Solving leaves on the line

Through the Innovate UK Analysis for Innovators programme, the Imagination Factory teamed up with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) to dig deep into the best ways to test their new cleaning technology.

Autumn leaves create a slippy layer between the tracks and the train, leading to countless delays impacting the lives of millions. The system that the Imagination Factory is working on will clean the tracks quickly and efficiently, meaning that breaks will work at their best.

NPL helped the Imagination Factory understand what the leaf layer is really made of and how it behaves on the tracks. The scientists at NPL also tested ways to measure the effectiveness of the cleaning treatment developed by the Imagination Factory. After thorough testing on a rural network of tracks in South Wales, chemical sensing came out as one of the best ways to assess how clean the track actually is. The Imagination Factory now uses this technique to ensure the product they are developing is 100% effective.

This collaboration has fast-tracked the development of this game changing cleaning technology. This means that the Imagination Factory is now closer to delivering a track cleaning solution that will have a positive impact on millions of train travellers.