PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Workers are scheduled to begin the cleanup of an open-air heroin market that has thrived for decades along a set of train tracks a few miles outside the heart of Philadelphia.

Conrail on Monday will begin moving in heavy equipment and preparing its staging area at the half-mile stretch of railroad notoriously known as El Campamento.

The city and the company debated for more than seven months on how best to remove the layers of syringes and trash that cover the sunken-in gorge that has long drawn drug dealers and users as well as scores of homeless people.

City officials say they'll set up trailers in the area that will offer food, health screenings and information about housing options for people who live along the train tracks.