UK infrastructure operator Network Rail has awarded contracts worth €1 billion (GB£850 million) for the operation of rail treatment trains during the autumn and winter months. The contracts will run for five years from August 2025, with an option to extend for up to three years. GB Railfreight (GBRf) will operate the multi-purpose vehicles (MPV) in the north, while Balfour Beatty will be responsible for the south. The 32 MPVs use water jets to remove leaves from the tracks and apply adhesion agents in autumn and anti-icing fluid and herbicides in winter. Colas and GBRf will operate the 29 locomotive-hauled trains for treating rail heads on longer lines. GBRf will also manage the ten snow and ice treatment trains, while Colas will be responsible for snow clearance. The contracts also include the introduction of six MPVs that will be converted for use on overhead lines.
