Overview

• The name was chosen in a nationwide vote from a shortlist drawn from about 1,300 nominations by a panel including Tim Dunn, Lord Hendy and Lisa Angus, with finalists such as Leaf-Fall Weapon, Pulp Friction and The Autumn Avenger.
• The specialised train will begin operating from Network Rail’s Effingham Junction depot in Surrey next week.
• Ctrl Alt Deleaf is designed to blast leaf mulch from rails to restore grip and maintain reliable train detection for signallers.
• Network Rail’s seasonal operation is planned to span over a million miles across the network using fast‑reaction teams and added tools such as drones.
• Fallen leaves can compress into a black‑ice‑like layer that prompts delays and speed restrictions and has been linked to incidents, including a 2021 crash near Salisbury that injured passengers and a driver.