Southeastern is asking passengers to check their train times ahead of a number of changes to the timetable coming into effect this Sunday (12 October).
Autumn is always a challenging time for the railway but this year, Southeastern and Network Rail are working together to do even more to keep trains on time and ensure customers can travel with confidence.
All year, hundreds of miles of trackside vegetation is managed to reduce the number of leaves which can fall on the railway. In addition, during autumn specialist trains equipped with water jets will run round-the-clock from Tonbridge depot to blast debris off the lines.
In addition, new ‘Sand Rover’ 4x4 vehicles will be trialled on the Hayes line in London and the Grain Branch where they will treat the track to increase grip.
David Davidson, Chief Operating Officer for South Eastern Railway, said:
“We know how important it is to all our passengers to keep our trains running on time, whatever the weather. But we also know autumn is an extremely challenging period as the tracks get inundated by millions of leaves that can affect the stopping and starting of our trains and can pose a significant safety risk if left unchecked.
“By bringing track and train together, Southeastern and Network Rail are able to do even more to keep trains running on time and safely. So, alongside relatively small but necessary changes to our timetables to ensure our drivers can start and stop our trains safely, we are doing more than ever to minimise disruption, from using special leaf-busting trains to introducing specially modified ’Sand Rover’ 4x4’ vehicles, which treat the track to increase grip.
“Customers can find the amended timetables on journey planners, our website and available in stations.”
Every year around 50 million leaves fall onto the railway track across the south east where, when compressed under train wheels, they can be as slippery and treacherous as black ice, which means drivers need more time to stop and start safely and reliably.
The autumn timetable will run until 13 December and will see some trains being retimed, and departure times moving slightly earlier or later for some services. The changes will ensure a more punctual and reliable service by preventing late running trains arriving at key junctions where problems can compound and significantly disrupt services.
South Eastern Railway brings the publicly owned train operator, Southeastern and infrastructure provider, Network Rail Kent Route, under a single leadership team. This enables a shared approach to managing autumn, with changes to train times delivered together with an enhanced infrastructure programme.
