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PATCO News & Information

PATCO Shifts to New Schedule for Leaf Season on 10/12

To view the schedule, please click here.
PATCO announced today an enhanced, revised rail schedule to ensure reliable performance during the annual “leaf season.”

The schedule adjustment will take effect on Saturday, October 12th and will continue until early-December, or until all the leaves have fallen. During that period, trains between Lindenwold and Philadelphia will run at slightly reduced speeds adding additional travel time between stations.

From mid-October through early December, fallen leaves that are crushed on the rails by traveling trains create an oily residue on the surface of the track. The residue can cause train wheels to slide and results in trains taking a longer time to accelerate and decelerate.

This is a common dilemma for rail lines in areas that are subject to seasonal leaf fall. The loss of friction created by leaf residue causes slower acceleration and the need for more gentle braking, which lengthens overall train run times. The resulting friction from the slide can flatten parts of wheel surfaces, causing trains to roll unevenly, resulting in a thumping sound. When that happens, PATCO takes affected trains out of service to repair or replace the misshapen wheels. The repair process sometimes creates a temporary shortage of available trains, which could cause delays or cancellations.

Weekday schedule adjustments:

• Owl Service (12 a.m.-5 a.m.)
  • Westbound: No changes
  • Eastbound: Departure times have been adjusted by 1 minute to accommodate for extra running time
• AM Rush Hour (5 a.m.-9 a.m.)
  • Some departure times have been adjusted 1-4 minutes to accommodate for extra running time
• Day Base (9 a.m.-3 p.m.)
  • Trains will operate every 15-minutes instead of 12-minutes
• PM Rush Hour (3 p.m.-7 p.m.)
  • Eastbound: Some departure times have been adjusted by 1 minute to accommodate for extra running time
  • Westbound: No changes
• Evening Base (7 p.m.-11:59 p.m.)
  • No changes

Weekend schedule adjustments:

• Saturday
  • Westbound: No Changes
  • Eastbound: Departures between 7 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. have been adjusted by 1 minute to accommodate for extra running time
• Sunday
  • No changes

To view the schedule, please click here.

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