Prototype tech 'rains' on rails to fight leaves on the line

Prototype technology that recreates rainy-day conditions by spraying water onto the track is fighting ‘leaves on the line’ on the Northern rail network.

Fallen leaves can cause significant disruption to the network. Leaves stick to damp rails and passing trains compress them into a smooth, slippery layer, reducing their grip. This can cause delays to services, which leads to disruption for passengers.   

Unlike the limited number of railhead treatment trains (RHTTs) that currently clean railway lines using pressurised water jets, the new Water-Trak technology can be fitted to existing passenger services. 

The new technology – which is attached to the undercarriage of trains – is based on the discovery that leaf-coated rails only become slippery if they are just damp, and trains will stop safely in heavy rain. Water-Trak recreates rainy-day conditions on the rail surface by spraying a small amount of water from the train onto the track when a slippery rail is detected. This cleans the rail and makes the conditions better for braking.

John Cooke, co-founder of Water-Trak, said: “Slippery rails are a massive problem for the rail industry, and we hope to play a big part in resolving this issue.  

“We’re hoping that by working with Northern we can make autumn disruption a thing of the past.”  

Five Northern trains fitted with Water-Trak will be operating this autumn on routes between Liverpool, Wigan and Manchester, as well as between Leeds, Harrogate and York. A further 11 trains will have the Water-Trak system fitted before next autumn.