Leaves are being blasted from railway lines across the West Midlands and Chiltern main line by a special fleet of trains.

Starting this week and continuing into December, the fleet of ‘leaf-busting’ trains will keep rail tracks clear of leaf debris and keep passengers and freight on the move for the West Midlands and Chiltern main line.

Falling leaves in the autumn months provide a great deal of extra work for railways as they build up on the line, sticking to damp rails and compressed by trains creating a thin black layer which can impact a train’s braking and acceleration abilities. The effects of leaf fall on the railway are regarded as the equivalent of black ice on roads, further to this a build-up of leaf mulch can also create difficulties for signallers to detect the location of a train which can lead to delays. 

Five specialist trains will be carrying out leaf-busting duties across 83,459 tracks throughout the region as trees lose their leaves. Three of the trains are Multi-Purpose Vehicles or MVPs and will work alongside two Rail Head Treatment Trains or RHTTs. The trains will use high-pressure water jets to clear the tracks before a machine applies a coating of a glue-like substance which enables passenger train and freight train wheels to grip the track.

Drones will also support the leaf fall operation for the first time this year by checking hotspot areas that can see leaves cause disruption. 

Kings Norton in Birmingham is the home of the seasonal delivery depot and is at the heart of the operation this autumn, keeping tracks clear for the West Midlands, West Coast main line to Euston and Chiltern main line to Marylebone

Martin Colmey, operations director for Network Rail’s Central route, said: “Leaves on the line are a big problem for the railway. It disrupts services and inconveniences passengers and every year, Network Rail and train operators work together to battle against the elements to get passengers and freight to their destinations.

“We are ready to keep people and goods moving across the West Midlands and Chiltern Main line running a safe and reliable service for our customers.”

Network Rail saw £4.7 million spent during 2021 to keep passengers on the move in the West Midlands and Chiltern main line for the autumn period.

2022 Will see 108 traction gel applicators put in place throughout the Central route. The applicators spray a special gel which is similar to sand on the rails which helps train wheels gain extra grip.

The autumn treatment programme will also see specialist teams located across the area to monitor its effectiveness and provide extra support where needed.

To find out more about how Network Rail handles leaves on the line, please visit: www.networkrail.co.uk/leaves