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NJ TRANSIT DEPLOYS AQUATRACK UNITS TO PREVENT SLIPPERY RAIL CONDITIONS

Two High-Powered Units Clean Leaves and Residue from the Rails to Prevent Wheel Slippage

October 9, 2020

NEWARK, NJ —NJ TRANSIT will begin utilizing two AquaTrack machines to clean and remove leaves from the rails, beginning Sunday, October 11th and continuing throughout the fall season.

The AquaTrack equipment is a high-pressure power washing system which removes leaves and oily residue from the tracks in an effort to prevent train delays caused by “slippery rail” conditions.

“As we move deeper into the fall season, the falling leaves and the oily residue they excrete begin to hamper a train’s ability to maintain traction, particularly in areas of our rail system with inclines. This leads to what is referred to in the industry as ‘slippery rail’ conditions,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin Corbett. “In order to combat this condition, which particularly impacts railroads throughout the Northeast, our AquaTrack machines are deployed to quickly remove leaves and the oily residue they create to minimize delays to trains due to this condition and improve on-time performance for our customers.”

The AquaTrack system has been in use by NJ TRANSIT since October 2003.  It consists of two 250-horsepower diesel-engine units mounted on a flat car with an operator control cab.  Two pressure-pump units dispense water up to 20,000 pounds-per-square-inch directly to the top of the rail.  The process uses 17 gallons of water per minute.

The original AquaTrack is operated primarily on the M&E and Montclair-Boonton lines, which face particular challenges including the hilly areas around Glen Ridge and Summit stations, washing the rails twice a day Monday through Friday—once overnight and again during midday hours.  On weekends, the Pascack Valley and Main/Bergen County lines are usually covered.

In 2016, NJ TRANSIT unveiled its second AquaTrack unit which allows the cleaning process to maintain a larger coverage area in helping to prevent delays caused by slippery rail.

Fallen leaves left on rail tracks can cause a condition known as “slippery rail” – a challenge facing all railroads in the Northeast and other parts of the world where deciduous trees are prevalent. The decaying leaves create an oily residue that coats the rails and causes poor traction. The decreased train speeds, in turn, create delays

In addition to AquaTrack, NJ TRANSIT trains are equipped to spray sand on the rails in front of their wheels to increase traction.  NJ TRANSIT also trims trees to help stem the amount of leaves on the tracks. 

To view Aquatrack in action, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAcOVFGqSS4

About NJ TRANSIT

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 925,000 weekday trips on 253 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 166 rail stations, 62 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.