Piccadilly Line delays: Wet leaves cause train shortage

Rush-hour commuters faced delays on their journeys across the Piccadilly Line

The Piccadilly Tube Line has been hit with major delays after half its trains were taken out of service as wet leaves on the track damaged their wheels.

Transport bosses said slippery rails were causing wheels on the Tube trains to lock, leading to excessive wear and rendering them unsafe.

The problems are not thought to affect other lines.

A limited shuttle service is currently operating between Acton Town and Rayners Lane every 15 to 20 minutes.

A reduced service is operating across the line between Heathrow and Cockfosters.

Over the weekend commuters were forced to queue to get into Piccadilly Line stations

Some commuters reported they were not being let into railway stations

Tony Matthews, general manager for the Piccadilly Line, said: "‎I sincerely apologise to Piccadilly Line customers for the ongoing disruption to their journeys.

"The safety of our customers and staff is our number one priority which is why we've had to take some Piccadilly Line trains out of service to repair their wheels, which unfortunately means we do not have a full fleet available.

"We're working around the clock to fix the trains so that we can return to a good service as quickly as possible."

A reduced service is operating across the line between Heathrow and Cockfosters

Trains on other lines, which have newer carriages and spend less time overground, are not expected to suffer similar problems.

In further disruption, Tube drivers on the Piccadilly Line are set to stage a 24-hour strike on 6 and 7 December, coinciding with a walkout by Southern rail guards.

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