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Discussion relating to the past and present operations of the NYC Subway, PATH, and Staten Island Railway (SIRT).

Moderator: GirlOnTheTrain

 #1567884  by Jeff Smith
 
https://www.silive.com/coronavirus/2021 ... ended.html
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On Tuesday, the agency announced it has installed new equipment that has allowed it to raise the subway speed limits at nearly 300 locations throughout the system, a move that’s expected to save straphangers valuable commuting time.

“We’ve continued to identify root causes for slower speeds, and we’ve continued to move rapidly to fix grade time signals that were defective and to increase speeds where it’s safe to do so,” said Interim New York City Transit President Sarah Feinberg.
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“Some examples include changing the northbound curve entering City Hall on the ‘R’ and ‘W’ from 6 m.p.h. to 15 m.p.h., changing the southbound speed limit at President Street on the ‘2′ and ‘5′ from 15 to 35 m.p.h., changing the speeds on the express tracks on Queens Blvd. from 35 to 50 m.p.h. at multiple locations, and removing the 25 m.p.h. limit on the ‘D’ line express in the Bronx, allowing for speeds about 40 m.p.h. near Fordham Rd and Kingsbridge Rd,” according to the MTA.
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https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/rai ... g-pandemic
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This includes the installation of 919 new digital timers on grade time signals, 270 civil speed increases across the system over the past two years and a reduction in time trains spend holding at station platforms. The work builds on recommendations made in the “MTA NYCT Subway Speed and Capacity Review, Phase 2 Report," which was commissioned as part of the Speed and Safety Task Force launched by New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in July of 2019.
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Key 2020 accomplishments:

Transit employees methodically took advantage of lower ridership during the pandemic to accelerate installation of new digital timers on grade time (GT) signals, which control the speed of subway trains – completing 900 by October 2020 (ahead of schedule) and 919 to date.

In 2020 alone, NYCT fixed 156 slow-clearing grade timers with an additional 14 completed in 2021.

To date, 485 slow-clearing signals have been found throughout the system, with 413 of those having been resolved.

Transit has identified 663 speed limits that could potentially be raised and 581 of those locations have been evaluated by members of NYCT’s safety and engineering teams. Of the speed limits evaluated, 279 of those have already been updated in the field, including 65 civil speed restrictions raised in 2020.
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 #1570696  by cle
 
Is this initiative continuing, post-Byford? Seems a shame to not keep going - all these incremental time savings add up over the course of a day in terms of stock utilization.
 #1573936  by Allan
 
I was always in favor of the review and eventual implementation (it has been discussed before on another board).

My concern is that many time gains will be offset by trains with mechanical problems (going BIE, door issues, sick passenger etc).

As the changes have been in place for a little while (and covid not withstanding) I wonder if any changes have actually been measurably effective.
 #1574027  by Head-end View
 
R36 Combine Coach wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 10:36 pm
west point wrote: Fri May 07, 2021 12:46 pm Yes. Enough speed ups will allow 1 or more less train sets to move same number of passengers.
CBTC has also been boasted to increase frequencies.
And are you saying CBTC does or doesn't actually increase train frequency?
 #1574034  by GirlOnTheTrain
 
These improvements by and large have nothing to do with CBTC. Yes, CBTC increases the capacity of trackage and therefore frequency. Of course, you need to have bodies to run at these new and improved frequencies - but due to a hiring freeze combined with mass retirements, etc there is a lack of personnel. That's an entirely different topic.

This stuff is more like lets get rid of needless speed restrictions and fix timers that are supposed to allow you to go 20mph but will trip you at 15, leading to overly cautious operation.