I need to be educated on electric trains. This morning all trains into NYP were significantly delayed due to a disabled train in the tunnels. What are the reasons a train becomes disabled in the tunnels?
I am puzzled because I rode trains weekly for two years in Europe some time ago and never had a case of a train on which I was on or a train which was in front of us become disabled. The most I remember happening was a broken pantograph. The train stopped in the middle of nowhere. A minute or two later the crew was down on the track (it was a single track) looking for/at something on the ground -- presumably pieces of the pantograph, but within 10 minutes we were on the move after they raised the other pantograph. I do not know if they collected the broken pieces or if a catenary maintenance crew was sent immediately after. I am sure this was an old electric locomotive without any computers and software.
What is different here with NJT and Amtrak's locomotives and or trains? What are the reasons for the trains to become so disabled that the delays exceed 60 minutes? I understand that they may need to inspect the catenary and the track after an incident, but what type of problems make the disabled train remain stuck for so long?
I am puzzled because I rode trains weekly for two years in Europe some time ago and never had a case of a train on which I was on or a train which was in front of us become disabled. The most I remember happening was a broken pantograph. The train stopped in the middle of nowhere. A minute or two later the crew was down on the track (it was a single track) looking for/at something on the ground -- presumably pieces of the pantograph, but within 10 minutes we were on the move after they raised the other pantograph. I do not know if they collected the broken pieces or if a catenary maintenance crew was sent immediately after. I am sure this was an old electric locomotive without any computers and software.
What is different here with NJT and Amtrak's locomotives and or trains? What are the reasons for the trains to become so disabled that the delays exceed 60 minutes? I understand that they may need to inspect the catenary and the track after an incident, but what type of problems make the disabled train remain stuck for so long?