As autumn sets in, falling leaves are causing major disruptions to train services.
Trains compress the wet leaves onto the tracks, resulting in a slippery surface that increases the risk of sliding.
Nathan Hyde, a spokesperson for Northern Rail, emphasises that while it may appear trivial, leaves on the tracks can pose significant dangers.
He says: "The drivers have to adapt, they have to travel at slower speeds, they have to brake earlier ... when the wheels of the train slide, that can bend the wheel and sort of distort it and bend it out of shape and then, when that happens, we have to take trains out of service."
The slippery residue is referred to as "leaf mulch" which is like the rail equivalent of black ice.
When the rails become slippery, it is harder for the train to brake safely. As a result, train drivers must set off and slow down much more cautiously than they typically would, which then leads to delays.
When this leafy residue accumulates on the tracks, this creates an obstruction between the train's wheels and the electricals within the tracks that help the control room to identify the location of the train.
When there is difficulty locating a train, those behind it will be delayed until its location is identified to ensure a safe distance is maintained between trains.
Amelia Francis travels by train three to four times a week.
She says: "Delays are not an unusual thing so I do expect that but, for it to be leaves, I didn't really think that that would happen. I thought it would be more ice, or the rain, or flooding, or things like that."
Train services begin preparing for the autumn weather months in advance, in an attempt to prevent delays.
Hyde says: "We've got water track equipment which blasts the leaves off the line. We've got these things called double variable sanders and they deploy high quantities of sand so that improves friction, and then we've also got wheel slide prevention technology so that prevents the wheels from locking out."
He adds: "We're hoping we're going to see quite a noticeable difference this year" as a result of these technologies.
It would seem that the beauty of autumn comes with a cost for the railways.
Post a comment