30.01.14
Rail adhesion investment for Tyne and Wear Metro
Nexus has announced an extra £100,000 investment to clear trackside vegetation across the system, to reduce low rail adhesion in the autumn.
Last year the service was hit by unusually high delays, due in part to low rail adhesion, caused by leaf fall onto wet rails. Nexus will cut back more trees and shrubbery immediately adjacent to the Metro lines throughout the system.
This year Nexus will also introduce a new £2m tamping vehicle to treat larger sections of rail affected by low rail adhesion.
Director of Rail and Infrastructure for Nexus, Raymond Johnstone said: “We have earmarked an extra £100,000 to tackle trackside vegetation well ahead of next autumn.
“The extra work we will be putting in will hopefully prevent a repeat of the issues we had with rail adhesion during October and November of last year. These delays were a huge frustration for Nexus and for Metro customers and we have responded to ensure that we don’t see a repeat of the problem in 2014.
“The vegetation clearance work will take place throughout the year across the 60 kilometres of tracks and trackside areas that we manage and maintain.
“Our new tamping vehicle, which is being paid for as part of the modernisation programme, will give an extra piece of new technology to treat more sections of Metro line more quickly during the autumn, meaning fewer delays to Metro services.”
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