Date: 17/09/2018

Autumn's here - the nights are drawing in, the temperature's dropping and we're preparing to combat leaves on the line. Millions of trees grow along the railway, dropping thousands of tonnes of leaves onto the tracks throughout the season. The debris can cause significant disruption to the network. Leaves stick to damp rails and passing trains compress them into a smooth, slippery layer, reducing trains grip.

External links

Autumn on the railway - Network Rail

Network Rail

Autumn's here “ the nights are drawing in, the temperature's dropping and we're preparing to combat leaves on theline. Millions of trees grow along the railway, dropping thousands of tonnes of leaves onto the tracks throughout the season. The debris can cause significant disruption to the network. Leaves stick to damp rails and passing trains Continued

Related images

Network Rail RHTT unit DR98958, specialising in the removal of leaves and oil residues, passing through Wester Hailes station on 4 October 2007. Possibly a releaf working... (sorry)
Location: Wester Hailes
Company: Caledonian Railway
04/10/2007 John Furnevel

An MPV on RHTT duties heads south east through rural Kent at Tutt Hill, to the north west of Ashford, on 28 October 2010. The large wall behind the MPV to the right of the line is part of a bridge over the M20 Motorway.
Location: Ashford
Company: London, Chatham and Dover Railway
28/10/2010 John McIntyre

The 'Leaf Train' at a standstill as the driver has to get out in order to remove a particularly tricky leaf.
Location: Cardross
Company: Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway
24/10/2016 Beth Crawford