Iarnród Éireann is advising customers that a revised Autumn timetable will take effect from Monday 22nd September until 14th December in the greater Dublin area, to reflect the impact of seasonal leaf fall on rail services.
While it is the first time an Autumn timetable has been implemented on Ireland’s rail network, Iarnród Éireann will join railways in Britain, Netherlands, Germany, USA and Canada amongst others in implementing such a measure.
Changes will be made to morning and evening peak services on DART and Dublin Commuter routes and will see journey times extended by 1 – 3 minutes at these times. Customers are particularly asked to note earlier departure times on morning services.
Autumn leaf fall causes low rail adhesion, with leaves – especially in damp and wet autumnal conditions – creating a greasy layer on the rail that is the equivalent of black ice on roads. To ensure safety, train drivers must drive more cautiously and accelerate and decelerate more slowly at times when rails are affected.
The revised timetable will therefore reflect the restrictive nature of service operation during this challenging time of the year for train services.
Main changes in Autumn timetable
- Morning services on DART and Dublin Commuter routes will be slightly advanced in the morning with the aim to achieve scheduled arrival times at destination.
- Evening services on DART and Dublin Commuter routes will depart as scheduled from origin with additional time added towards destination
- Journey times are extended primarily between 1-3 minutes for more information please visit irishrail.ie and please check your times before travelling.
There are no changes to Intercity and other routes.
How Iarnród Éireann works to reduce low rail adhesion
- Vegetation Management: Managing trees and other vegetation, in line with environmental and biodiversity controls, such as avoiding bird nesting periods. New drone technology is being used to identify at risk trees.
- Specialised Water-Jetting and Gel Application Machine: A Multi-Purpose Vehicle operates late in the Dublin Commuter area to clean the track before the early morning peak, It first clears fallen leaves and contamination by cleaning the track 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 track.
- 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. Five new TGAs have been commissioned for the 2025 season at two at Woodbrook, two at Kilcoole one at Ballyhale.
- Manual Gel Application and LeafGuard:Hand held gel applicators & specialised rail-head scrubbers are positioned at strategic locations, particularly near junctions and are utilised by specially trained maintenance staff in order to provide a rapid response when necessary. Increased use of LeafGuard, a biodegradable track cleaner which improves wheel traction for up to seven 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 Junction. and Athlone regions.
- On-Board Sanding Equipment: All Iarnród Éireann trains are equipped with on board sanding systems, which dispense sand when wheel slip is detected. Drivers can also manually dispense sand when required.
- 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 Iarnród Éireann focus on specific LRA contributory elements, such as known hotspots. Weather and Leaf fall rates are also captured
Iarnród Éireann’s Chief Operating Officer, John Healy said: “Low rail adhesion is something that affects railways worldwide during Autumn. 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.”