London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Aug 28, 2025

Train firm rolls out water spray tech to tackle 'leaves on line' autumnal delays

Train firm rolls out water spray tech to tackle 'leaves on line' autumnal delays

Around 10 million trees border Britain's rail network dropping thousands of tonnes of leaves onto tracks every autumn, landing the industry with an estimated seasonal bill of £345m.

Leaves on the line disrupting train services promise to be a thing of the past for many more travellers with new technology being introduced by a major train operator.

Northern, which runs nearly 2,000 daily services, is fitting a system to 16 passenger trains which will combat slippery rails by spraying water onto them.

The Water-Trak technology will be used on trains operating between Leeds, Harrogate and York, as well as between Sheffield, Doncaster, Hull and Scarborough.

Leaves cause widespread problems every autumn when they stick to damp rails and become compacted by train wheels.

It creates a smooth, slippery layer similar to black ice on roads, reducing trains' grip.

Speed restrictions are imposed in an attempt to reduce accidents such as the crash between two trains outside a tunnel near Salisbury, Wiltshire on 31 October last year which left 13 passengers and one driver needing hospital treatment.

A South Western Railway train slipped on crushed leaves, causing it to slide past a stop signal and smash into the side of a Great Western Railway service.

Rail lines have traditionally been cleaned using railhead treatment trains (RHTT) which use high-pressure water jets followed by a gel containing sand and steel grain to increase grip.

But these are expensive to run so are generally limited to busy mainlines, leaving other routes untreated.

Trains stop safely in heavy rain, so Water-Trak recreates these conditions by distributing a small amount of water when slippery rails are detected.

This can improve braking performance at a lower cost than using RHTTs.

Trials of the technology have been conducted on two of Northern's Class 319 trains in passenger service since October last year.

The operator's seasonal improvement manager Rob Cummings said rolling out the system to more trains is "the next step in finding a solution to tricky autumn conditions".

He added: "One of the biggest risks to our performance during October and November is leaves on the line, but by helping to develop new innovative technology we aim to deliver the very best service for our passengers."

Water-Trak co-founder John Cooke said: "Leaves on the line may seem like a bit of a joke, or an excuse for bad performance. But actually, it's a major issue for the rail industry."

Around 10 million trees line Britain's railway, dropping thousands of tonnes of leaves onto tracks every autumn, saddling the industry with an estimated seasonal bill of £345m.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
×