Northern is using new GPS tracking technology to identify leaf fall hotspots and make autumn conditions even safer.
Fallen leaves can significantly disrupt the network when they stick to damp rails and are compressed into a smooth, slippery layer by passing trains. This layer reduces trains’ grip, leading to delays and disruption for passengers.
Now, Northern is using cutting-edge technology on its CAF fleet to tackle the problem. This technology tracks how the train is moving, showing the train operator where there may be tricky conditions for drivers.
It tracks any small slips or slides on a mapping system that can be shared with drivers to forewarn them of any tricky conditions or with Network Rail, which cleans the tracks. Some problem areas included routes between Horsforth and Harrogate, Earlestown and Huyton as well as between Guiseley and Ilkley.
Rob Cummings, Seasonal Performance Manager at Northern, said: “Slippery rails are a massive problem for the rail industry, and we are playing a big part in resolving this issue.
“This is just one of the many cutting-edge ways Northern is battling autumn conditions to make sure our customers can get to their destinations on time, even when the weather is against us.”
The train operator is also testing ‘rail head treatment technology’, which is attached to the undercarriage of passenger trains and could save the rail industry millions of pounds every year.
On Sunday (10 December), rail timetables across the North of England will change in line with the rest of the national rail network. Customers are encouraged to use the ‘Check My Timetable’ feature on the Northern website for more information about their local station.
Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.
