Metro-North "Good Service" signs (and lack of info)

Patrick A. wrote:Translation: 95% of the time, MNR will get you to your destination within 5 min 59 sec of the published arrival time. Sorry couldn't help myself

Does anyone know what true OTP is? (trains that arrive within 5:59 of schedule, counting canceled/terminated trains as late)

The 5 minute and 59 second is a APTA standard for OTP, it is used by all APTA members in North America.
On MNCR most trains are way early, for the whinners learn to look at your watch in GCT when train stops.

why is it those who complain so bitterly about trains not being on time, are the same ones who never arrive at the station on time?

For the record, my pithy remark wasn't meant to be taken as a complaint, just stating the timekeeping standard.

Amtrak7 wrote:Does anyone know what true OTP is? (trains that arrive within 5:59 of schedule, counting canceled/terminated trains as late)

It's in the Performance Indicators on www.mta.info.

Clean Cab wrote:why is it those who complain so bitterly about trains not being on time, are the same ones who never arrive at the station on time?

Um... not to discount the fact that this situation does occurs, but you can't instantly extrapolate it to cover everybody who bitterly complains without being called out for making a generalization w/o factual backing.

"I want better interactive signage and more detailed updates! And I demand my trains be 100% on time! But you better not raise my fares!"

Otto Vondrak wrote:"I want better interactive signage and more detailed updates! And I demand my trains be 100% on time! But you better not raise my fares!"

Sarcastic or not you hit the nail on the head!

Matthew Mitchell wrote:

Amtrak7 wrote:Does anyone know what true OTP is? (trains that arrive within 5:59 of schedule, counting canceled/terminated trains as late)

It's in the Performance Indicators on http://www.mta.info.

Doesn't the published OTP not factor in cancelled trains?

Amtrak7 wrote:Doesn't the published OTP not factor in cancelled trains?

That is correct. Cancelled trains are not included. If the train never ran in the first place, it couldn't have been late.

That's why, during major snafus, certain trains will be cancelled and combined... rather than have a massive backlog for the rest of the day, you cancel the trains that would have been late in an effort to let the remaining trains have a chance of remaining on-time.

RearOfSignal wrote:

Otto Vondrak wrote:"I want better interactive signage and more detailed updates! And I demand my trains be 100% on time! But you better not raise my fares!"

Sarcastic or not you hit the nail on the head!

Jimbo? Jimbo? Is that you?

The message signs on the Hudson Line were purchased 20 years ago and were designed to show approaching train times and arrival tracks but the software for the system was written to run on 386 based computers. By the time the signs arrived, 386 computers were obsolete and Metro-North bought 486 computers but the software was not compatible. The issue was never resolved, so information is limited. We are behind the bar with this fault as the Hong Kong and London underground systems have signs showing the next train arrival time and its destination.

Penn Central wrote:The message signs on the Hudson Line were purchased 20 years ago and were designed to show approaching train times and arrival tracks but the software for the system was written to run on 386 based computers. By the time the signs arrived, 386 computers were obsolete and Metro-North bought 486 computers but the software was not compatible. The issue was never resolved, so information is limited. We are behind the bar with this fault as the Hong Kong and London underground systems have signs showing the next train arrival time and its destination.

Not to mention the 'A' Division of NYC Subway along with the L train.

Hey I think I've got a Compaq Portable and some 5 1/4" floppies lying around.....

Well now, even the much maligned LIRR has platform signs showing next 3 trains, times and track/platform at my local station. I can't believe LIRR actually does something better than the fair-haired Metro-North.......

And not only that, but LIRR's M-7's also came with factory installed cab-door window shades, to keep those pesky paying passsengers from spying on the engineers. LIRR engineers don't even have the burden of searching for a poster to use to cover the window. That's 2 things now that LIRR did smarter than Metro-North! Sorry to be off-topic............lost my head there for a minute. (chuckle!)