5 Easy Ways to Avoid Icy Rails this Winter

In Anti-Icing Deicing, Ice Slicer®, Rail & Mass Transit by Eric Vantiegham

Keeping mass transit and rail operations running during winter can be an ongoing struggle. Midwest has 5 ways to keep your trains safe and on schedule.

Winter weather and rail rarely go hand in hand — freezing temperatures can produce ice, which blocks the switches and third rails transit systems need to keep running. This isn’t only annoying for passengers, who have to wait for hours in the freezing cold, it can also be dangerous for the technicians who must manually de-ice rails and equipment. And when massive delays make national headlines, they can be more than just a headache for transportation administrators.

And everyone knows — delays cost a lot of money.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Midwest Industrial Supply, Inc. has developed a proprietary set of anti-icing and deicing solutions that keep your trains running, no matter what climate they’re steaming through.

Here are the best ways to stay ice-free this winter:

  • Enviro-Mlt™ is a high-performing aqueous potassium acetate solution that works in temperatures to as low as -50 degrees Fahrenheit. This anti-icer and deicer works well on rail switches and most other equipment.
  • Ice-Free Switch™ uses a NASA smart fluid technology (co-developed by NASA and Midwest) to keep switches clear. Sprayed or poured as a liquid, Ice-Free Switch becomes a gel-like substance when activated.
  • Zero Gravity Third Rail™ likewise uses a NASA smart fluid to prevent snow and ice from adhering to the third rail. Best applied before a storm’s onset, Zero Gravity Third Rail will save rail authorities money and headaches — it takes 5 to 10 times more product to remove ice once it has set in.
  • Ice-Slicer® Third Rail Spray System is the best way to apply Midwest’s Zero Gravity Third rail product to keep third rails free of ice.
  • Switch Treator® is a family of sprayers that deliver high-viscosity switch agents like Glidex® and Ice-Free Switch™. They’re fully customizable, which means authorities can choose the capacity and style that works best for them.

For more information on how to keep your transit prepared this winter, contact a Midwest Representative today!

Eric Vantiegham is Midwest’s Rail & Transit Specialist. Skilled in product development, new business development, and strategic planning, he enjoys playing ice hockey and coaching his boys' youth teams.