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PATCO News & Information

Leaf Season Schedule Returns Saturday, October 10

PATCO makes slight schedule adjustments to maintain on-time performance during the fall season

PATCO will shift to its annual “leaf season” schedule beginning on Saturday, October 10, 2020.

The revised train schedule aims to maintain schedule reliability and on-time performance during the fall months when the seasonal leaf fall has the potential to delay commuter trains.

The falling foliage leaves behind an oily residue when crushed by train wheels. This slick residue creates slippery rail conditions which require trains to operate at reduced speeds with longer trip times. The loss of traction has the potential to flatten out areas of the train’s wheel surfaces resulting in the wheel rolling unevenly and emitting a thumping sound. When this occurs, the train is taken out of service to repair or replace the misshapen wheel. This could lead to train delays or cancellations.

PATCO takes proactive measures to minimize the impact to customers from leaf oil accumulation. Special PATCO crews use high-pressure washing equipment to scour the rails during the off-peak and evening hours. The schedule adjustments also allow for this work to occur on the rails between trains.

Riders should expect this schedule to continue until around the beginning of December or when most of the leaves have fallen.

To view the schedule, please click here.

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