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