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PATCO to Keep Current Schedule During Annual Leaf Season

Some trains could experience minor delays during leaf-clearing work

Historically, PATCO has shifted to a "leaf season" schedule during this time of the year. However, PATCO will remain with its current timetable as it features ample spacing between departure and arrival times to allow for track treatment.
 
As the season changes and leaves begin to fall from trees, the oily residue from leaves can impact the approach and departures of trains from PATCO stations.
 
When a train starts or stops rolling over tracks covered with leaf oil, its wheels can slide. Friction caused by the slide can flatten parts of wheel surfaces and cause train wheels to roll unevenly, resulting in a thumping sound. When that happens, PATCO takes impacted trains out of service and repairs or replaces misshapen wheels. The repair process sometimes creates a temporary shortage of available trains, which could cause delays or cancellations.

In order to prevent leaf oil accumulation – and to protect the safety and comfort of PATCO passengers and workers – PATCO uses a specialized track utility vehicle equipped with a high-pressure washer to scour the rails during evening and off-peak hours. Unfortunately, our leaf-clearing work is likely to result in brief train delays from mid-October through late November. During this time, trains will approach and depart from stations at reduced speeds.

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