‘Ctrl Alt De-leaf’: Shortlist for the name of Network Rail’s leaf-breaking train revealed – and YOU can vote for the winner
- More than 1,300 individual nominations have been submitted by the public
- They were rejected by a jury, including presenter Tim Dunn
- Which name is YOUR favorite? Vote in the MailOnline poll below
- But don’t forget to vote in the official Network Rail poll. Link at the bottom…
- READ MORE: I’m a train expert – here are seven of Europe’s best sleeper services
Nominations have been submitted by the public to name one of Network Rail’s most notable trains – and now a shortlist of four names has been revealed.
In alphabetical order they are: Ctrl Alt De-leaf, Leaf-Fall Weapon, Pulp Friction and The Autumn Avenger.
Which one wins will now be put to a public vote.
More than 1,300 individual nominations were submitted by the public before being rejected by a panel of judges: railway historian, broadcaster and author Tim Dunn, Minister of State for Railways, Lord Peter Hendy, and Network Rail seasonal delivery director Lisa Angus.
Network Rail said: ‘A range of fantastic name suggestions including: ‘Britney Clears’, ‘Buster Grimes’, ‘Don’t Stop De-Leafing’ and ‘Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Anti-Leaf Machiney’ fell just short of expectations. making the final shortlist, which proves how tough the competition was.”
Nominations have been submitted by the public to name one of Network Rail’s groundbreaking trains – and now a shortlist of four names has been revealed
Tim Dunn said: ‘Who needs Leafy McLeafFace when we have this shortlist of awesome – and very fitting – names to bestow on one of these legendary, leaf-smashing behemoths.
‘I knew Britain wouldn’t let us down: the entries ranged from witty, clever and even moving to completely shameless dad-level puns.
‘It was a pleasure to be part of the jury process to appoint a leafbreaker. My fellow judges and I found it difficult to narrow down all the brilliant entries to just four names.
Network Rail said: ‘Although leaves are often seen as a funny thing, they pose a serious threat to railways, not just in Britain, but in countries around the world.’
‘So thank you very much to everyone who took the time to submit a name – now it’s over to you, the British public. Head over to the Network Rail website right now and vote for your preferred name for one of these “mulch” loved machines.”
Lisa Angus said: ‘While this competition is just a way to bring a light-hearted ‘re-leaf’ this autumn, it is great to see a growing awareness of the serious problems that leaves on the line can pose to the track.’
Network Rail added: ‘Although leaves are often seen as a funny thing, they pose a serious threat to railways, not just in Britain, but in countries around the world.
‘When trains run over leaves – especially during periods of wet weather – the heat and weight of the trains bake these leaves into a thin, slippery layer on the rail, similar to black ice on the roads.
‘This mulch can also interfere with signaling systems, create a barrier between the train wheels and the electrical parts of the track, which allows us to determine where trains are located, and cause problems when accelerating and braking trains.
Voting is now open at www.networkrail.co.uk/stories/can-you-help-name-one-of-our-leaf-busting-trainscloses at midnight on Friday, October 11.
