Railway plans announced to cut leaf fall delays

Specialist trains equipped with water jets will blast leaves off the tracks

Plans have been announced to try to cut delays to train services in Kent and Sussex due to leaves on the lines.

Specialist trains equipped with water jets will run a 24-hour service daily from Tonbridge depot to blast the debris away.

Southeastern made the announcement ahead of its new autumn timetable coming into force from Sunday.

A spokesperson said the season was a "challenging time" but the company would be "working to do even more to keep trains on time and ensure customers can travel with confidence".

Some services will depart slightly earlier or later and the company is urging customers to check timetables in advance.

About 50 million leaves are expected to fall on the tracks in south-east England this autumn, according to Southeastern.

New 4x4 vehicles will be trialled on the Grain branch and Hayes line where they will treat the track to increase grip.

David Davidson, Southeastern chief operating officer, said: 'In autumn, the tracks get inundated by millions of leaves that can affect the stopping and starting of our trains and can pose a significant safety risk if left unchecked.

"Alongside relatively small but necessary changes to our timetables to ensure our drivers can start and stop our trains safely, we are doing more than ever to minimise disruption."

The autumn timetable is available here and will run until 13 December.