NJ TRANSIT Will Use AquaTrack for Fall Track Maintenance
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor
NJ Transit uses AquaTrack machines to clean leaves off of rails.
NJ Transit
NEWARK - NJ TRANSIT begins fall track maintenance by using two AquaTrack machines to clean and remove leaves from the rails.
The AquaTrack machines work to clean the rails by using a high-pressure power washing system to remove the residue left behind by leaves. This oily residue causes “slippery rail” conditions that lead to poor traction. If left untreated, trains must operate at decreased speeds which, in turn, leads to operational delays.
According to the release, NJ TRANSIT has used AquaTrack equipment since October 2003. The machines consist 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,” and use 17 gallons of water per minute. Below is an older video that shows the AquaTrack in action.
The original AquaTrack operated on the M&E and Montclair-Boonton lines overnight and at noon during the week. The Pascack Valley and Main/Bergen County lines were maintained on the weekends. NJ TRANSIT acquired a second AquaTrack in 2016 to cover more area. However, the AquaTrack is not the only way NJ TRANSIT maintains traction during the fall. In addition to vegetation removal, trains are equipped to spray sand in front of the wheels on the rails.
