us to pin-point where trains are, and cause issues with trains accelerating and braking.

That’s where Network Rail’s fleet of leaf-busting trains comes in. These vehicles will treat 1.12 million miles of track- the distance around the world approximately 40 times- between September and December to keep you on the move this Autumn. Leaf-fall teams across Britain will be on hand 24/7 to scrub rails with a sand-based adhesive as required and clear tracks of debris to keep passengers on the move, informed by specialised leaf-fall forecasting which helps prioritise the areas that need attention.

Alongside the tried and tested methods of keeping trains moving through autumn, different techniques and new technology is being used in different parts of the country to put Network Rail ahead of the curve. Some passenger trains have been equipped with adhesion gel dispensers to complement the work of the specialist leaf-busters, drones will be used to identify high-risk areas and specially adapted Land Rovers known as ‘SandRovers’- which are road-rail vehicles which can clean and treat rails- will be used in Scotland.

To find out more about how Network Rail keeps Britain’s rail network running through the Autumn and to vote for your favourite name, visit: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/stories/can-you-help-name-one-of-our-leaf-busting-trains/

ENDS