'Slippery leaves' to blame for train cancellations

Rail services in East Yorkshire affected by falling leaves will revert to normal "as soon as it is safe", says a train operator.

Northern Rail services have seen numerous cancellations since last Friday, impacting passengers travelling between Hull, Driffield, Beverley and Cottingham.

A Northern spokesperson said the leaves had compressed on the rails and formed "a thin, slippery layer which can cause trains to slide".

On Wednesday, 22 services running between Scarborough, Bridlington and Hull were affected, with trains not stopping at Cottingham, Beverley or Driffield. Passengers travelling between Hull and Halifax were also told 18 services would stop at Bradford due to "slippery rails".

Robert Hood, 66, a retired college lecturer, was due to travel from Beverley to Sheffield but experienced problems getting home.

"The train I normally catch, the 8:04, has been cancelled," he said.

"A week or so ago there was difficulty getting trains from Sheffield back. I had to think on my feet."

Ben Jones, 30, from Cottingham, added: "It is a bit frustrating at times, but apparently it is like this every year."

The Northern spokesperson said: "We have had to temporarily alter the timetables and miss out some stops between Hull and Bridlington to ensure we can continue safely running services without causing significant disruption to the wider rail network."

Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, and watch the latest episode of Look North.

Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices