Special equipment is needed to keep track clear of leaves

Using specialist equipment, leaf buster crews are out every night on lines in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk - especially wooded sections.

Network Rail's planning co-ordinator Mark Sadler said: "It's like clearing black ice from roads in winter."

If the work is not done trains will slip and slide on the tracks when starting or stopping.

The key operation is to scrub the individual lines but other measures are used as well.

When this happens the system grids to a halt Mark Sadler

Mr Sadler said: "A liquid leaf buster is sprayed on the rails to prevent leaf build up.

"This is because in the wet trains grind the leaves onto rail surface and they also get caught in the rims of the wheels so engines slip and slide.

"Leaves can also insulate wheels from the track and this causes problems with signalling which is triggered by electric impulses from some trains.

"When this happens the system grinds to a halt."

It has taken all year to plan the co-ordinated scrubbing of the tracks during the eight weeks that leaves are a problem.

Network Rail's weather strategy manager Simon Smith said: "Ten per cent of rail delays are blamed on weather and in the autumn leaves are the cause.

"In steam days the heavier wheels on engines gave their own traction and there were fewer trees close to lines because they were a fire hazard.

"These days we let the foliage grow a little bit more but we have to spend 5,000 man-hours a year making sure the tracks are clear of the leaves."