Don’t let predictable fall leaves stall Long Island Rail Road

Johnny Mercer likely wasn’t thinking about train cars when he wrote sweet lyrics about what happens “when autumn leaves start to fall.” But at least the songwriter knew that leaves fall — every autumn.

Officials at the Long Island Rail Road should know that, too, yet they’re still not doing enough to mitigate problems caused by those leaves. They cause a condition called “slippery rail,” which can flatten train wheels. The need for repairs has put 58 cars out of service, leading to overcrowding and delays that are mostly preventable.

This was an enormous problem last year. At the time, the LIRR had only two working wheel-truing machines to reshape and smooth wheels. A third machine was unavailable because of work Amtrak was doing at Manhattan’s West Side Yards. This year, LIRR chief Phillip Eng increased branch- and tree-cutting, doubled the water pressure in two spraying trains that reduce the slime, and bought a fourth wheel-truing machine. LIRR officials say those changes reduced the problem considerably. But that’s not enough. Absurdly, the machine at West Side Yards is still not available. Commuter lives are made all the more miserable.

The LIRR always seems to be working from behind on this. The West Side truing machine isn’t expected to be operational until January. The railroad is testing its first “laser train,” a new way to tackle the problem, but only in train yards. The LIRR should start planning for next fall now by making sure all equipment will be ready to go, and finding best practices and new technology. Boston uses drones to check for leaves. And the railroad might take a page from London, which establishes “leaf fall timetables,” planned train schedule changes to address the problem in advance.

Autumn leaves will start to fall. The LIRR should be ready. — The editorial board