When the weather turns cold, keeping the rails from freezing is an important safety measure. Individual containers, known as smudge pots, are lit to produce heat beneath the rail. In weather conditions that involve moisture and near-freezing temperatures, it’s important to generate heat to keep rain or sleet from freezing on the switch points that enable a train to shift to a different track as needed. This safety measure is not needed when the weather is cold and dry.
Use of smudge pots is a common practice in warmer climates. Both Trinity Metro TEXRail and Trinity Railway Express are utilizing smudge pots during this week’s inclement weather.