Special 'Treatment Trains' set to work clearing autumn leaves of rail tracks at Milton Keynes and elsewhere

Six specialist leaf-busting trains have this week started the job of keeping the region's railway tracks free of fallen leaves.

Three trains known as MPVs (multi-purpose vehicles) and three trains called RHTTs (rail head treatment trains) will cover Milton Keynes and all Midlands, West Coast and Chiltern main lines this autumn.

They will treat 100,946 miles of track while trees are shedding their leaves. That's equivalent to going almost four times around the equator, says Network Rail.

Following a successful pilot last year, aerial drones are being used across Network Rail's Central and West Coast South routes to check known hotspots where leaf fall can cause the worst disruption.

For the first time remote cameras will be set up in three places most prone to leaf fall disruption. This will give control rooms a view of conditions at any time so track teams can be sent to clear the railway as quickly as possible.

After railway lines have been cleared with high pressure water jets, the machines then apply rails with a glue-like coating to help passenger and freight train wheels grip the tracks.

Regarded as the railway’s equivalent of black ice on the roads, leaves on the line can create issues when they stick to damp rails and are compressed by moving trains into a thin, black layer which can affect train braking and acceleration.

The build-up of leaf mulch can also stop on track sensors from working - causing delays.

The equipment shows signallers in control rooms exactly where trains are on the network.

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.”

Last year Network Rail spent £4.5 million to keep passengers moving during autumn.

This year, 108 traction gel applicators have been positioned across the Central route. They spray a special sand-like gel onto the rails to help provide extra grip for train wheels.