6437 & 467 -Interplay @ Kearny

[bharatrao]

I usually take 6437 back home from NY Penn. 18.08 Gladstone Express, non-stop to Maplewood & local from there (except Summit). 467 is the 18.07 Murray Hill local from HOB - all local stops except Short Hills. Now, on most days, both of them get into the Kearny area around the same time. The usual ritual involves 6437 stopping or slowing to let 467 pass....only to then pass 467 around Brick Church. Consequently 6437 runs really slowly from the point it leaves the NE corridor to NWK broad - and then has a good high speed run to Maplewood. But that still usually means 6437 is at least 2-3 minutes late at all points after Maplewood. Why not just let 6437 through first given it doesn't even stop at NWK Broad and then let 467 follow?

[pumpers]

... But that still usually means 6437 is at least 2-3 minutes late at all points after Maplewood. ...

If it is only 2-3 minutes late, I wouldn't be greedy and would leave it the way it is. That's on-time by Shirley-time standards. Too much complaining they will just add 3 minutes to the schedule.

[bharatrao]

Too much complaining they will just add 3 minutes to the schedule.

Agree - so not planning to complain. There's maybe 1 or 2 days in the week where 6437 manages to still get everywhere on time. But question still is why it is so critical to almost hold 6437 back and let 467 go when 6437 anyway needs to get ahead of 467. There must be an operational reason for the dance to have been choreographed that way in the first place?

Similar observation in the morning @ Secaucus - 6406 should really fly through Secaucus but rarely does because dispatcher slows it or holds it just after Secaucus to let 3706 (which has a Secaucus stop) through. I know they would like to maintain the sequence as far as possible, but seems a bit much when clearly letting 6406 fly through while 3706 is a bit late and still taking pax at Secaucus would keep it on time. Of late, 6406 is also regularly a few min late mainly as a consequence.

[trainbrain]

There is another train that is at Newark Broad just before 467, and that is 435, the express to Gladstone from Hoboken. Could it have something to do with that train?

[bharatrao]

Doubt 435 has anything to do with it. It has a NWK deep at 18.20 and then a non stop run to Short Hills. So comfortably ahead of the other Gladstone Express. I guess it's just an effort to keep the sequence as far as possible.