“The train is on time as there are NO leaves on the track”
“Surely not..?”
“Yes, really!”
We’ve all felt the frustration of a train delay, often in autumn when millions of leaves fall from trees onto the tracks, but why is this such a big issue, and what can be done about it?
When trains pass over the leaves, their heat and weight bake them into a thin, slippery layer on the rail. This is equivalent to ice skating on rails, making it difficult for trains to accelerate and brake effectively.
These issues are also caused by rust which can appear on rail heads and does so more frequently in seasonal conditions.
A build-up of leaves, rust, or other contaminations on the tracks can create a resistance barrier between train wheels and rails, interfering with train detection systems. This disruption can result in serious Wrong Side Failures, where a train goes undetected, compromising the safety integrity of track circuit block gaps for safe train running.
When these issues happen, drivers must be more cautious when pulling out of stations and brake much earlier for stations and signals. This can lead to longer journey times, the dreaded delays, and even worse – cancellations. In autumn this scenario is so regular, that the timetable is adjusted to account for this.
To prevent this, in autumn railway operators use leaf-busting trains, which clean the top of the rail by spraying it with high-pressure water jets to remove leaf mulch and contamination, or they apply leaf remover products by hand. This is an action that must be repeated up to several times a day and it doesn’t deal with rust.
Interflon recognised an opportunity to address these challenges and have developed Interflon Clean OTR, a unique and innovative technology that dissolves organic leaf matter and addresses rust.
What you need to know about Clean OTR:
- Fast and repeating action – it activates in less than 2 minutes, and its hydrophobic residue will prevent fresh leaf matter from sticking for 7 days and it reactivates in the rain. This performance has reduced rail treatment frequency from 4-5 times per day to just once a week.
- Biodegradable – sustainability and impact on the environment is key so we’re delighted to say that Clean OTR is 98.5% biodegradable.
- It really works – Clean OTR has delivered a 70–75% reduction in autumn related safety incidents across Britain and Ireland.
- Time saving – Clean OTR helps to reduce train times in the autumn, bringing faster service and more trains moving on the network.
- It’s approved – for use on Network Rail infrastructure and Irish Rail, with full Product Acceptance in place.
Application
Applying the right quantity of Clean OTR is key, and like high pressure water it can be applied via trains and other track enabled vehicles. However, Interflon have also developed a unique portable applicator that can be assembled in less than a minute and that will apply Clean OTR perfectly by varying the amount released onto the rail irrespective of walking pace. Several miles can be easily covered in one night.
Summary
This is the biggest innovation in railhead cleaning for decades. It offers an effective alternative to widespread tree removal, and by adopting a weekly treatment regime, a significant reduction in Autumn related issues and events can be achieved, improving train performance and passenger safety, reducing trackworker risk, and reducing costs.
Want to know more?
Get in touch [email protected] and we’ll answer your questions on this and other key rail topics.
