Duilleoga ar an Líne

An tráth sin den bhliain atá ann, arís eile. Tá an fógra leithscéil sin cloiste ag gach aon duine leithscéal as moilleanna a bheith ann mar gheall ar “dhuilleoga ar an líne" - ach cad is brí leis sin? Conas is féidir le mionrud cosúil le duilleoga dul i bhfeidhm ar thraein mhór throm.

Conas a bhíonn tionchar ag duilleoga ar an líne ar sheirbhísí traenach

Is minic a bhíonn titim an duilliúir san fhómhar mar chúis le droch-bhail a bheith ar na cinn iarnróid agus is féidir leis tionchar a imirt ar an fheidhmíocht agus ar phoncúlacht na dtraenacha ar bhealaí éagsúla.

Nuair a thiteann duilleoga ar an líne, go háirithe nuair atá aimsir thais nó fhliuch ann, déanann na rotha agus an mbealach a théann siad thart ar an iarnród na duilleoga a chomhbhrú, agus clúdaítear an ród iarainn le ‘móta’ gréisceach dá bharr. Is cosúil an tionchar a bhíonn ag an móta ar bhóithre iarnróid leis an tionchar a bhíonn ag oighear ar bhóithre. Laghdaíonn sé an greamaitheacht idir an roth agus an iarnród - agus tá an nath sin "greamaitheacht iarnróid íseal” ann dá bharr. Is féidir leis an móta duilliúir tionchar a imirt ar a dhéanamh d’oibriú ciorcaid iarnróid, atá ar phríomhghné den chomharthaíocht traenach é. Tá sé an-deacair an móta seo a bhaint as na rothaí agus an iarnród araon agus is minic a chuirtear i gcomparáid leis an Teflon é, ábhar eile atá an-deacair le glanadh agus atá an-sleamhain.

D'fhonn na ceanglais sábháilteachta a chomhlíonadh, glacann Tiománaithe Traenach le teicnící tiomána cosantacha. Áirítear leis seo an luas a laghdú chun cosc a chur ar an méid a shleamhnaítear agus chun deimhniú go n-éirítear leis stopadh i gceart ag na hardáin, agus nach sáraítear pointí comharthaíochta agus, toisc gur féidir tionchar a bheith aige ar na coscáin, síntear an t-achar choscánaithe.

Más taistealaí iarnróid minic thú, seans maith go bhfuil tú in ann a thabhairt faoi deara nuair a bhíonn an roth ag ‘sleamhain’, má théann tú trí cheantar atá buailte leis an fhadhb seo. Sin an fáth go mbíonn moilleanna níos coitianta ag an am seo den bhliain, go háirithe go luath ar maidin go luath agus go luath san oíche

Féach ar an míniúchán a tugadh ar an iarmhairt seo ar an gclár Bang Goes The Theory de chuid BBC.

Conas a théimid i ngleic leis an íseal-ghreamaitheacht iarnróid (LRA)?

Tá bearta réamhghníomhacha agus frithghníomhacha glactha ag Iarnród Éireann chun an
drochthionchar a d'fhéadfadh a bheith ag LRA ar an tSábháilteacht agus an Fheidhmíocht a
laghdú:

• Vegetation Management: Managing trees and other vegetation, in line with environmental and biodiversity controls, such as avoiding bird nesting periods.  New drone technology is used to identify at risk trees. €9.6m was invested in 2024 to cover tree felling and vegetation control across the three CCE divisions.
• Specialised Water-Jetting and Gel Application Machine: A Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV 790) operates late at night Monday to Saturday in the Dublin Commuter area to clean the track before the early morning peak, covering 70 shifts. It first clears fallen leaves and contamination by cleaning the railhead with a high powered water jet at the front of the train and then applying a special ‘gel’ substance to the rail. The specially formulated gel consists of sand, antifreeze and steel shot that improves adhesion between train wheels and the railhead.
• Traction Gel Applicators (TGAs): 127 solar powered TGAs are installed across the network in known LRA hotspots. When a train passes over the unit, it dispenses traction gel which improves the grip between the wheel and rail interface. The gel dispenser is topped up before the LRA season and is regularly checked. 5 new TGAs have been commissioned for the 2025 season at Woodbrook, Glenageary, Kilcoole & Ballyhale.
  
• Manual Gel Application and LeafGuard: Hand held gel applicators & specialised rail-head scrubbers are positioned at strategic locations, near junctions etc. and are utilised by specially trained maintenance staff in order to provide a rapid response when necessary. Increased use of Interflon LeafGuard OTR, a biodegradable railhead cleaner which improves wheel traction for up to 7 days. It showed up to 70% LRA improvement on 2024 DART & Maynooth test sites with further improvements in application being tested for 2025 in Limerick Jctn. and Athlone divisions.
  
• On-Board Sanding Equipment: All IÉ passenger rolling stock and 201 class locos are equipped with on board sanding systems which dispense sand when wheel slip is detected.  Drivers can also manually dispense sand when required.  Sand boxes are regularly checked during the LRA season. Sanding was added to Enterprise carriages during 2024 (2 sand boxes per set). CME issue Knowledge bulletins briefings to staff on sanding importance & awareness of differences between different fleet types.
• Data Collection: A dedicated team of people continuously work on ways of tackling the issues LRA present.  Continuous monitoring and recording forms the basis of a valuable database to allow IÉ focus on specific LRA contributory elements, such as known hotspots.  Weather and Leaf fall rates are also captured. In 2024, 40,000 delay minutes were caused by LRA conditions, compared to 26,000 minutes in 2023.
• Frontline Staff: Colleagues from CCE, CME, SET and Ops work to ensure our rail system operates safely in these conditions. SET have upgraded train detections and track timer installations.
• Competent Drivers: In order to comply with safety requirements Train Drivers adopt defensive driving techniques.  This includes reducing speed to prevent slipping or over running platforms or signals as well as carrying out frequent running brake tests.  As braking can be affected, braking distances are extended. All Drivers are briefed before the LRA season commences on the risks they’ll experience through the provision of handbooks and posters.
• LRA Risk Forecast: From late September to early December, a 5 day risk forecast is issued advising all staff if the risk of an LRA event is:
  • Low (Green)
  • Moderate (Yellow)
  • High (Red) or
  • Severe (Black)

This allows all colleagues to prepare and anticipate LRA occurring.

• LRA Timetable – NEW for 2025: A LRA Timetable will commence from mid-September and end on 12th December ahead of the new Timetable on 14th December.  Timetable adjustments will add over 2,600 additional runtime minutes per week in the greater Dublin area.  Where possible morning peak times are advanced by 1 to 3 mins and evening peaks have additional runtime.
• Best Practice: LRA affects many countries with a temperate climate and IÉ are a member of a group consisting of UK Train Operating Companies, which meet on a regular basis to tackle the problem.
• Customer Impact: Customer queries can be directed to this website, which highlights the issues and actions to limit its impact. This will be complimented shortly by a news story, regular tweets and a “Leafometer” when we enter the peak LRA season.

Mar a dúirt Michael Danaher, ár mBainisteoir Bonneagair sa Réigiún Thoir:

Athraíonn líon na seachtainí a leanann sé seo ar aghaidh ó bhliain go bliain, ag brath ar an aimsir. Mar sin féin, leanfaimid orainn ag obair ar feadh na tréimhse ina mbíonn na fadhbanna ann chun na moilleanna a bhíonn ar sheirbhísí a íoslaghdú, agus gabhfaimid leithscéal as an míchaoithiúlacht a tharlaíonn mar gheall air.

Le haghaidh nuashonruithe laethúla ar seirbhísí ar a bhfuil tionchar ag an íseal-ghreamaitheacht iarnóid agus chun teacht ar fhaisnéis seirbhíse agus ar an nuacht is déanaí ó Iarnród Éireann, lean muid ar Twitter.

Amharc ar ár mBilleog Fómhar chun fáil amach cé mhéad duilleog atá fágtha ar na crainn. Déanfaimid é a choinneáil suas chun dáta iad i rith an tséasúir;