Leaves on rails can be as dangerous as black ice on the road, says train driver
Artūrs Šiškovs, a driver with the passenger rail operator Pasažieru vilciens, told a Latvian Radio programme that autumn leaves can affect train speed. He compares them to black ice on a road.
Autumn leaves on the tracks can affect how fast a train is able to travel. This was said by Artūrs Šiškovs, a train driver with the passenger rail operator Pasažieru vilciens, on the Latvian Radio programme "Zināmais nezināmajā" ("The Known in the Unknown"). Based on his experience, leaves on rails are as dangerous as black ice on a road.
Compared with other forms of public transport, trains generally seem more reliable, since poor weather affects them less. However, as the driver's account shows, the situation is not that simple. The work of train drivers is not easy, and even seemingly minor natural factors such as fallen leaves can influence how a train runs.
The source material does not give further detail on exactly how leaves affect train movement or how drivers respond to it.
