Academics out to tackle issue of leaves on line
RESEARCHERS are developing an on-board system for trains that can identify hazards such as leaves on the line.
Low adhesion is caused by the contamination of lines by biological, chemical and physical factors, some of which cannot be easily monitored or controlled.
The overall cost of low adhesion to the UK railway industry is estimated at £350 million each year.
A minimum level of adhesion is essential for reliable braking and traction.
Changes in adhesion can be very localised, unpredictable and transient, and poor adhesion experienced by one train may not affect following trains.
Engineers from Loughborough and Sheffield universities and engineering firm Perpetuum have developed a product that will detect low adhesion hotspots in real time and create an up-to-date map of the UK network.
The map will allow network operators to react quickly to potential risks.
Loughborough’s Dr Chris Ward, who is leading the initiative, said: “The network is in danger of lowadhesion events occurring at all times and the industry takes the impact of these incredibly seriously.
“Network Rail and the wider industry invests huge amounts of money in rail head cleaning, controlling flora alongside lines and forecasting where low-adhesion events may occur – but it’s not an exact science and affected areas may only be discovered after an incident has taken place.
“This new technology, by detecting low adhesion in realtime from in-service vehicles, will allow for a much more accurate picture of where hazards lie on the UK’s huge network of track, which will mean a quicker response such as defensive driving or railhead treatment – and as a result a safer network with fewer delays.”
The detection system will use established sensing methods to collect data that will then be processed using algorithms created by Dr Ward and colleagues.
Elaine Cockroft, project manager at Network Rail said: “The aim is to develop a first-of-type product addressing the issue of low adhesion.
“The medium-term aspiration is to install a device on the Network Rail Head Treatment Train or a Multi-Purpose Vehicle and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the rail head treatment.
“The future ambition is to add the technology to passenger trains or freight locomotives and so the technology would need to be developed to capture continuous data at a travelling speed of 125mph across the network.”
The 22-month study will see the team conduct a test programme at Network Rail’s, Rail Innovation and Development Centre, in Tuxford, Nottinghamshire, to test their algorithms, this summer.