TRAIN operator First Capital Connect (FCC) will be using quad bike snow ploughs to clear station forecourts and car parks this winter.

The company is believed to be the first of its kind in the country to use the specialist vehicles, which can clear a station within 15 minutes.

The machines will be operated by FCC’s cleaning contractors and transported to snow-hit stations by vans with snow tyres and chains.

Keith Jipps, FCC’s head of customer services, said: “The Met Office is predicting that this winter will be colder than last year and we at FCC are determined to be as well prepared as possible.

“The quad bike snow ploughs are a fantastic innovation and will be very useful in helping our customers to reach our stations and their destinations safely during times of snow disruption.”