Good News and Bad News...

[JoeG]

This morning Port Jervis express train 46 had a matched set of brand new Metro North Comet V cars. Passengers waiting at Suffern were pleasantly surprised to see the new cars.
When we boarded we were less happy. This train's normal consist is 5 cars. Today's consist was 5 cars. However, the Comet V cars have significantly fewer seats than the older cars used on that line. So, there were standees! If NJT is going to replace the older cars on a car-for-car basis with new cars that have fewer seats, there will be a real problem.

[nick11a]

Yeah, one of the drawbacks of having center doors. Well, then they'll have to add another car then to avoid standees.

I guess it doesn't happen that much on your line but on the NEC, standees are practically normal for most peak period trains.

What was their reaction on the cars' interior and how it worked and all?

[DutchRailnut]

I hope you send a message with same text to NJT so they know there is a problem.
here are links:
NJ TRANSIT has established an email address so that we may communicate with our customers regarding current events, issues, concerns, and general corporate information. For the best response to travel related inquiries, and to obtain immediate and specific travel information, use our rail and bus schedule pages or call the Transit Information Center between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and midnight at (800) 772-2222 within N.J. or (973) 762-5100 out of state.

We appreciate your comments and will make every effort to respond to you in a timely manner.

[email protected] <[email protected]>

[arrow]

No matter what they do, someone will complain. Not happy with the Comet Is, not happy with the Comet Vs. Oh well!

[NIMBYkiller]

LIRR just did the same thing with the M7's, less seats, but this is for bigger bathrooms

[chuchubob]

Thanks for posting that, Dutch. I unsuccessfully looked for such an address on the NJT website Sunday night to tell them about River LINE overcrowding.

http://64.78.30.219/forums/viewtopic.php?t=64&start=30

I have now told them.

[JoeG]

I did in fact send a note to NJT. When they answer I'll post it.

Actually I never complained about the old Comets, except that I would have liked them to replace the virtually-opaque windows. I like the bigger windows of the comet V's.

However, if getting new cars increases crowding, that would be a major disaster. On the NEC, if train lengths and train frequencies are maxed out, there may be little NJT can do until (maybe) the arrival of the double decker cars. On lines like Main/Bergen, Port Jervis, etc, an increase in crowding is absolutely avoidable with planning. I hope NJT increases train lenghts on these lines. Otherwise they will lose passengers to Short Line Bus. They will lose me if they don't fix the problem because the problem is absolutely fixable.

[arrow]

How's it fixable? There is only a limited amount of equipment available and they need to spread it through all their lines. People were yelling about how everyone else is getting the "good" (new) cars and the Main/Bergen Co. and Pascack Valley Lines were still stuck with the old stuff. Now, there are new trains there and everyone is still complaining!!

[cranky2073]

And these cars have center doors because..........?

There's not a raised platform anywhere between HOB and PJ.

Senseless

[JoeG]

Arrow--I'm not quite sure what you're saying.
Nobody except a few foamers cares much about whether the cars are new or old. Passengers (including me) want 1) enough trains, 2) enough cars, and 3) cars that work properly--kept warm in the winter and cool in the summer, etc. Also, the trend in NJT traffic is generally up, especially on the PJ line. So, if NJT buys new cars, and the new cars seat fewer passengers each than the old cars, then NJT has to run longer trains to accommodate its passengers. If it doesn't do this, the new cars are actually increasing overcrowding. I don't think even the normally-addled NJT management would plan to buy new cars to increase overcrowding, but they may have accomplished just that.

[nick11a]

Well, there is one high platform station- that is Secaucus. Other than that, you're right. There are no other high platform stations.

The reason why for Center doors- The cars were already designed with center doors. When MTA decided to purchase newer cars for their PJ trains, they just decided to buy through NJT's Comet V contract. Otherwise, they would have to manufacture a different style of car just not to have center doors (granted, they could have designed a Comet V without center door but it would have been easier and probably less expensive to just buy the cars as designed.)

[transit383]

IIRC, when the Comet Vs were still in the planning stages, it was speculated on these forums that some of the coaches as well as cabs would be built without center doors to match the Comet II Rebuilds. Obviously this never panned out and all the C5s have center doors, but I'm curious as to whether this concept was actually considered by NJT or if it was just a product of the rumor mill. Does anyone have any details?

[arrow]

I agree that they should do a better job in placing cars where they could be used more efficiently. For example, on your line having Comet IIMs would be best and cars with center doors would go better on the NEC and NJCL. They do mix them up a lot.

[Idiot Railfan]

You'd think they could have come up with a better paint/decal design for those cars. With just the Metro North name in small letters at each end, the cars look like major appliances on wheels.

[arrow]

Nice picture Idiot Railfan!