The 'gamechanger' solution to the age-old railway problem of leaves on the line

Rail bosses have revealed a 'gamechanger' solution to the age-old frustration of leaves on the line stopping passenger trains.

The seasonal problem of wet leaves lying on rail tracks has long been a source of ire with commuters who have traditionally questioned the impact they can have. But Network Rail call the danger 'the equivalent of black ice on the roads' - and train company Northern has now announced an answer may at last have been found.

Northern said Autumn disruption could now be a thing of the past following the trial of new technology made small enough to be fitted onto all passenger trains to clear leaves from the line.

Leaves stick to damp rails and passing trains compress them into a smooth, slippery layer, reducing grip. It can cause delays to services and disruption for passengers as braking is compromised.

Currently lines are cleaned using railhead treatment trains, also known as RHTTs, but only a limited number are readily available, meaning whole networks can't be treated at the same time. RHTTs are also expensive to run, but Northern said the breakthrough 'offers the potential to provide improved treatment at much lower cost'.

Northern has revealed it has partnered with engineers and experts at The University of Sheffield to trial new rail head treatment technology that can be attached to trains, potentially saving the rail industry millions of pounds every year.

The cleaning system, developed by researchers from the university's Department of Mechanical Engineering, works by firing dry ice pellets in a stream of air at high speed onto the tracks - freezing any leaves on the line. Frozen leaves are then blasted away as the dry ice pellets turn back into a gas.

The dry ice pellets are made from waste