Park Avenue Viaduct 5/17 (Was: Fire stops all trains...)

I suppose they could have shuttle buses from Woodlawn up and down the hill.

I was at the Mets/Nationals game in Queens last night. Got the e-mail at like 6:30 saying service was suspended, didn't pay much attention because I didn't know how bad it was, and I knew I wasn't going to be back there till like 10:30. Luckily my sister works next door to the Irvington train station, so I just took the 7 to Times Square, hopped on the 1 to Marble Hill, and then boarded the first train to Croton that showed up. I ended up seeing that black smoke cloud from Citi Field, so whatever it was, it must've been pretty big, luckily I heard aside from a couple minor injuries, everyone else seems to be OK. I also have tickets to the game Thursday, wondering if I should press my luck going in tomorrow, or whether I should just give them away??

7Exp:

The Mets-Nationals series would be a tough NL East rivalry game to miss (Daniel Murphy returning to NY) and I would go if at all possible even if I had to avoid
MNCR - you found a decent NYCT alternative via Subway routes. Another example I know of running directly from the Bronx into Queens is the Q44 SBS or the
Q50 LTD buses running over the Whitestone Bridge from the Bronx into Flushing connecting to the 7 train one stop to Mets-Willets Point and Citi Field.
Knowing how to use alternate routes - even if they are obscure or roundabout - definitely helps matters here.

MACTRAXX

On Acela 2151 this morning.

Went through Stamford and platforms were packed. It's strange not passing many MNRR trains going in either direction.

8:00 local Croton to GCT (train 8712) was so packed that it went express after Hastings simply because nobody else could fit on the train. We left a ton of people behind on the platform. I believe that they had another train ready to go local from Greystone onwards, but we only found out while platformed at Hastings.

I'm going to go to GCT early tonight and sit on the train for half an hour simply so that I can actually get on!

While I understand that there are other factors involved like moving equipment and crews, I cant understand while there arent more trains running to 'alternate' southern termini. Why isnt there more frequent service to Yonkers (then bus), Yankee Stadium (then bus/subway), and Fordham (then bus/subway)? All those mentioned are places where trains can turn easily. Also, since the incident is south of the 125 station, why cant they use the 2 express tracks as a terminal, turn at the station, then go back outbound?

How do you know that trains can turn so easily at Yonkers and Fordham? Sounds like you have no idea what is involved in "turning" a train.

My question is ? we know there is limited service, but is the average commuter such a one trick pony, that they can not figure alternative ways ??
The railroad can't fix it faster, the railroad has no control over assets outside Metro North or its availability.
But really is average commuter really that stupid, to expect full service when capacity of railroad is around 50% due to outside causes ??

I can't imagine turning a train at Fordham. You could conceivably make it the last stop and wye at MO, but Fordham is not the easiest subway transfer to make; the Third Avenue El stopped running in 1973 . It's a bit of a walk up to the Concourse; doable but not great. I think the alternate stops are just fine. Yonkers? Maybe for the island platforms, but you might as well go to Yankee. And Yankee Stadium is indeed one of the alternatives, so why bother with Yonkers? New Haven is using Woodlawn; seems fine to me. Why tie up Fordham?

Shhhh. No one has mentioned Penn Access yet. Shhhh.

Mactraxx: I'm a Nationals fan anyways, so I listen to all the games, so missing this really wouldn't be the end of the world. Plus coming from Bridgeport I'd have to take MNCR regardless so at least for me putting up with the crowds and the subway transfers from Woodlawn or sitting in traffic traveling to a Hudson line station to transfer at Marble Hill isn't worth the time, even though it would be pretty cool to stop at Woodlawn for a change

Supplemental: http://web.mta.info/supplemental/mnr/mn ... _info.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

UPDATE: Metro-North Is Operating An Enhanced Saturday Schedule for Thursday, May 19

Enhanced Schedule Will Provide More Peak Period Trains For Customers Than Typical Saturday Schedule

Metro-North is operating an enhanced Saturday schedule for Thursday, May 19.

Crews have made significant progress on repairs to the railroad's Park Avenue Viaduct that was damaged by Tuesday's four-alarm fire beneath the structure. This has allowed us to bring a third track back to service in order to provide an enhanced Saturday schedule.

Meanwhile repairs continue to bring the remaining track back into service.

In effect on all three lines, Thursday's enhanced Saturday schedule provides customers with additional trains during peak travel periods and represents 75% of ridership capacity. Customers should refer to the schedules page .

Metro-North's connecting services (the Hudson Rail Link, Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry and Newburgh-Beacon Ferry) will operate on an enhanced Saturday schedule.

Customers should expect delays and crowded conditions on Thursday and, if at all possible, are encouraged to work from home or find alternate travel plans.

Customers should continue to check this website and news media for any updates, and listen for announcements at stations.

Jeff Smith wrote:I can't imagine turning a train at Fordham. You could conceivably make it the last stop and wye at MO, but Fordham is not the easiest subway transfer to make; the Third Avenue El stopped running in 1973 . It's a bit of a walk up to the Concourse; doable but not great. I think the alternate stops are just fine. Yonkers? Maybe for the island platforms, but you might as well go to Yankee. And Yankee Stadium is indeed one of the alternatives, so why bother with Yonkers? New Haven is using Woodlawn; seems fine to me. Why tie up Fordham?

Shhhh. No one has mentioned Penn Access yet. Shhhh.

Isn't there a relatively new CP around Botanical Gardens that could be used to send trains back east?

Jeff Smith wrote:Supplemental: http://web.mta.info/supplemental/mnr/mn ... _info.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

UPDATE:Crews have made significant progress on repairs to the railroad's Park Avenue Viaduct that was damaged by Tuesday's four-alarm fire beneath the structure. This has allowed us to bring a third track back to service in order to provide an enhanced Saturday schedule.

That's an astounding achievement by the repair crews. Fire damaged/weakened steel structures are very tricky to fix, and (as a result) not usually either quick or easy to repair.

Litz and Everyone:

This fire reminded me of something similar that happened in Philadelphia back in March 1996: A tire dump under the elevated structure of Interstate 95 was set on fire in what was found to be a case of arson damaging the roadway badly enough to require that it be closed to be repaired causing a huge traffic problem in that area as a result. This fire under the MNCR structure looks to have been caused by chemicals and other flammable items being stored underneath. In both cases any items that could cause any problems like this to vital infrastructure should not have been allowed to be placed near let alone underneath them.

http://articles.philly.com/1996-03-14/n ... -feitelson" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/14/us/ti ... lphia.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

MACTRAXX

Rockingham Racer wrote:
Isn't there a relatively new CP around Botanical Gardens that could be used to send trains back east?

No, it's sitting there unfinished.