"A new locomotive will be keeping the railways clear of leaf fall this autumn, with the newly named 'Ctrl Alt Deleaf' taking to the tracks. This leaf-kicking train - named by the public in a nationwide vote - will roll out for the first time next week from a depot at Effingham Junction, Surrey. 'Ctrl Alt Deleaf' beat thousands of other contenders in the nationwide vote and saw-off other worthy contenders like 'Leaf-Fall Weapon', 'Pulp Friction', and 'The Autumn Avenger', to grab the top spot with half the votes. Its mission, along with an entire fleet of similar leaf-busters, is to blast leaf-mulch off the rails - treating some 1.12 million miles across southern England over the autumn."
"Sand In addition to the dedicated leaf-clearing trains, last year, 39 SWR trains were fitted with sand-applying technology to boost rail adhesion in wet conditions. This system will be used again this autumn after a successful first year in service. The sand applicators can distribute up to 5kg of sand onto the tracks per minute, and automatically apply sand when a train is braking. As a result, the distance it takes a train to stop is significantly reduced. Land Rovers Network Rail is also using a rail cleaner, Interflon LeafGuard, which is quick-acting and does not require rinsing or wiping. Applied either by hand or via a Sand Rover - a specially-adapted 4×4 Land Rover vehicle which can travel on rails and on the road and scrape leaf mulch off the tracks with specially mounted wire brushes - this solution self-cleans and leaves behind a micro layer that is reactivated by rainwater and moisture, keeping the rail head surface clean for longer. Drones Drones are also being deployed to aerially inspect the railway and reduce the need for line closures while high-definition video cameras mounted onto the front of trains - known as Automated Intelligent Video Review (AIVR) - help maintenance teams identify areas that need extra attention."
A newly named leaf-clearing locomotive, 'Ctrl Alt Deleaf', will begin operations from Effingham Junction, Surrey, after winning a public vote. The locomotive will join a fleet to blast leaf mulch from rails, treating about 1.12 million miles across southern England this autumn. Past-season upgrades included fitting 39 SWR trains with sand-applying systems that can distribute up to 5kg of sand per minute and automatically apply sand during braking to reduce stopping distances. Network Rail is also using Interflon LeafGuard applied by hand or via Sand Rover vehicles. Drones and AIVR cameras support inspection and targeted maintenance without widespread line closures.
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