Recently, UK Network Rail announced that it was experimenting with a new laser technology to remove fallen leaves from railways at speeds of up to 60 mph.
It is reported that when leaves and grass are pressed on the rails, they will form an oil film, causing a phenomenon similar to "black ice" (thin ice formed on asphalt roads in winter or when the temperature is below 0°C) during driving. This phenomenon will reduce the grip of railway trains, and at the same time affect their safety and service performance, eventually causing slower process of slow down and accelerate, or brake in advance, and even lead to major accidents in severe cases, and thus has become one of the most dangerous "road killer".
To solve this problem, the British rail network is experimenting with "LaserTrain" technology, developed by Amsterdam-based Laser Precision Solutions (LPS), which can emit laser beams at the rails, thereby evaporating the remaining oil stains on the rails. .
The technology will be trialled on the East Lancashire Railway in north-west England in October this year, as part of a UK-wide plans to to bring new Lasertrain technology to rail which make railways cleaner, greener and safer. The trial in the UK will also be the first time laser technology has been used in a railway cleaning solution at a processing speed of 60 mph.
To test the technology, Network Rail first needed to measure friction levels on contaminated rails. After treatment with LaserTrain technology, the friction level was measured again. This process will be repeated several times over several weeks, and the laser cleaning process will be run at various speeds in the tests, up to a maximum speed of 60 mph.
Harm Medendorp, CEO of Laser Precision Solutions: "We are very pleased that Network Rail has chosen our technology for future consideration and the opportunity to demonstrate how our smart, sustainable rail cleaning solutions can create more reliable and efficient services. By continuously increasing the power of the laser, we have managed to increase the cleaning speed from 25 mph to 60 mph now.”
LaserTrain has been operating in partnership with New York City's MTA Long Island Railroad since 2018 and has shown positive results so far.
In the first year alone, there were 65% fewer late trains, 48% fewer train cancellations, and 32% fewer carriage reductions on the LaserTrain line due to weather conditions.
What's more, like other laser cleaning technologies, LaserTrain requires no consumables and does not produce any by-products. According to Laser Precision Solutions, this is a unique and patented design.
