Train delays caused by leaves on the line plummeted in Lancashire and Cumbria last autumn, according to figures released by Network Rail.

The news came as TransPennine Express, the operator which runs trains on the lines from Barrow-in-Furness and Windermere to Manchester Airport, reported a six per cent growth in passenger numbers.

Delays in Lancashire and Cumbria fell by 84 per cent, from 22,291 minutes in 2003 to 3,664 minutes in 2004. Nationally, delays due to leaves were down by 42 per cent.

Network Rail area general manager Gary Openshaw said his "leaf-fall" teams had done "an excellent job".

Dick Smith, of the Lakes Line Rail User Group, which campaigns for better services between Windermere and Oxenholme, said ingenious solutions had helped beat the leaves.

The main weapon used in the battle against leaves is a substance called Sandite. It looks like gritty wallpaper paste and it helps trains to get a better grip on the rails.

Network Rail has line-side machines at stations in problem areas that automatically squirt Sandite on the tracks as trains pass by, helping them to stop safely and start up without slipping.

On the Lakes Line, a converted truck was used to run along the tracks and dispense Sandite nightly which, despite reportedly disturbing some farmers' sleep, gave better grip.

The truck was so effective, it won an industry award for innovation.

The leaf-fall teams also had portable sand dispensers and a citrus-based liquid to remove the compacted leaves, which they tackled after drivers reported problems.

A special railhead treatment train was also used to blast leaf contamination off the tracks with high-pressure water jets.

TransPennineExpress, which runs the services on the Lakes Line, saw three quarters of a million more passengers use the trains from February 1, 2004, making a total of 14.3 million journeys made.

As well as the Manchester Airport services, it runs trains from Liverpool to Hull and Newcastle and Manchester Piccadilly to Cleethorpes.

TPE customers can now book their tickets on the Internet at www.first group.com/tpexpress/.