A SQUAD of railway workers known as the Leaf Busters has been set up to help ensure Scotland’s trains run safely and on time this autumn.

Each autumn, trees that grow along Scotland’s railways drop thousands of tonnes of leaves onto the tracks and this debris can break down into a slippery surface that sticks to the rails and causes trains to lose their grip.

Springburn-based SWGR are providing rail operators with the skilled staff required to clear leaves before they have a chance to stick to the rails.

The Leaf Busters will also wash leaf debris off the line and spray rails with a glue-like coating to help train wheels grip the tracks.

Staffed rail cleaning trains will treat some 74,000 miles of track this autumn – 20,000 more than last year – with teams clearing a volume of leaves estimated to pile as high as three Eiffel Towers.

The work will take place from as far south as the Scottish Borders to as far north as Wick, six days a week, with all 60 members of the team kitted out in bright Leaf Buster uniforms.

Terry Flynn, managing director of SWGR, said: “Every autumn Scotland’s railways face an enormous challenge due to the sheer volume of leaves falling on or near lines, with the Argyll and North routes worst affected. SWGR is very proud to work in partnership with Network Rail and ScotRail Abellio to provide a service which is crucial in enabling trains to continue running on time and also in keeping people safe.

“More than 90% of the works carried out are proactive and, happily, by keeping thousands of miles of railway lines clear and trains running, they will never be known by the wider public as they do exactly the job that is required of them.

“We also have rapid response crews based at key points across the network ready to react quickly to clean specific locations where drivers report poor conditions.

“Our dedicated Leaf Busters are all trained and highly skilled in what they do, supported by specialist trains and the latest ground-breaking microwave and cryogenic technologies. It’s a catchy title for a very important service and one SWGR is very proud to support.”