Train firm rolls out water spray tech to tackle ‘leaves on line’ autumnal delays
Leaves on the line disrupting train services promise to be a thing of the past for many more travellers with new technology being introduced by a major train operator.
Northern, which runs nearly 2,000 daily services, is fitting a system to 16 passenger trains which will combat slippery rails by spraying water onto them.
The Water-Trak technology will be used on trains operating between Leeds, Harrogate and York, as well as between Sheffield, Doncaster, Hull and Scarborough.
Leaves cause widespread problems every autumn when they stick to damp rails and become compacted by train wheels.
It creates a smooth, slippery layer similar to black ice on roads, reducing trains’ grip.
Speed restrictions are imposed in an attempt to reduce accidents such as the crash between two trains outside a tunnel near Salisbury, Wiltshire on 31 October last year which left 13 passengers and one driver needing hospital treatment.
A South Western Railway train slipped on crushed leaves, causing it to slide past a stop signal and smash into the side of a Great Western Railway service.
Rail lines have traditionally been cleaned using railhead treatment trains (RHTT) which use high-pressure water jets followed by a gel containing sand and steel grain to increase grip.
But these are expensive to run so are generally limited to busy mainlines, leaving other routes untreated.
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Nov 2021: Scene of Salisbury train crash
Trains stop safely in heavy rain, so Water-Trak recreates these conditions by distributing a small amount of water when slippery rails are detected.
This can improve braking performance at a lower cost than using RHTTs.
Trials of the technology have been conducted on two of Northern’s Class 319 trains in passenger service since October last year.
The operator’s seasonal improvement manager Rob Cummings said rolling out the system to more trains is “the next step in finding a solution to tricky autumn conditions”.
He added: “One of the biggest risks to our performance during October and November is leaves on the line, but by helping to develop new innovative technology we aim to deliver the very best service for our passengers.”
Water-Trak co-founder John Cooke said: “Leaves on the line may seem like a bit of a joke, or an excuse for bad performance. But actually, it’s a major issue for the rail industry.”
Around 10 million trees line Britain’s railway, dropping thousands of tonnes of leaves onto tracks every autumn, saddling the industry with an estimated seasonal bill of £345m.
A man’s body has been recovered from an area of flooding in North Yorkshire, police have said, as major incidents have been declared in two counties.
The body was found near Intake Lane in Beal, close to Eggborough and Knottingley.
Police believe the man may have entered the water in the last 24 to 48 hours.
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North Yorkshire Police said: “Despite extensive enquiries, including with our colleagues in Humberside and West Yorkshire Police, we have been unable to identify him.
“He was found without any identification or personal belongings.”
The man was also described as white, in his early 50s to 60s, with light brown short hair and stubble.
He was wearing brown walking boots, blue denim jeans, a multicoloured knitted jumper and possibly a dark green waterproof coat, police added.
It comes after Leicestershire and Lincolnshire both declared a major incident in response to the extreme weather hitting the UK and Ireland.
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Leicestershire Fire and Rescue was the first emergency service in England to declare an incident and said it had received more than 200 calls since Monday morning over widespread flooding.
Crews had found cars stuck in floodwater and evacuated residents from flooded homes and rising waters, with some 17 people rescued as of 1.45pm.
The Lincolnshire Resilience Forum declared a major incident shortly after, and noted that emergency services had rescued children who were stranded at a school in Edenham.
Meanwhile, the Met Office has three yellow weather warnings – each for snow and ice – in effect throughout Monday evening and Tuesday morning.
Pic: Met Office
A warning covering the west and north coast of Scotland – reaching into Inverness and Aberdeen – will last until midday, while an alert in effect for all of Northern Ireland will last until 11am.
The Met Office has also issued a warning covering Wales and parts of northwest England on Monday evening, moving into southwest England, the Midlands and parts of southern England in the early hours of Tuesday.
On Wednesday, a yellow weather warning for snow is in effect across the south of England – stretching from just above Truro in Cornwall to Canterbury in Kent – from 9am to midnight.
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