THIS train is coming to a line near you – but you won't be able to catch it.

It's Network Rail's autumn treatment train – the 'leaf-buster' – tasked with clearing the line and making it safe for trains.

Leaves act like black ice on roads and can cause train delays throughout the autumn months.

The problem is due to trains passing over leaves on the damp rails, which compresses them into a smooth, slippery layer, reducing wheel grip.

The south west rail network, which includes the Weymouth line, has more than 1,300 miles of track, much of which is surrounded by trees and vegetation, and must be regularly treated to keep them clear.

Six specially designed trains with high pressure water jets are expected to cover around 120,000 miles in the coming months on the route.

Becky Lumlock, route managing director for Network Rail, said: “The issue of leaves on the line is a very real problem for the railway industry which will present us with a number of challenges in the coming months.

“Our teams of engineers will be working around the clock across the region to keep the tracks clear and keep people on the move.

“We will also be monitoring leaf-fall very closely in order to tackle high risk areas before they become a problem for trains.”

Leaves can also interfere with the signalling system, by interrupting the connection between the wheel and the track, reducing its ability to detect a train's location.

Equipped with a high-pressure pump, the leaf-busting trains clean the railheads by spraying them with a water jet at very high pressure (1500 bar) to blast away leaf mulch, clearing the tracks and helping the signalling system to work correctly.

They then apply a layer of adhesion modifier – a mixture of suspension gel, sand and steel or iron shot – to the rail to aid traction and help trains run as normal.