A fleet of special “leaf-busting” trains is now traveling across the North West, blasting leaves off the railway line to keep passengers and freight trains moving this fall.
Starting Oct. 1, Network Rail’s team of seven specialist trains will travel throughout the region for the next 10 weeks, using high-powered water jets to clear leaves stuck to the railway.
Some of these trains will travel for up to 21 hours each day, and in total they will cover just over 100,000 miles of railway, the equivalent of four trips around the equator. The whole operation costs £7.5 million.
While leaves might not seem like a major problem, they can stick to the rails and become repeatedly compressed by passing trains. The result is a slippery layer of matter on top of the railway that acts like black ice for passing trains.
In the worst cases, these patches can make it difficult for trains to brake or accelerate properly, creating a hazard for train drivers. The buildup of leaf mulch can also stop track sensors from working and lead to delays.
Network Rail’s specialist trains use a high-powered water jet to blast leaf matter off the track as they pass. A separate nozzle at the back of the train then coats the rail in a gritty substance that improves traction for train wheels.
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