Anti-Frost Train: Preventing Ice Formation on Railway Catenaries

2023-12-12 11:58:00

This train sprays a gel made from a mixture of oils onto the catenary in order to prevent the gel from adhering and the formation of ice.

Frost occurs when water vapor freezes on a surface at a negative temperature. Very often, it is fog or mist that freezes to the ground or any other surface. The result is a granular, white and opaque layer of deposit.

Frost or ice can form on the rail network’s catenaries on cold winter days. The pantograph, the articulated device located on the roof of the train which allows it to be supplied with electricity, can then lose contact with the catenary, depriving it of current, totally or intermittently, which prevents the train from circulate.

One in five trains was late in November

To avoid this type of incident, the “anti-frost train” has been deployed preventively since 2019. A device installed on a flat wagon, towed at 30 km/h, sprays, using a laser camera, a mixture mineral and vegetable oils on the catenary, preventing the gel from adhering. One liter per kilometer is thus sprayed.

This train runs monthly on more than 300 kilometers of track from mid-October to mid-March. Six lines are given priority: Brussels-Hal, Louvain-Hoegaarden, Pepinster-Welkenraedt, Etterbeek-Namur, Namur-Ciney and Ciney-Hatrival. “These lines are the most sensitive to the formation of ice on our Belgian railway network,” explained Glenn Van Calster, engineer at Infrabel. “So far there is no need to process the other lines.”

Other measures are taken during the winter months to keep the tracks free of snow and ice. Thus, from October, sensitive places are inspected, as are switches. At major switches, a heating system is installed, which switches on automatically depending on the weather.

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