Iarnród Éireann says seasonal ‘mulch’ to blame for train delays

Falling leaves and floods are combining to upset Iarnród Éireann’s intercity and Dart timetables, with commuters complaining that they have been delayed or left standing on the platform as trains pass by without stopping.

Iarnród Éireann says the difficulty is caused by the seasonal fall of leaves on the line, particularly in wet weather, when the rolling action of passing wheels compresses them, causing a greasy “mulch” to cover the rail. The company says the mulch “is to rails what ice is to roads”.

Company spokesman Barry Kenny said the mulch “reduces the adhesion or “co-efficient of friction” between wheel and rail.” He said the company had machines out at night water-blasting the line and spreading sand and metal filings on the rails in a bid to improve the situation.

In the past year the company has also invested in 24 additional devices to apply a “traction gel” to the rails, bringing to 86 the number of these devices installed across the network. When a train passes over the device it dispenses a gel that improves the friction between wheel and rail.

Iarnród Éireann has also equipped its passenger trains with on-board sanding systems. However Mr Kenny said the mulch was “Teflon-like and even hand-scrubbing could not remove it”. In a further complication, the leaf mulch could also affect the operation of track circuits, he said. The result for commuters was that acceleration must be reduced to prevent slipping and braking distances extended.

“If you’re a regular customer, you can probably sense the wheel slipping on a train if you’re travelling through an area that’s affected,” Mr Kenny said. “This is why minor delays are more prevalent at this time of year, particularly in the early morning and early evening.”

Last week, commuters waiting at the Sallins and Naas station in Co Kildare were dismayed when a train passed them by without stopping. A similar incident happened on a southbound Dart line on the north side and there were similar anecdotal reports from other stations.

Mr Kenny said it was possible that delays to the timetable may have caused confusion. For example, he said, if a train that was not scheduled to stop in Naas was 10 minutes late, commuters arriving at the station may mistake it for their train and be surprised it did not stop.

Unfortunately for passengers, the network has also been hit by flash-flooding in the past week, with services on the Maynooth line, the route to the M3, northern commuter services and the Dart being disrupted.