Grain of an idea that could solve leaves on the line

LEAVES on the line, the railway station announcement that fills commuters with dread every autumn, could finally become a thing of the past.

A device that blasts sand on to the track ahead of a train can prevent slipping and improve stopping distances.

The device, which adjusts the amount of sand sprayed depending on how fast the train is going, is being tested by three operators and could be introduced across the network by next autumn. The perennial problem costs the industry and passengers £300million

a year and is responsible for cancellations and thousands of hours of delays.

Many operators run a revised timetable to accommodate leaf fall, with some coming into force tomorrow.

The device has been tested by the Rail Safety and Standards Board, the independent rail safety body, which saw significant improvement in friction between the train and the track, reducing skidding past red lights by 98 per cent and station overruns by 96 per cent.

Luisa Moisio, the board’s research and development director, said she was “hopeful” this could be the end of the line for leaves. “If the trains can achieve the braking distance on which the timetable is based, we would not need to run another timetable,” she said.

Leaves on the line has been a running joke among weary commuters, astounded at how such a regular yet seemingly minor event can bring Britain to a standstill, and the industry has long admitted it is their “Achilles’ heel”.

Leaves that stick to wet rails become compressed into mulch, creating a slippery layer, meaning trains have to travel slower and take longer to stop.

Network Rail removes trees close to tracks and during autumn runs 50 trains that spray jets of water on to the railhead to clean it, but it is not enough to keep the service running as normal.

The sand technique is not new – even steam engines had a sandbox and most modern trains already have a form of sander fitted to the front. But in previous years there was concern that sand could interfere with signalling.

The board’s test show this is not the case on modern rails and all new trains will be fitted with the sand devices.

Neil Ovenden, of the Rail Delivery Group representing train operators, described the plans as the “single biggest step forward in adhesion management in the last 20 years.”

They were welcomed by passenger groups constantly frustrated by delays. Bruce Williamson, of Rail Future, one such group, said: “It sounds like a great idea and I really hope it works.”