The MTA warned riders on the Staten Island Railway of potential delays during the fall because of leaves falling onto the tracks. View Full Caption Flickr/Metropolitan Transportation Authority

STATEN ISLAND — Slippery leaves could cause a fall of delays for Staten Island commuters, the MTA warned.

Riders on the Staten Island Railway, which is uncovered and surrounded by trees, unlike the majority of the city's network of tracks, could be looking at service problems this fall thanks to leaves on the tracks, officials explained.

"One of the benefits of living on Staten Island is how green it is compared to the rest of New York City. But those green leaves in the summer can cause problems in the fall with the lack of rail adhesion on our tracks," Frank Jezycki, NYCT Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Staten Island Railway, said in a release.

Because the slippery rails can make it difficult for a train to stop at any speed — forcing the MTA to take additional measures to ensure safety, the railway could face scheduling delays. The agency encouraged riders who need to catch the Staten Island Ferry take earlier trains than usual.

To mitigate the slippery conditions, from October until mid-December the MTA runs a special train every week night to apply a traction gel on the rails which increases the friction between the wheels and tracks, the MTA said.

They also put sand on the rails and, on weekends, run a train equipped with a high-pressure hot water spraying system to clean the leaf residue.

"Leaves fall in the autumn whether in good weather or during storms, so we never stop monitoring track conditions because nothing is more important than the safety of our customers," Jezycki said.