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A rail operator has axed a number of trains this week as freezing cold weather hits the capital.

Despite the tracks not becoming icy, Southeastern has cancelled services across their network before the big freeze hits, with a huge number of leaves expected to fall.

In anticipation of "poor rail conditions," such as leaves on the line, the amendments to the timetable were suddenly announced yesterday.

Instead of last-minute cancellations or delays should the worst happen, the train operator has preemptively "amended" its timetables on some of its metro routes - which run through Sidcup, Bexleyheath and Woolwich in south London - until Friday.

A Southeastern spokesman said: "Although Network Rail grit our rails with sand and our trains have special braking systems, heavy leaf fall and wet weather during the Autumn makes rails very slippery and means trains take longer to stop and accelerate, which causes mounting and serious delays to services."

He added: "Bringing in an alteration to our timetable due to heavy leaf fall, helps prevent last minute cancellations and delays. It also allows us to ensure trains and train crews are in the right place to run our Peak services in the evening, which are used by hundreds of thousands of commuters each day to make their journey home from London.

“If we don’t do this we could end up with our services being delayed throughout the day, our crews in the wrong locations and our trains stuck on tracks in areas they’re not meant to be.”