It's autumn and leaves on the line delay trains again

HUNDREDS of thousands of mainline rail commuters today faced slow journeys because of leaves on the line.

London's busiest train companies have lengthened journey times into the capital to allow extra time for services struggling to cope with slippery tracks.

Times have been extended by several minutes until mid-December but most delays are likely to be longer as trains stack up behind one another.

Leaves cause major problems because they harden into a "Teflon"-style substance similar to black ice on the roads after the first train has run over them.

Heavily laden trains then struggle to get going as their wheels spin, blocking the lines for those behind.

Sarah Boundy, spokeswoman for Southeastern, serving Kent and parts of Sussex into London Bridge, Cannon Street, Charing Cross and Victoria, confirmed that journey times had been increased. She said: "We realise it won't be popular and it's likely there will be some criticism about longer journey times and just wanting our punctuality statistics to appear better.

"But we think it's right to be honest and upfront and say that despite our best efforts we will need to increase some journey times by a few minutes to make sure passengers arrive at the time the timetable says they will."

Southeastern passengers travelling to Charing Cross from Ashford International in Kent will spend at least an extra 13 minutes on the train and those travelling from Hastings in East Sussex will take three minutes longer.

Other companies, including South West Trains which serves local and long distance routes into mainline Waterloo have also lengthened their journey times.

Network Rail, which is responsible for the tracks, today launched a multi-million-pound operation to tackle the problem. A spokesman said: "Over the past two years we have cut delays caused by autumnal weather by over 60 per cent. Use of new and sophisticated technology, attention to detail and heavy investment in manpower and machinery has paid dividends.

"We'll never beat mother nature but we're certainly getting better each year at mitigating her effects." Drivers have to brake earlier for stations and signals, and move off again more slowly. Signallers can also lose information on a train's position, meaning services are delayed.

The spokesman added: "What was once wrongly regarded as a joke is now recognised as a serious performance and safety issue for railways across the world, including America, Sweden, Germany and France."

In the past, sparks from steam engines started fires in nearby vegetation so trees and large plants did not have the opportunity to flourish. In the years since the steam decades many broadleaf trees have seeded themselves and grown up along the trackside causing problems in autumn.

Specialised weather forecasts will be issued twice a day to indicate when and where trains are likely to have problems. NR is also using a fleet of 32 engineering trains, which spread a sand-based gel on the tracks to increase wheel grip and spray high pressure water jets to clear crushed leaves.

At least 90 teams of workers are also on hand to clear trouble spots.