We could be in for a rough November.

That’s according to the long-range forecasts that Anita Elliott, on time performance manager, is using to plan FRL’s Autumn preparations this year. 

“We’ve had some early leaf-fall, but it’s been a ‘false Autumn’ triggered by trees under heat stress this summer,” she says.

Forecasters MetDesk say October will continue mild, but November will be a ‘perfect storm’ in more ways than one, Anita reports, with a possible El Niño weather event causing extreme conditions, storm-force winds and heavy rains finally forcing leaves (along with their branches) onto tracks.

Leaves can delay trains because when they stick to the tracks drivers have to slow down to take into account longer stopping distances. They can interfere with the signalling system and by reducing the train’s grip, make it more difficult not just to stop but to pull out of stations, accelerate or climb hills.

Preparations started months ago. It’s a well-drilled process, and very much a team effort.  

 

Rapid response

In Operations, drivers are briefed on special measures they should take in the conditions, with new drivers given extra training on simulators. Railhead treatment trains (the rail head is the running surface of the rail) are readied to be deployed to known problem areas, and special rapid response teams briefed to hand-treat sections – like parts of the Windrush and Liberty lines – that are less accessible and at particularly high risk of low-adhesion.

Low adhesion for the trains of course; the leaves adhere just fine and that’s the problem. The Fleet team prepares trains for the anticipated conditions, including carrying sufficient sand that the trains deposit automatically when braking, if wheel slide activity is detected. 

Customer Experience colleagues meanwhile have a heightened focus on customer safety, being aware that wet leaves could create slippery surfaces, while also making sure leaves and other platform debris is not accidentally swept onto tracks. They also encourage customers to make full use of platforms with prompt, but safe boarding.

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Challenges and solutions

Throughout the season, the Control team holds regular meetings, and urgent extreme weather calls, with Network Rail counterparts so they can forewarn Depots who in turn brief drivers.

Tom Dobson is senior network lead in this team, and the escalation point for issues on the line. He has regular meet ups with Network Rail and the meteorologists, to anticipate problems and deploy resources to help. 

While AI can help crunch data from previous years as a guide to the future, the main lines of defence are the treatment trains armed with water cannon to blast debris off the tracks, and teams of people scraping stubborn leaf slime off the rails by hand and applying a paste of gel, sand and iron-shot to help grip.

“Drivers are our eyes and ears,” says Tom. “They’ll tell us if conditions in the areas they cover are worse than expected, and they’ll spot other environmental factors, which could be as straightforward as making sure platform bin bags are tied up so they don’t blow on to the tracks.”

Does Tom ever get bored of hearing from disgruntled commuters?  

“I’m used to it!  We hear similar complaints about how Saudi trains can manage in extreme heat or Swedish trains in snow. The truth is we all have the same challenges and the same technical solutions.”

Anita agrees. “Autumn happens every year of course, and our preparations and responses are well-rehearsed. But each year is different too, each day in fact, with unexpected challenges [El Niño being an especially big curve ball this year]. It really can be ‘the wrong kind of rain’ – drizzle can be worse than torrential rain – or even ‘the wrong kind of leaf’ sometimes! 

“At the end of the day it comes down to careful planning, clear communication, rapid response – and a lot of hard work round the clock.”

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