More trains keeping South Western Railway tracks leaf-free
Network Rail and SWR have come together to improve rail adhesion
Twice the number of South Western Railway (SWR) trains are being fitted with equipment to help keep the tracks free of leaves this Autumn.
Network Rail put kit to improve rail adhesion onto 39 of SWR's trains, applying sand to the tracks as they pass.
That's thought to improve wheel grip during wet and slippery conditions.
The Salisbury train crash in 2021 was found to have been caused by low adhesion when the driver applied the brakes.
The new, advanced sand applicators can distribute up to 5kg of sand onto the tracks per minute, and automatically apply sand when a train is braking, lowering the stopping distance.
They'll run on routes that don't have an electrified third rail like the West of England Line which connects Waterloo to Exeter, via Salisbury - as well as in the Romsey area and occasionally between Salisbury and Reading.
There'll also be multi-purpose vehicles used for a variety of jobs across the South Western Railway routes; including weeding, de-icing and cleaning the railhead to ensure the train wheels stick to the tracks.
Network Rail’s fleet of 19 ‘leaf-busting’ trains will again be in action this Autumn to keep the railway leaf free and running reliably.
The specialist trains are equipped with high pressure water jets to blast leaves off the lines and where necessary apply a sand-like gel to help trains grip the rail better.
Following a successful trial across Wessex route last year, Network Rail is using a rail cleaner too, Interflon LeafGuard, which is quick-acting and does not require rinsing or wiping.
That's applied either by hand or via a Sand Rover – a specially-adapted 4x4 Land Rover vehicle which can travel on rails and on the road and scrape slippery leaf mulch off the tracks owing to specially mounted wire brushes.
Between October and December every year, roughly 500 billion leaves, weighing around half a million tonnes fall onto the railway.
They stick to damp rails and passing trains crush them into a thin, hard layer on the rail which, a lot like black ice on the roads, can affect braking and acceleration.
Mark Goodall, Network Rail’s Wessex Route Director, said:
“Every year our teams work extremely hard to keep the tracks leaf-free during the Autumn so that passenger and freight services can continue running safely and reliably. This requires a huge operation and a significant number of miles covered by our leaf-busting trains.
“This sand applicator technology and partnership with SWR will undoubtedly help extend and complement our efforts to rid the tracks of leaves and help trains to better grip the tracks even in the wettest and slippery of conditions.”
Neil Drury, South Western Railway Engineering and Infrastructure Director, said:
“The new sanding system for our fleet of Class 158 and Class 159 trains will improve safety and help keep our services running on time in some of the most challenging conditions for the railway.
“Our engineers have done a brilliant job to efficiently install the system on all 39 of our trains and get them back out on the network to serve customers. The results show a clear difference compared to the previous sanding system, halving the stopping distances on slippery rails.
“Our partnership with Network Rail and Siemens Mobility is a great example of how the rail industry can come together and improve safety and performance.”