Recently, while waiting on the platform of a station in Haute-Loire, a strange machine that doesn't really look like a passenger train arrives and stops. My curiosity leads me to observe him curiously and then to question the traffic policeman.
The rail cleaner
“This machine is called a handcar. It is a small railway vehicle, generally four-wheeled, self-propelled, light, used mainly for the maintenance of railway tracks, he explains. Their maintenance is crucial to ensure traffic safety and reliability. »
The machine is equipped with brushes for cleaning the rails and a washing car in frost-free periods. It cleans between Saint-Georges-d'Aurac and Firminy. “During the fall, there is more pollution on the track. The decomposition of dead leaves pollutes the rail and can lead to jams or derailments,” explains the SNCF employee.
A speed of 30 km/h, at night or in the early morning
The handcar runs daily, and very early… Before the first trains pass. She travels at around 30 km/h.
The draisineur, or driver of the machine, always works at night. “The handcar contributes to the security and sustainability of the network. It allows regular monitoring of the state of railway infrastructure. »
Essential to avoid, or limit, train delays.
