It may seem untimely to choose the month of April to publish a column about snow and ice removal, but as I have said before, our profession is always looking to the future. South Shore Line (SSL) trains run from South Bend to Chicago paralleling the southern shore of Lake Michigan over most of the route. Lake-effect snow is common, average annual snowfall is 82 in. for South Bend and the highest recorded seasonal snowfall is 172 in. according to the U.S. National Weather Service. As with all railroads, safety is paramount and walking surfaces must be kept clean and dry to the greatest extent practicable. Employees work long hours with plows, shovels, snow throwers, rotary brooms and salt spreaders to clear parking lots, walkways and platforms during snow events. The use of deicing salts, however, has dire effects on the environment and infrastructure.
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