SearchLeaf Fall Timetable Changes - Autumn 2020
Millions of trees grow alongside the railway, dropping thousands of tonnes of leaves onto the tracks throughout the Autumn season.
We love our trees as they are good for the environment. But leaves on the line can cause train delays by sticking to damp rails. Passing trains compress them into a thin black layer on the rail which, much like black ice on the roads, will affect train braking and acceleration.
For everyone's safety this means train drivers must slow down earlier for stations and signals to avoid overshooting them. They must also accelerate more gently to avoid wheel spin. The overall effect can be an increase to your journey time.
To avoid unexpected delays to your journey, the train companies affected will adjust their timetables in the Autumn months to allow for the effects of leaf fall on their worst affected lines.
To find out whether your journey will be affected, please select the train operating company you will be travelling with from the table below.
Avanti West Coast
No leaf fall timetable changes have been announced.
c2c
No leaf fall timetable changes have been announced.
Caledonian Sleeper
No leaf fall timetable changes have been announced.
Chiltern Railways
- Trains on the Aylesbury - Amersham - London Marylebone line may depart a few minutes earlier than normal
- Trains on the line via High Wycombe may arrive into London Marylebone a few minutes later than scheduled
Heathrow Express
No leaf fall timetable changes have been announced.
Island Line
No leaf fall timetable changes have been announced.
LNER
No leaf fall timetable changes have been announced.
London Overground
No leaf fall timetable changes have been announced.
Merseyrail
No leaf fall timetable changes have been announced.
Southeastern
Southeastern are making some small timetable changes this autumn to keep trains running on time.
From 11 October 2020, some morning trains will leave a few minutes earlier. Evening trains will leave London at the same time as usual, but some will arrive at stations along their route a few minutes later. You can check your train using our Journey Planner.
On days when we expect the weather to be at its worst, some services will call less frequently at some stations. These timetable changes give us the extra time we need to drive the trains safely.
South Western Railway
No leaf fall timetable changes have been announced.
TfL Rail
No leaf fall timetable changes have been announced.
TransPennine Express
No leaf fall timetable changes have been announced.
Transport for Wales
You can read here how Transport for Wales and Network Rail have been working closely together all year to prepare and to keep customers moving this autumn and winter.
West Midlands Railway
No leaf fall timetable changes have been announced.
Last updated: 08 October 2020
