12-Car Platforms at Mamaroneck and Larchmont

[Union Tpke]

Unlike most platforms on the New Haven Line, Mamaroneck and Larchmont can accommodate 12 cars, as indicated in a New York Times article. However, the official track charts say that they are 10 cars long. Why are these platforms 12 cars long, and why is there a discrepancy? In addition, are there any other mistakes concerning platform lengths in the diagrams?

Old Greenwich is being extended to 10 cars, as will Riverside and Cos Cob at some point. Why aren't these stations being lengthened to 12 cars? Noroton Heights, which can accommodate 10-car trains won't be lengthened to 12 as part of platform replacement, against the wishes of a local official. Also, West Haven and the island platforms at Stamford can fit 12-car trains. Are there plans to expand the use of 12-car trains?

Thanks.

[DutchRailnut]

so you believe newspaper over official track charts, interesting

[Backshophoss]

The writer might be living on Long Island,LIRR does have 12-14 car (6-7 pairs) platforms

[DutchRailnut]

so does part of middle Harlem line

[Union Tpke]

so you believe newspaper over official track charts, interesting

A week later, by coincidence, she learned the name of the man she should have been writing to all along: Walter Brett, who is in charge of Metro-North's schedules, and the subject of a profile in this section... In changing a schedule, Mr. Brett said, he has to consider the number of riders on a given train, how many cars that train would need and the varying length of the train station platforms. (For instance, Mamaroneck and Larchmont stations can accommodate 12 cars, but the 125th Street station can accommodate only 10.)

This guy worked for Metro-North. Also, I read a post from years back mentioning that 12-car trains stopped at both of these stations. Trust me. I don't just believe anything I read in the papers. I have seen my share of bogus information.

[Union Tpke]

Using the distance feature in Google My Maps, the platforms clearly are 10-cars long. I do not know why someone working on timetables at Metro-North would say 12 cars when they can clearly only fit 10. I digress.

[DutchRailnut]

accommodate 12 car trains can mean that 12 car trains use it, but have cars hanging off.
in my 5 years of retirement the platforms have not been extended.

[Jeff Smith]

From west of Harrison through Mamaroneck and Larchmont is a straight stretch of track.

Extending Larchmont, if they needed it, would be easy enough. Mamaroneck would be tougher as there are bridges at either end. And the bridge over Mamaroneck Avenue has clearance issues. From a pedestrian access standpoint it would be nice to have at least a walkway, but that bridge gets hit so often...

I was once in a train in the last car when the doors opened at the stop ON the bridge. Luckily, no one pulled a Willoughby and stepped off. Now there’s a MOW walkway at least.

[Union Tpke]

From west of Harrison through Mamaroneck and Larchmont is a straight stretch of track.

Extending Larchmont, if they needed it, would be easy enough. Mamaroneck would be tougher as there are bridges at either end. And the bridge over Mamaroneck Avenue has clearance issues. From a pedestrian access standpoint it would be nice to have at least a walkway, but that bridge gets hit so often...

I was once in a train in the last car when the doors opened at the stop ON the bridge. Luckily, no one pulled a Willoughby and stepped off. Now there’s a MOW walkway at least.

I love that image! Thanks for the information. Do you think that platforms will ever be lengthened to 12 cars? I checked on the diagram, and Fairfield Metro also has 12 car platforms.

[Jeff Smith]

That photo has been floating around for a while... not sure of the source. I commuted from that platform for a few years almost 30 years ago and it was crowded during rush hour then!

I’d love to see an extension over the Avenue but I doubt it will happen anytime soon. My concern would be if you put platforms over the bridge and then have a bridge strike you could have a safety issue of falls onto the tracks. I could see a fenced, elevated walkway to reduce the chance of a strike.

You could extend towards the Jefferson/Halstead intersection over the Mamaroneck River, but that’s costly. And it might not be necessary as MNRR looks at multi levels for the NH line, which would help with consist lengths and capacity.

In short, no. I’d rather see access and ADA enhancements; an overpass with elevators, a walkway, etc. But no one is making noise for that.

[RearOfSignal]

Perhaps the NYT made a mistake? The platforms in Larchmont and Mamaroneck are most certainly listed as 10 cars in the official MNR ETT. Track charts even though official are not always accurate, but usually are. There are a few platforms that are different in actual length than what the ETT says. Southeast(since adjusted), NWP, New Rochelle and Williamsbridge are examples that come to mind. Due to safety and continuity concerns they are listed a little shorter than they actually are. This can also be dependent on the type of equipment used as well since the doors can be in slightly different locations on the car. So can you squeeze 12 cars on at Larchmont and Mamaroneck? Perhaps if you hang off a part of the car off on each side. Same way they are able to open doors on 7 cars on a 6 car platform on the upper Hudson. Besides, there are only a handful of 12 car consists used by MNR so it wouldn't be a very common thing to take up the whole platform at the 10 & 12 car platforms.

[Traingeek3629]

Plenty of stations need longer platforms before we go talking about 12-car platforms. The list includes the busy stations of Milford, Stratford, and Fairfield.

[Union Tpke]

How long are NWP, New Rochelle and Williamsbridge? Thanks for the thorough post.

[DutchRailnut]

you can check it by zooming in on platforms in this document : https://assets.documentcloud.org/docume ... Charts.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

New Rochelle is 9 / 8 / 7 cars
White Plains is 10 cars
williams Bridge is 4 cars

[ExCon90]

As to bridge strikes on platforms extending over the street, there are a number of locations on the NEC where Amtrak has mounted a gigantic I-beam over the roadway parallel to the bridge but a short distance away from it, and not touching the bridge structure itself. There is one near me that gets hit every so often (who knew a 13-6 trailer won't fit under a 12-6 bridge?) and there is no need to halt all rail traffic until the bridge can be surveyed, because it didn't get hit in the first place. That might take care of the safety issue for an extended platform.