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A Train Heads The Wrong Way

Posted by
on August 26th, 2014 at 4:32 am

A Train

The MTA more specifically the NYC Subway just can’t get out of the news. If it is not yet another appearance of bed bugs (more on that shortly), we now find out that an A Train train headed the wrong way on August 11th.

The incident started when a Queens-bound A Train was heading downtown towards Canal St when signal delays started to cause delays. While at the station, the dispatcher told the train operator to head back uptown which is exactly what happened.

However a major mistake was made as instead of heading towards the spur track just south of the Canal St station to maneuver to the uptown tracks via a crossover switch, the operator continued uptown on the downtown tracks. Thankfully they saw its following Queens-bound train idling at the West 4th St station.

The crew claims to have not heard the emergency radio broadcasts which is extremely alarming albeit not a new issue to those in the know. For quite some time I have personally heard about complaints with the current radios not being as reliable as the older models along with parts of the system being practical dead zones for communications.

As one would expect, the train crew has been reassigned pending the outcome of an investigation. I am real curious as to what the investigation reveals as I can’t see this being complete negligence on the part of the train operator as my gut tells me it is more to the story. Only time will tell.

We can all agree that we are thankful no one was hurt in what could have been a huge disaster.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Service Diversions 08-22-14

Posted by
on August 22nd, 2014 at 12:18 pm

Get a head start on your weekend plans as I have just updated the Service Diversions through all of next week.

Make sure to follow @TransitBlogger on Twitter by clicking the button in the sidebar as I am using it more often. Also if you are into indie music make sure to follow @IndMusicReview & @SurgeFM!

Have an awesome weekend!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Service Diversions
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Service Diversions 08-15-14

Posted by
on August 15th, 2014 at 5:13 am

Get a head start on your weekend plans as I have just updated the Service Diversions through all of next week.

Make sure to follow @TransitBlogger on Twitter by clicking the button in the sidebar as I am using it more often. Also if you are into indie music make sure to follow @IndMusicReview & @SurgeFM!

Have an awesome weekend!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Service Diversions
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Metrocard Vending Machines Scheduled Upgrade

Posted by
on August 15th, 2014 at 3:57 am

Please note that credit/debit cards will not be available to purchase MetroCards at MetroCard Vending Machines this Saturday morning due to a scheduled upgrade. Here are the full details:

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) plans to upgrade the software used for credit and debit card transactions in its MetroCard Vending Machines (MVMs) on Saturday, August 16 from 1 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The upgrade will affect debit and credit card use at all fare-vending machines for New York City Transit, as well as MVMs at PATH stations, JFK AirTrain and LaGuardia Airport.

Customers can still purchase fares at station booths and at full-function MetroCard Vending Machines using cash. Please note that ATM/debit/credit card-only MVMs will not be operational during the outage.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Technology
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MTA Adds Staten Island Railway To Subway Time

Posted by
on August 14th, 2014 at 10:01 am

Just a short time ago, the MTA announced it has added the Staten Island Railway to its Subway Time app. Here is more on the news:

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced an update to the MTA Subway Time™ iPhone and web app that makes real-time arrival information available for MTA Staten Island Railway.

MTA Subway Time™ app was launched in December 2012 and shows the real-time train arrival data for the 123456L lines and the 42 St S shuttle.

The app was updated this week to incorporate data from technology that currently provides the information on countdown clocks at four SIR stations: Great Kills, Eltingville, Annadale and Huguenot. MTA software programmers developed a system that tracks SIR trains via the signal system and compares their locations with the train schedule. The system then calculates train arrival times based on the schedule and train location.

SIR arrival estimates on the Subway Time™ app are available on www.mta.info and will also be provided to third party app developers.

“We want to give our Railway customers more options to get updated arrival information so that they can plan accordingly and get to where they need to go safely and on time,” said MTA New York City Transit President Carmen Bianco. “We always like to say, ‘Know before you go,’ and this Subway Time app update puts that information in the hands of Staten Islanders.”

“The Subway Time app has been very successful with our subway customers, and we are happy to bring it to Staten Island,” said Frank Jezycki, the newly appointed Vice President and Chief Officer for SIR. “It is part of our ongoing commitment to providing the best service possible while investing in new technology and using it to become more efficient.”

The app is designed to be quick to load and easy to use. The opening screen shows an icon for SIR, along with the six subway lines and one subway shuttle whose real-time arrival information are already available on the app. Customers can select any station on the SIR line to view arrival data for trains approaching that station from each direction.

Within each station’s page, arrival time estimates can be refreshed by touching the icon on the upper right of the screen. The last time that the data was refreshed is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

The integration of SIR real-time train arrival information into the MTA Subway Time app comes in conjunction with a pilot project funded by Staten Island Councilman Vincent Ignizio to provide SIR commuters with countdown clocks at four SIR stations: Great Kills, Eltingville, Annadale and Huguenot. Future expansion of the project to all SIR stations is planned with continued support from Councilman Ignizio, his colleagues Councilwoman Debi Rose and Steven Matteo, and Staten Island Borough President James Oddo.

Carrying 24,000 customers on the average weekday, SIR is a 14-mile, 22 station commuter line linking several Island neighborhoods with the Ferry at St. George Terminal. Operated as a subsidiary of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad for 72 years, the line was taken over in 1972 by the MTA. SIR operates 64 R44 passenger cars, modified to Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) standards. The Railway also has a full roster of work equipment including, locomotives, hoppers, flatcars, and crew cars.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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