COMMUTERS on the Portsmouth to Waterloo line are the first in the South West Trains' area to cope with the annual problem of leaves on the line.

A special leaf-fall timetable was introduced this week reducing the number of slow trains between Portsmouth to Waterloo from two to one. The two fast trains an hour are unaffected.

Posters at railway stations along the route including Liphook, Haslemere and Witley, inform passengers of the action being taken reduce the autumnal problem.

"It is just one of the measures we are taking to make sure trains run on time," said a spokesman for South West Trains.

More coaches will be added to the three trains an hour, to give more weight and make them better able to grip the lines. Fast trains will stop at additional stations to make up for the cancellations.

With one of the most notorious stretches of track affected near Witley, the spokesman said leaf fall "was a very real problem".

"The leaves get ground into the rails which then forms a Teflon-type coating - it is like riding on black ice."

As well as giving train drivers extra training to cope with trains slipping on lines, tracks are also sprayed with Sandite to help with the problem

The special timetable will be in place for the next four weeks.