10.10.17
Greater Anglia and Network Rail unite to fight leaf damage
Greater Anglia and Network Rail will complete a £500k investment in anti-slip ‘wheel slide protection’ (WSP) to combat the issue of slippery leaves on the line.
The new technology will be the first time a WSP system has been designed for Class 156 trains and should result in improved performance and more reliable services this autumn.
The system has been tested on a prototype train and is similar to anti-lock braking in cars and judges whether wheels are slowing down simultaneously in order to avoid wheel flat tyre damage – which can see trains out of service for repairs.
The prototype Class 156 has been operating since October 2016 and had no wheel replacements over a six-month period, compared to older models which suffered as many as two or three trips to the wheel lathe.
Greater Anglia is also investing in an upgrade to automatic sanding equipment for its Class 321 fleet which deploy a sticky substance on to the tracks and helps wheels grip while cleaning contamination at the same time.
Other plans and preparations for autumn include additional track-cleaning equipment, vegetation clearance and targeting known problem areas to try to keep delays and disruption to a minimum.
Some timetables will also be changed so that services can run smoothly during the autumn and winter months.
Greater Anglia’s managing director, Jamie Burles, said the organisation would be “doing all it could” to keep services running.
“We are acutely aware of the frustration and inconvenience felt by our passengers when things go wrong, so we are pleased to be taking action in partnership with Network Rail, making additional preparations to protect train services during what is traditionally a difficult period on the railway,” Burles explained.
Similarly, NR has invested in a specially-adapted Land Rover, known as a Sand Rover, which will clean and treat the track between Marks Tey and Sudbury that specialist trains cannot reach.
The ‘Sand Rover’ can be driven onto the railway where rail wheels are then lowered onto the rail, turning it into a rail vehicle.
Maliha Duymaz, NR’s route managing director for Anglia, added: “We have been working together with Greater Anglia on a package of works that aims to keep train services running as smoothly as possible this autumn and winter.
“We understand the inconvenience caused when problems occur, and our engineers will be doing everything they can to keep passengers moving.”
ScotRail recently launched a similar project, spending £2.6m on clearing tracks for autumn.
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