Preparations are underway to deal with the issue of slippery rails this autumn following a huge improvement in punctuality in Autumn 2021.

Each year Greater Anglia and Network Rail work together in order to reduce the impact of leaf fall season on train performance. A build-up of leaves on the tracks can create issues for rail operators as they stick to damp rails and are then squished by passing trains, compressing them into a slippery black substance which has been likened to black ice on roads.

The slippery black layer on tracks causes problems for trains as it can affect braking distance whilst creating reduced traction and acceleration. Train drivers need to slow down earlier than usual when arriving at stations and signals in an attempt to avoid overrunning them, they also have to accelerate more gently so as not to cause wheel spin. All of these issues cause increases to journey times creating delays for passengers.

Despite the difficulties autumn brings to the rail industry, Greater Anglia still achieved its best autumn performance ever during 2021, even seeing cuts in delay minutes created by slippery rails which resulted in fewer cancellations when compared to 2020.

Autumn 2021 saw Greater Anglia’s general punctuality score hit an impressive 94.48% for the period from 19th of September 2021 to 8th of January 2022 making its best-ever autumn period to date.

Delays were also recorded as being down by 19.5% during autumn 2021 when compared to 2020 and a huge 84.5% down when compared to 2019.

2021 also saw the rail operator carry out just 2.5 cancellations because of autumn weather which is remarkable when compared to a massive 48.5 cancellations for the 2019 period.

A great deal of credit must be given to Greater Anglia’s new trains for their ability to deal with the many challenges provided by ‘leaf fall’ season and its figures demonstrate their substantial improvement to the rail operator’s old fleet.

Greater Anglia’s Engineering Director, Martin Beable, said: “Most trains are fitted with a system called ‘Wheel Slip Protection – or WSP. This is the equivalent of the ABS system you have in your car and prevents trains from skidding which can damage their wheels.

“Our brand new intercity, regional and electric commuter trains are fitted with the very latest Wheel Slide Protection systems which have been thoroughly tested and developed to be optimal.

“This means that any sliding on greasy rails – with lots of leaves compressed on the top of the rail – is limited and causes less damage to the wheels and track.”

Trains deposit a small quantity of sand onto the rail when required which helps create grip where leaf contamination is proving troublesome. Train drivers are also able to apply the sand manually as a preventative measure on the approach to leafy areas in order to keep services on the move.

2022 has seen Greater Anglia use cameras in train cabs in order to record journey footage which is then analysed via AI technology in order to discover areas with problematic vegetation, creating maps which are utilised by Network Rail’s vegetation clearance teams in a bid to handle issues before they arise, causing delays.

Further to this high-tech approach to leaf fall season, Network Rail also utilised six ‘leaf busting’ Rail Head Treatment Trains which operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, blasting leaves off of the tracks using high-pressure water jets.

The hardworking trains will see more than 80,000km covered from the 26th of September and up to the 16th of December in order to keep rails clear for Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, East London and Essex. Inspection and clearing of compressed leaves by hand is also undertaken by specialist leaf fall teams where necessary.

Network Rail’s route director for Anglia, Ellie Burrows, said: “Autumn is always a challenge for the railway but our leaf-busting teams will be working around the clock to keep passengers moving this autumn. We’re deploying special treatment trains to clean rails and have engineers ready to respond to issues as they occur and we’ll be taking preventative action wherever possible to keep services running on time.”