IRISH RAIL HAVE revised the autumn train timetable for the Dublin area to adjust for leaves on the tracks. 

The autumn leaf fall is a perennial problem for the transport operator. 

Irish Rail have likened it to “black ice on roads”, as the presence of leaves forces trains to drive more cautiously and accelerate and decelerate more slowly.

To that end, they’re tweaking the schedule a little. The revised timetable will be in effect from next Monday until 14 December in the greater Dublin area.

Changes will be made to morning and evening peak services on both DART and Dublin Commuter Routes and will see journey times extended by 1-3 minutes, according to a statement from Irish Rail this morning.

Morning trains will depart earlier to arrive on schedule, while evening services will depart on schedule with slightly later arrival times.

There will be no changes to Intercity or other routes.

In addition to the schedule changes measures like management of vegetation around the tracks will be stepped up and a special traction gel will be applied to the tracks as trains pass, improving the grip between the wheel and rail interface.

Speaking on the changes Irish Rail COO, John Healy, said:

“We have made the decision this year to make modifications to the timetable to ensure that these conditions cause as little impact on our customers as possible.”

Ireland is following in the footsteps of railways in Britain, Netherlands, Germany, USA and Canada among others in implementing these measures.

In Britain, areas with heavy leaf fall have implemented similar measures with trains departing a few minutes before they usually would.

Irish Rail commuters have previously complained about delays to services around this time of year. When leaves fall onto the line, particularly in damp conditions, they can become compressed by the train wheels, which in turn creates a slippery mulch covering the tracks.

For the latest service information and news from Iarnród Éireann, keep an eye on their website.