Network Rail says that with temperatures dropping and the nights drawing in, it is using a dedicated fleet of trains to tackle leaves on the line. “

Thousands of tonnes of leaves fall on the railway each autumn, so we are doing everything we can to reduce delays and get passengers home safely and on time. We are busy preparing 61 specialist trains and vehicles to minimise the impact of leaf fall, which kicked off in earnest at the start of October.”

Leaves on the line — an annual cause of delays for rail passengers — pose problems for the railway.

They stick to damp rails and passing trains compress them into a thin, black layer on the rail which — much like black ice on the roads — can affect train braking and acceleration.

Train drivers need to slow down earlier for stations and signals to avoid overshooting them; they must also accelerate more gently to avoid wheel spin.

All this can increase journey times and cause delays.

Andy Thomas, Network Rail’s managing director (strategic operations), said: “Every autumn, even with the best preparation, leaves fall onto the line.

“With millions of trees growing alongside the railway, it’s something the rail industry takes seriously, which is why our leaf-busting trains and front-line teams are out there 24/7.

“The leaf-busting trains clean the rail-head by spraying it with a very-high-pressure water jet — 1,500 bar — to blast away leaf mulch.

“They then apply a layer of adhesion modifier — a mixture of suspension gel, sand and steel or iron ‘shot’ — to the rail to aid traction and help trains run like they normally would.

“Between 1 October and 13 December, we receive adhesion forecasts twice a day from a specialist weather forecaster, highlighting locations that require action.

“This allows us to plan resources more effectively.

“As an industry, we work together to run a safe and reliable service. In areas with heavy leaf-fall, some operators publish special autumn timetables with revised journey timings to allow train drivers to drive more cautiously than usual.

“In 2018, our leaf-busting trains covered about 1.4 million miles to keep the railway clear.

“This is equivalent to travelling to the moon and back three times.”