THE COMPANY behind Bolton's trains says services may be crowded or arrive short-formed this week after "excess leaves" on the railway line caused damage to a number of trains.

In a statement, Northern said engineers were "working round the clock" to fix the damage trains but apologised for the likely increase in busy services caused by the reduction in vehicles.

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When wet leaves are compacted by trains driving over them it can cause railway lines to become extremely slippy, meaning any trains that travel through the area later can slip. The problem has been likened to black ice on the roads.

The statement, sent out in a tweet by Northern, said: "Due to excess leaves on the line, some services will be busier than normal this week. Customers are advised to check before they travel and we are sorry for any inconvenience."

It continued: "We're sorry several of our trains have been shorter and more crowded than normal this week. Autumn conditions mean the rails are slippery which can lead to flat spots on train wheels.

"Our depot teams are working round the clock to repair them and get trains safely back into service. Network Rail also operates special trains throughout Autumn to improve conditions."

In October, Network Rail, which manages the country's railway infrastructure, announced plans for eight 'leaf-buster' trains which cover the North West and blast leaves off the railway line.