Vehicle-based cryogenic rail cleaning: an alternative solution to ‘leaves on the line’

Contamination of rail lines with leaves and other organic matter oxides can affect the traction train wheels cause safety issues, delays schedule changes. The main solution in UK is to use specialist rail-head-treatment trains that clean rails high-pressure water jets. But these cannot cover all mainline infrastructure due limited availability gauging issues. As such, there a need for rapid-response mobile expand this capability. This paper reports on successful field trials small road-to-rail vehicle fitted dry-ice blasting equipment, effect has both cleaning improving braking.