Swedish Transport Administration puts in plans to prevent autumn train damage

When leaves and barrels fall on the track during autumn and are crushed by the wheels of the train, it becomes very slippery, especially if it is also moist and the temperature is low.

Therefore the Swedish Transport Administration is putting plans into place to prevent these slippery tracks with a friction agent consisting of water gel with sand and steel balls which are laid on the rails, either from vehicles or manually, in places where problems with the track are common.

The treatment is mainly performed at night, for a couple of times a week up to several times daily depending on the traffic volume and time of the season. In addition, vegetation will be cut back from the slopes that are adjacent to the train tracks as well as at signals and at platforms, to avoid leaf deposition in the track area.

The slippery tracks cannot be eliminated altogether, however. A weight reduction of the trains may be required to combat slipping on the tracks, as well as good quality of the tractor wheels, the right type of locomotion depending on the conditions, working sand equipment on the towing vehicle and preventative closure of the road in downhill trains that reverse trains can benefit from.

Click here to read the Swedish Transport Agency’s autumn contingency plan in full.