Commuters facing delays sparked by leaves on the line could be a thing of the past if new modernising trials aimed at improving Britain’s railway infrastructure are a success.
Sound bending walls, track inspection drones and a plan to stop delays caused by autumn leaf fall are among schemes awarded new funding to transform Britain's railway.
Some 24 innovative projects will receive a share of £7.8 million as part of the Department for Transport's First Of A Kind (FOAK) competition. The initiatives were selected based on their potential to strengthen the resilience of railway infrastructure and operations, enhance rail freight services and reduce the environmental and noise impacts of the railway.
A noise-reducing wall being developed by Dutch-based firm 4Silence could be as effective as a barrier three times its height by diffracting sound waves from passing trains.
UK joint venture Amey VTOL, another scheme to win funding, is creating a drone system that could carry out track inspections to avoid the need for people to set foot on tracks.
Funding was also granted to CoCatalyst, which is working on a method of spraying a small amount of water onto tracks when there are leaves on the line, because the problem of slippery rails due to leaf fall does not occur during heavy rain.
This is the third round of funding from the FOAK competition.
Rail Minister Andrew Jones said: "The First Of A Kind competition has consistently produced truly innovative projects developed for the benefit of passengers, helping to drive forward a greener, cleaner and more efficient rail network.
"This round has been the biggest yet and I am excited to see how our funding will bring these ambitious ideas to fruition."
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