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Site Update 11-07-12

Posted by
on November 7th, 2012 at 11:17 am

Hello Everyone,

I hope many of you are starting to do better after Hurricane Sandy raced up the east coast. I had every intention of keeping the site updated with the latest transit related news. However I lost power on Long Island around 6:30PM on October 29th & did not get it back until shortly after midnight on November 6th.

In the coming weeks, I hope to be up & running with daily site updates again as I miss all of you! Thanks for the continued support, it is truly appreciated!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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LIRR Hurricane Sandy Info

Posted by
on October 28th, 2012 at 11:31 am

Here is the official press release from the MTA Long Island Rail Road with detailed plans about Hurricane Sandy:

MTA Long Island Rail Road announced today the plans for the system wide suspension of train service beginning by 7 PM on Sunday, October 28, in advance of Hurricane Sandy making landfall, for the safety of its customers, employees and to protect its equipment. Customers are urged not to wait for the last trains when making their travel plans.

Suspending service allows the LIRR to secure and protect its equipment and infrastructure from the strong winds and flooding expected to hit the Long Island on Monday, October 29. With the shutdown, train equipment – both electric and diesel – will be removed from yards in low-lying areas that are prone to flooding.

Until the suspension is complete, the LIRR will cross-honor New York City Transit MetroCards to stops in Brooklyn and Queens to facilitate a safe trip home.

A major and time-consuming aspect of the LIRR’s storm prep is the removal or tying up and securing of railroad crossing gates system-wide in advance of the storm to protect them from
high winds. The LIRR has 295 railroad grade crossings system-wide – the great majority of which are on the eastern portion of the system. Since each crossing has multiple gates, a total of 690 crossing gates need to be secured or removed – a process that takes approximately 12 hours. Power to the crossing gates will also be removed. This process must be completed prior to
forecasted sustained winds of 39 mph.

Train service must be suspended for the crossing gates to be removed. The LIRR started removing gates yesterday east of Ronkonkoma on the Main Line to Greenport, where weekend service does not operate at this time of year. Additionally, crossing gates will start being removed on the Montauk Branch east of Speonk today, October 28. As a result, LIRR train service east of Speonk on the Montauk Branch will be replaced with buses starting Sunday at 9AM and continuing until 7 PM when the full service shut down begins.

Taking these pre-emptive measures before the full brunt of the storm arrives will help in the LIRR’s recovery efforts after the storm passes.

Last Train Departures by Branch

The following is a listing, by branch, of the last trains to operate before the shutdown at 7 PM.

Babylon Branch:

Eastbound: The 6:40 PM train from Penn Station, due Babylon at 7:57 PM.

Westbound: The 6:58 PM train from Babylon, due Penn Station at 8:12 PM.

Montauk Branch:

Eastbound: The 5:41 PM train from Jamaica, due Patchogue 6:49 PM.

Westbound: The 6:42 PM train from Speonk due Jamaica at 8:10 PM.

Ronkonkoma Branch:

Eastbound: The 6:15 PM train from Penn Station, due Ronkonkoma at 7:35 PM.

Westbound: The 6:40 PM train from Ronkonkoma, due Penn Station at 7:59 PM.

Port Jefferson Branch:

Port Jefferson:
Eastbound: The 5:36 PM train from Huntington, due Port Jefferson at 6:25 PM.

Westbound: The 5:42 PM train from Port Jefferson, due Huntington at 6:29 PM.

Huntington:

Eastbound: The 6:51 PM train from Penn Station, due Huntington at 7:55 PM.

Westbound: The 6:36 PM train from Huntington, due Penn Station at 7:39 PM.

Oyster Bay Branch:

Eastbound: The 6:52 PM train from Jamaica, due Oyster Bay at 7:46 PM.

Westbound: The 6:20 PM train from Oyster Bay, due Jamaica at 7:14 PM.

Hempstead Branch:

Eastbound: The 6:42 PM train from Atlantic Terminal, due Hempstead at 7:35 PM.

Westbound: The 6:19 PM train from Hempstead, due Atlantic Terminal at 7:12 PM.

Long Beach Branch:

Eastbound: The 6:45 PM train from Penn Station, due Long Beach at 7:42 PM.

Westbound: The 6:26 PM train from Long Beach, due Penn Station at 7:21 PM.

Far Rockaway Branch:

Eastbound: The 6:12 PM train from Atlantic Terminal, due Far Rockaway at 7:05 PM.

Westbound: The 6:50 PM train from Far Rockaway, due Atlantic Terminal at 7:42 PM.

Port Washington Branch:

Eastbound: The 6:18 PM train from Penn Station, due Port Washington at 7:05 PM.

Westbound: The 6:40 PM train from Port Washington, due Penn Station at 7:25 PM.

West Hempstead Branch & East of Ronkonkoma to Greenport

Weekend service does not operate on the West Hempstead Branch and East of Ronkonkoma to Greenport on the Main Line.

Jets Fans Urged to Head Home after the Game:

Jets fans attending the game at the Meadowlands are reminded to check the LIRR timetables to determine when the last train on their branch leaves Penn Station before service is suspended.

Local residents, pedestrians and automobile drivers need to be aware that the third rail remains electrified even during a service suspension and equipment trains may be operating. Please act in
a safe manner in and around tracks.

The LIRR will continue to monitor the storm closely and is in close contact with Nassau, Suffolk, New York City and New York State emergency officials. Based on the current forecast, the LIRR will not operate train service on Monday, October 29 in either the AM or PM. Limited train service may be operated on Tuesday, October 30; and full recovery of LIRR train service may not occur until Wednesday, October 31.

In order to restore service, power must be available to our substations, train equipment and crews must be repositioned, all crossing gates re-installed and fully tested and power to the crossing gates restored. In addition, any debris, such as fallen trees, must be removed from tracks and the right of way inspected.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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0

Metro-North Hurricane Sandy Info

Posted by
on October 28th, 2012 at 11:18 am

Here is the official press release from the MTA Metro-North Railroad in relation to Hurricane Sandy:

As Hurricane Sandy approaches, Metro-North Railroad’s last trains on all lines will depart at approximately 7 p.m. today. This will allow customers to safely reach their final destinations, either northbound or southbound, and to suspend service in an orderly manner.

The service suspension will allow all trains en route to complete their runs so that customers are not stranded unexpectedly. Metro-North urges its customers not wait until the last train to get home.

Until the suspension is complete, Metro-North will cross-honor New York City Transit MetroCards to stops in the Bronx to facilitate a safe trip home. The Metro-North suspension also will affect all service on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, which operates on Metro-North’s New Haven Line from New Rochelle
to New Haven.

Service also will be suspended on Metro-North’s Port Jervis Line west of the Hudson River. Pascack Valley line service will be determined by NJTRANSIT. Customers should visit njtransit.com for service status information.

One train that has been cancelled prior to tonight’s service suspension is the Train to the Game, Metro-North’s direct service from New Haven to the 1 p.m. Jets- Dolphins game at MetLife stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in New Jersey. The 8: 48 a.m. out of New Haven has been cancelled as has the return trip that leaves the Meadowlands at 4:48 p.m.

Grand Central Terminal, including its shops and restaurants, and all outlying Metro-North station buildings will be closed for the duration of the service suspension.

In preparation for the brunt of the storm, train equipment will be moved out of low-lying locations known to be prone to flooding, such as the east end of the yard in New Haven and Highbridge and Mott Haven yards in the Bronx.

As the storm approaches, Metro-North has secured its infrastructure by moving trucks, and equipment such as backhoes, cranes and bulldozers, to higher ground. This includes bringing trains into Grand Central Terminal for shelter.

In addition, the wooden crossing gates at grade crossings, which are susceptible to high winds, will been removed and secured. However, people should be aware that work trains and patrol trains may still be operating and approach all grade crossings with caution.

Also, a service suspension does not mean that power will be off to the third rail or overhead catenary wires on the New Haven Line. All tracks and wires will remain
energized.

All routine track work and capital construction work has been suspended and all construction sites have been secured.

Parking lots that usually flood, such as the ones at White Plains and Beacon’s riverside lot, are barricaded. Connecting ferry service at Beacon and Ossining is suspended. The Hudson RailLink that serves Spuyten Duyvil and Riverdale is suspended.

As Sandy bears down on the region, Metro-North also is taking steps to put personnel and equipment in place to be ready to deal with the cleanup after the worst of the storm has passed.

Many employees have been asked to shelter at a Metro-North shop or facility so they can start helping restore services as soon as the storm has passed. If the railroad did not ask for this extraordinary sacrifice, many employees would be unable to report for duty because of trees down, roads blocked or flooded, power outages and other problems likely to arise.

The following is a list of the last trains that will operate on Sunday before the system-wide suspension:

Hudson Line:

6:35 PM train from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central arriving at 8:22 PM

6:50 PM train from Grand Central to Poughkeepsie arriving 8:32 PM

6:59 PM train from Grand Central to Croton-Harmon arriving 7:57 PM (this train is normally an express but will make all local stops from Yankees-E. 153rd Street to Croton-Harmon)

7:00 PM train from Croton-Harmon to Grand Central arriving at 8:07 PM

Harlem Line:

6:48 PM train from Grand Central to Southeast arriving at 8:18 PM

6:55 PM train from Grand Central to North White Plains arriving at 7:43 PM (This is normally a Saturday-only train)

6:55 PM train from Wassaic to Grand Central arriving at 9:05 PM

7:06 PM train from North White Plains to Grand Central arriving at 7:59 PM

7:13 PM train from Southeast to Grand Central arriving at 8:40 PM

New Haven Line:

6:53 PM train from New Haven to Grand Central arriving at 8:44 PM

7:03 PM train from Stamford to Grand Central arriving at 8:09 PM

7:07 PM train from Grand Central to New Haven arriving at 8:59 PM

7:10 PM train from Grand Central to Stamford arriving at 8:17 PM

New Canaan, Danbury and Waterbury Branch customers: all branch line train service will end with the last train operating prior to the 7 PM suspension.

The last Amtrak trains to operate on the New Haven Line will be 7:05 PM Acela out of Penn Station, N.Y. and the 7:18 PM southbound out of New Haven.

Port Jervis Line:

5:27 PM train from Port Jervis to Hoboken arriving at 7:38 PM

6:15 PM train from Hoboken to Port Jervis arriving at 8:23 PM

Pascack Valley Line customers should contact NJTRANSIT for information.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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0

MTA Services To Be Suspended As Of 7PM

Posted by
on October 28th, 2012 at 11:09 am

With the threat of Hurricane Sandy looming for the tri-state area, Gov. Cuomo has announced the ordering of MTA services to be suspended as of 7PM tonight. Here are the details via the official press release:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will begin the orderly suspension of all subway, bus and commuter railroad service at 7 p.m. Sunday to protect customers, employees and equipment from the approach of Hurricane Sandy.

The New York City subway system will begin to curtail service after 7 p.m., and the New York City bus system within the following two hours. Metro-North Railroad and the Long Island Rail Road will start their final trains by 7 p.m. Subway and railway stations will be closed after the last trains.

Customers who need to travel today should do so as soon as possible and not wait until the last train or bus is departing. Anyone who does not leave for their destination before 7 p.m. runs the risk of being stranded when service is suspended. New York City Transit, Metro-North and the LIRR will cross-honor each other’s passes today to speed the process of returning customers to their homes.

“The transportation system is the lifeblood of the New York City region, and suspending all service is not a step I take lightly,” Governor Cuomo said. “But keeping New Yorkers safe is the first priority, and the best way to do that is to make sure they are out of harm’s way before gale-force winds can start wreaking havoc on trains and buses.”

The MTA Hurricane Plan calls for suspending service hours before the approach of winds of 39 mph and higher. That gives MTA crews time to prepare rail cars, buses, tunnels, yards and buildings for the storm, then return to safety. Winds of 39 mph and higher are predicted to reach the metropolitan region during the predawn hours Monday.

“The MTA proved it can suspend service in an orderly manner when it did so last year for Tropical Storm Irene, and we have refined our Hurricane Plan since then to help us prepare for Hurricane Sandy,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Joseph J. Lhota. “This storm will batter the MTA, but the precautions we take now will allow us to recover much more quickly.”

The MTA has for days prepared for the possibility that conditions would require a service suspension by readying recovery equipment, clearing drainage areas, moving vehicles from low-lying areas in bus and rail yards and sealing some tunnel access points.

The duration of the service suspension is unknown, and there is no timetable for restoration. Service will be restored only when it is safe to do so, after careful inspections of all equipment and tracks. Even with minimal damage this is expected to be a lengthy process.

Metro-North Railroad’s special “Train to the Game” for today’s Jets game in the Meadowlands has been cancelled. Customers who return promptly to Penn Station after the conclusion of the game will be accommodated on MTA services leaving by 7 p.m.

Outbound Access-A-Ride trips are being scheduled only until 12 p.m. today, and return trips will continue until 5 p.m. Any previously scheduled trips after that time, including subscription trips, are cancelled.

The Staten Island Railway will attempt to continue to operate until the Staten Island Ferry suspends service, in order not to strand any customers in the ferry terminal. However, the railway will not operate if conditions are deemed unsafe.

I will be posting updates as I get them on here & on Twitter so make sure to follow @TransitBlogger

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Service Diversions 10-15-12

Posted by
on October 15th, 2012 at 7:48 am

I have just updated the Service Diversions by removing the work that wrapped up a short time ago.

I will be extremely busy this week as the 2012 CMJ Music Marathon starts tomorrow. So my time & energy will be devoted to SurgeFM.com business. As far as entries go, I will try to sneak in a couple this week as newsworthy things have been happening. However starting next week, I will be back to updating regularly.

As always if I see anything interesting or noteworthy, I will tweet about it so follow @TransitBlogger which you can easily do by clicking the button in the sidebar.

Have a wonderful week!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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