NJ Transit Begins Fall Cleanup With AquaTrack Machines
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor
AquaTrack machine
NJ Transit
NEWARK, N.J. - NJ Transit begins fall maintenance with two AquaTrack machines.
NJ Transit announced the two AquaTrack machines will be used to clean leaves from the rails throughout the fall season. The machines work as a high-pressure power washing system to blast away oily residue left from fallen leaves. Leaves left on rails cause what is known as “slippery rail.” This does not only affect NJ Transit’s network but all railroads where deciduous trees are located. If left untreated, the oily residue coats the rails and worsens traction to lead to delays and reduced speeds.
NJ Transit says it has used these machines to combat “slippery rail” since October 2003. These machines feature two 250-horsepower diesel-engine units on a flat car with an operator control cab, according to NJ Transit. Then, two pressure-pump units “dispense water up to 20,000 pounds-per-square-inch directly to the top of the rail,” using 17 gallons of water a minute to clean leaves from the track. Originally, AquaTrack was used primarily on the M&E and Montclair-Boonton lines twice daily during the week. In 2016, NJ Transit says it employed a second AquaTrack unit to allow the agency to cover a larger area. Below is a video from NJ Transit demonstrating the AquaTrack machines.
Trains are also equipped with sand-spraying mechanisms to spray front of the wheels to increase traction, NJ Transit says, in addition to the use of AquaTrack machines. As part of its vegetation management, NJ Transit also trims trees to reduce the number of fallen leaves.
