Devon: Brushed-up Land Rover sweeps leaves off tracks

The Sand Rover sweeps off delay-causing leaves from the tracks

A specially adapted Land Rover fitted with wire brushes is keeping railway lines free of leaves.

The Land Rover, which runs on rails, has joined an autumnal clean-up on Devon tracks to reduce service delays.

The brushes on the so-called Sand Rover sweep slippery leaf mulch off the rails as it travels said Network Rail.

It also applies a citrus-based liquid to the track to break up any leaves and coats the rails with dry sand to help trains grip the rails.

The Sand Rover operates on lines that are inaccessible to trains that use traditional high-pressure water jets to clean the tracks

Network Rail said leaves can cause trains to overshoot signals or platforms, meaning train drivers have to accelerate more slowly, causing delays.

The company tested the Sand Rover on the Tarka line between Barnstaple and Exeter in 2020, resulting in an 87% reduction in delays caused by fallen leaves compared with previous autumns.

Last autumn the Sand Rover was put to work on the Dartmoor line from Exeter to Okehampton.

The four-wheel drive Sand Rover, which is adapted to run on rails, gets to lines like Tarka and Dartmoor that are inaccessible by trains using traditional high-pressure water jets to clean the tracks.

"The Sand Rover is ideal for use on branch lines in Devon that see high leaf fall levels," said Craig Hocking, Network Rail's infrastructure maintenance engineer.

"This year we're pleased to be using the Sand Rover again at night when the trains aren't running, with its proven track record of delay reduction."