Greater Anglia and Network Rail are taking action and investing in new equipment in an effort to minimise disruption to rail passengers caused by slippery rails during autumn. After a successful trial last year, Greater Anglia will complete a £500K (EUR 559,000) project to fit special anti-slip ‘Wheel Slide Protection’ (WSP) – like ABS in cars – to its Class 156 trains, which will result in improved performance and more reliable services this autumn.
This is the first time such a system has been designed for Class 156 trains, which operate on rural services in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. Technology installed on the train judges whether its wheels are slowing evenly when the train brakes. When the wheels do not brake evenly this can cause damage known as a ‘wheel flat’, requiring the train to be removed from service until the wheel is repaired on a lathe. Greater Anglia hopes that by installing WSP on its Class 156 trains (it is already installed on other types of train in its fleet), the number of rural services cancelled and trains removed from service due to wheel flats will be drastically reduced.
Greater Anglia is also investing in an upgrade to the automatic sanding equipment on its Class 321 fleet which operates throughout Essex. The automatic sanders deposit a layer of a sticky sand-like substance on to the rail which helps the train wheel to grip and also helps clean contamination from the rails at the same time.
Other plans and preparations for autumn include additional track-cleaning equipment, vegetation clearance and targeting known problem areas, to try to keep delays and disruption to a minimum. Some timetables will also be changed so that services can run smoothly during the autumn and winter months.
Greater Anglia also continues to invest in a mobile wheel lathe at its Crown Depot in Norwich, in addition to the one at Ilford Depot, to fix some of the train wheels damaged as a result of slippery rails without the need to send trains away to other locations. As a result any damaged trains will be out of service for a shorter period, resulting in less disruption for passengers. Additional staff have been trained in the use of the lathe.
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