Fallen and decomposing leaves on rail tracks, also known as railway’s black ice, cause many disruptions for railway operators. Decomposing leaves containing oils make steel rails slippery, and they cause hazards for stopping trains and significant delays – train drivers must slow down the speed in order to stop the trains where desired on platforms or in front of signals.
The United Kingdom, with its extensive greenery around rail tracks, is at the forefront of this battlefield every year. They deploy rail-head treatment trains (RHTTs) that clean the track with water pressure and leave sand gel for better grip on railways. This year’s autumn season has already started in Scotland and all across the UK.
Northern, the Dft OLR Holdings company operating across North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber regions in the UK, is testing a new way of approaching this challenge. It has partnered with Water-Trak Limited and comes with a solution that does not require special trains to run on tracks ahead of its passenger trains. Similarly to sanding applied to trains that need better traction, it has equipped five trains with Water-Trak technology. When the technology detects slippery rail, it applies small amounts of water right in front of the wheel, cleaning the rail and improving the braking capability of the train.
The first five units will be deployed this autumn between Liverpool, Wigan and Manchester and between Leeds, Harrogate and York. In 2024, an additional eleven Northern trains will be fitted with the Water-Trak system.
