A COMPANY that operates trains on the Airedale, Wharfedale and Calder Valley lines has completed fleet modifications to tackle the problem of autumn leaf-fall, three months ahead of schedule.

Falling leaves can stick to damp rails and, pressed in by passing trains, form a slippery layer that reduces trains' grip.

As recent as 2018, Northern had to take 306 trains out of service for repairs to carriage wheels caused by slippery rails.

In 2023, the figure was down to 14.

The reduction in the amount of time required to repair wheels has led to Northern being able to offer its services to other train operators for wheel repairs, creating an additional source of income for the operator.

A number of technologies make up this year's fleet modifications.

They include Water-Trak technology, fitted to all 16 of the Class 170 trains in the Northern fleet.

The technology sprays water onto the track to simulate heavy rain, which helps wheels to stop slipping.

All Class 150 and Class 156 trains have been fitted with Wheel Slide Prevention technology, which prevents wheels from 'locking' and creating potentially dangerous flat spots as carriages slide across the track.

Meanwhile, new Double Variable Rate Sanders can dispense up to three times the quantity of sand that previous versions could, and at higher speeds, too.

These have been fitted to all 34 of the Class 323 trains in the Northern fleet.

In October of last year, Northern published GoPro footage demonstrating Water-Trak technology in action, and in December the operator used GPS tracking to map leaf-fall hotspots.

Rob Cummings, seasonal performance improvement manager, said:

"Whilst it feels like summer has only just arrived this week, our engineers have had their eyes firmly fixed on autumn for some time.

"Fallen leaves used to cause significant disruption across the network – but having tried a number of methods in recent years and by fine-tuning our approach, we have been able to cut that right down.

"To be 'battle ready' three months ahead of schedule is a real testament to the team that has worked so hard to ensure our fleet is ready for whatever nature throws at it."

Northern's leaf-fall prevention efforts are supported by Network Rail's ‘railhead treatment trains.'

The company provides nearly 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England, and is the second largest train operator in the UK.