The fleet of “unsung hero” trains will be rolled out to bust the leaves from 1.12 million miles of tree-lined track between September and December. According to Network Rail, in autumn leaves ...

Rail travellers endured 4,000 hours of hold-ups in the past five years – because of leaves littering the track. Almost 47,000 journeys were delayed and 3,123 services had to be cancelled.

Rail travellers can expect a “tough” autumn due to the shortage of trains and speed limits on stretches of track that need maintenance, NS chief Wouter Koolmees said on Tuesday. “The reality is that ...