Signal Issues

Once in a while "signal issues" means something unexpected, specifically running a stop signal.

The incident, which resulted in 60-minute delays for homebound commuters from Penn Station New York was due to a “a stop signal violation” said Jim Smith, an NJ Transit spokesman.

Does NJT use ACSES on the NEC? My understanding was that yes, they have for years, and so it would not prevent an incident like this. Is that true?

Do not think ACES is cut in in NYP yet.

NJT may have some botched installs that tested functionally correct,but crapped out in service.
Believe Acses stops at the Tubes, in NJ, Cab signals all the way to NY Penn.then to F tower in Sunnyside.

Is the sort of thing that PTC would be expected to prevent? Is it Amtrak or NJT that is not finished installing for this (eg. track or on board?). My understanding is that most of the time required was the investigation after the incident. Would that still be true?

Amtrak installed the wayside and in track transponders for ACSES,this leans to the on board gear installs by NJT.

But hasn't NJT used ACSES on the NEC for years, or is that not right?

ryanov wrote: ↑Fri Mar 06, 2020 1:53 am But hasn't NJT used ACSES on the NEC for years, or is that not right?

They have not used ACSES. They have had ATC, which is a fancy way of saying cab signals.

ryanov wrote: ↑Mon Mar 02, 2020 5:33 pm Does NJT use ACSES on the NEC? My understanding was that yes, they have for years, and so it would not prevent an incident like this. Is that true?

As far as I know, NJT is still not using ACSES on the NEC (beyond some test trains) despite it being in service for years now. ACSES is not going to protect the entire station, there's simply too many switches and signals involved. Much like the PTC issues brought up in the 2016 Hoboken crash. If a train gets a penalty, it can create a domino effect and delay who knows how many other trains when countless switches and signals get locked out. The trains are traveling at slow speeds, it's really not necessary.

Once NJT goes live with their equipment on the locomotives, positive stops will only get enforced at the first set of signals going eastbound approaching A tower, same as Amtrak trains. Once they pass this point ACSES is disabled until the train either turns and goes back west again or heads for the East River tunnels where it goes live again.

ryanov wrote: ↑Thu Mar 05, 2020 1:34 am My understanding is that most of the time required was the investigation after the incident. Would that still be true?

Indeed it is. The affected switches and signals have to be blocked up until it is determined what happened. It has to be verified that the signal was in fact at stop when the train passed it. Also in this case the switch happened to be lying in the reverse position for a previous outbound train, so the train could have damaged the switch since it was lined against movement, so it's always necessary to inspect for damage.