Sheffield University engineers say pellet-blasting system removes leaves more efficiently and will reduce delays. Dry ice will be blasted on to railway lines in northern England in a trial aimed at removing leaves more efficiently than current methods. University of Sheffield engineers have developed a leaf-clearing technique that will be 'trialled' by the train operator Northern on a passenger service in the coming weeks. [Dry Ice has been used in Scotland since 2020. -RS]
(Permalink) Dry Ice Leaves Leaves on the line Northern

The new method of removing leaves from tracks will be 'trialled' across northern England in the coming weeks. [Dry Ice has been used in Scotland since 2020. -RS]
(Permalink) Dry Ice Leaves Leaves on the line Northern

Use of cryogenics will see dry ice pellets fired onto the rails causing leaf mulch to crack and break away.
(Permalink) Autumn Dry Ice Leaf train MPV RHTT

Researchers from the University of Sheffield, in collaboration with Icetech Technologies, have used dry ice to develop a new solution to the problem of leaves on the line, which cause delays, cancellations and timetable changes for rail passengers.

Millions of trees line the 20,000 miles of rail track in the UK, shedding an estimated 50 million leaves onto the tracks every autumn. As the leaves fall onto the rails, they are compacted under the weight of trains into a smooth, slippery layer sticking to the tracks and causing trains to lose their grip the rail equivalent of black ice on the roads.
(Permalink) Dry Ice Icetech Technologies Leaves on the line University of Sheffield