‘Leaf fall’ timetable changes from Chiltern Rail

CHILTERN RAILWAYS is advising passengers that there will be minor timetable changes from Sunday, October 5, due to its leaf fall timetable being introduced.
All trains on the London Marylebone to Birmingham line will have an extra three minutes added to their termination time. This means that trains will arrive at their destination up to three minutes later than
before.

All trains on the Aylesbury and London Marylebone via Amersham line will have three minutes added to their departure time so trains will now leave Aylesbury three minutes earlier than before.

Chiltern Railways say: “We need this extra time because autumn leaf fall means that our trains
can’t go as fast as normal. Leaves are blown onto the rails by passing trains; rain and the pressure of heavy trains going over them then creates a hard surface on the rails, which not only makes it difficult for the wheels to grip the tracks but is very difficult to remove.
It’s so slippery, our drivers compare it to black ice.

“Changing our timetable means drivers have a much better chance of keeping to time so that services can run smoothly and without disruption. In turn, this means that passengers will still be able to plan effectively, as our 95% punctuation rate means you can be sure of arriving on time.”

The amended leaf fall timetable will remain in place until 13th December.