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Service Diversions 08-30-10

Posted by
on August 30th, 2010 at 7:04 am

I have just updated the “Service Diversions” page by removing all of the work that just wrapped up at 5 AM this morning. The latest information for the upcoming week & beyond in some cases is at the forefront.

Throughout the week, I will make minor updates on the page itself (no entries about it) by removing work already completed. The next complete update will be Thursday evening or early Friday morning.

As always, I suggest you print out a copy of the diversions to have with you while riding. You may also use any phone or electronic device to access the mobile friendly version of Transit Blogger. Have a safe week & do your best to keep cool!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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0

OPTO L Trains Have Mind Of Their Own

Posted by
on August 30th, 2010 at 6:51 am

Over the last number of years, the MTA & Transport Workers Union Local 100 (TWU Local 100) has engaged in many individual battles in their entire war. One of the bigger ones had to do with the MTA looking to cut back on employees by having some trains run under “OPTO” service.

The service which features a one man train operator & no conductor has been in place for years on the L. The union has long been against this service due to it cutting the need for more workers. Their rallying point against it has always centered around safety concerns.

Their viewpoint was highlighted in a report on Friday by Pete Donohue of the New York Daily News. According to the paper, some OPTO trains started to operate in an unsafe manner on their own prompting MTA NYC Transit to temporarily halt the use of the service:

Some Robotrains have been going rogue on the L line, prompting NYC Transit to temporarily suspend the high-tech operation, the Daily News has learned.

In one incident, a train that was stopped at a Brooklyn platform took off on its own – traveling three to five feet before a crew member on board hit the emergency brakes, NYC Transit confirmed yesterday.

With two other similar incidents recently on the Brooklyn-to-Manhattan line, the agency suspended use of the computerized train control system on Aug. 16, NYC Transit said in a statement yesterday.

Train service continued the old-fashioned way – with motormen doing the driving, not computers – until software fixes were finished last weekend, the agency said.

The so-called Robotrains are part of an expensive package of upgrades involving subway signals, switches and onboard computers that only exists on the L line.

But to critics like Kevin Harrington, a vice president of Transport Workers Union Local 100, glitches are warnings that this system is potentially dangerous.

Click here for the complete report.

I have never been a fan of this service. While I am for using technology to improve our system, I think there are instances where things should be left alone & this is a case that applies. Part of the problem is the technology installed for this service was pretty much installed over aging equipment.

If this is to be successful, the whole operation should have been gutted & built out from scratch. Mixing a hybrid of technologies usually leads to conflicting issues like this. Thankfully no one has been hurt in any of these incidents. Let us hope that this situation gets resolved as soon as possible.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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LIRR Anticipates Normal Rush Hour Service

Posted by
on August 30th, 2010 at 2:11 am

Service has been anything but normal on the Long Island Rail Road since last Monday’s fire at Hall Tower just east of Jamaica Station. Normal commutes for hundreds of thousands turned into absolute nightmares as a plethora of trains were canceled during both rush hour periods.

Throughout the week it seemed hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel in terms of getting back to normal. However the agency did the best it could considering the circumstances & worked around the clock to get service back to normal. The weekend showed a glimpse of light with most lines running normal service.

The light officially broke through when on Sunday afternoon, the agency announced it anticipates normal service for the AM & PM rush. Here are the complete details courtesy of the press release I received:

MTA Long Island Rail Road customers can anticipate a return to their regularly scheduled trains for Monday morning’s rush hour following successful, round-the-clock repairs of the railroad’s switch and signal system in Jamaica that was severely damaged by a fire on August 23rd.

By 4 PM Sunday, LIRR forces will have completed repairs and extensive testing of the switch and signal system in Jamaica, paving the way for full restoration of AM and PM rush hour service come Monday. The LIRR – the nation’s busiest commuter railroad – operates more than 700 trains into and out of its Manhattan and Brooklyn terminals on a typical weekday.

“I appreciate the challenges our customers faced during the past week and I thank them for their patience during what has been a difficult time,” said LIRR President Helena E. Williams. “I would also like to thank the hundreds of railroad employees who worked around the clock to put the damaged signal and switch system back together while keeping service going and assisting our customers throughout the week. Once again, they demonstrated their dedication and commitment to our customers.”

The fire last Monday morning damaged a key signal tower located just east of the Jamaica Station that controls 53 signals and 77 switch points in an area where 10 of 11 LIRR branches converge. Despite the damage, the LIRR was able to restore most of its PM rush hour service the day of the fire by using a manual switching system. During last week, the LIRR ran 75 percent of its morning rush hour service and 66-68 percent of its afternoon rush hour service while repairs to the switching mechanism were underway.

The manual, back-up switching system was used to ensure maximum safety during the emergency.

During repairs more than 200 individual wires had to be assessed or replaced inside the signal tower and more than 300 tests had to be conducted to insure safe operation of the signal system. Testing was conducted throughout the weekend.

The switching and signal system in Jamaica is due for a major upgrade and modernization in late October and early November when a $56 million computerized control center will go online, replacing three existing signal towers that currently control some 155 switches in the Jamaica station area. The Jamaica upgrade is part of a $150 million effort to upgrade the LIRR’s switch and signal system at key areas of the railroad. Two other key switching areas – one near Bellerose and one in Valley Stream – have already been modernized during the last two years as part of the overall project.

“Safety is always our No. 1 priority for our customers and our employees,” Williams said. “These modernization projects will help ensure that we are moving toward the latest technology available to control train traffic safety and efficiently. In the event of a fire like the one that occurred last week, the new systems give us greater redundancy, better surge protection and improved diagnostic ability to isolate and fix problems.

“While the new systems are a big improvement, more needs to be done to replace and update some of our old technology throughout the LIRR. That’s why we need a fully funded, five-year capital program.”

I happened to use the LIRR on Sunday morning as I came back from a night of hanging out with one of my best friends. The ride seemed to be pretty smooth albeit slow in my mind as I just wanted to get home at that point. Hopefully things go off without a hitch starting in a few hours.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Service Diversions 08-28-10

Posted by
on August 28th, 2010 at 12:06 am

A few hours ago, I updated the “Service Diversions” page with the latest diversions for this weekend, next week, & beyond in some cases. The next update will be sometime after 5:01 AM Monday when all of the weekend diversions are removed & the ones for the week move up the list.

LIRR riders do not forget to read this entry with complete information about the weekend service plan in affect stemming from Monday’s fire at Hall Tower east of Jamaica Station.

I suggest you print out a copy of the page to carry with you or use any mobile device to access the phone-friendly version of Transit Blogger. Try to stay cool & as always, have safe travels!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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1

LIRR Weekend Service Information

Posted by
on August 27th, 2010 at 8:29 pm

As expected, LIRR service is still affected after the fire at the Hall signal tower east of Jamaica Station. The agency sent out a press release a short while ago with complete details for their weekend service plans:

The LIRR continues to make progress on repairing critical switching and signal equipment damaged in Monday’s fire in a signal tower east of Jamaica, where 10 of 11 LIRR branches converge.

Approximately 25 percent of more than 300 tests that must be run to insure safe operation of the signal system have been completed. Testing will continue during the weekend.

The LIRR will run its regular weekend off-peak service with some exceptions.

As testing continues, it is possible that further damage from Monday’s fire could be uncovered, requiring additional rewiring of switching equipment. The LIRR will closely monitor the progress of the repair work and testing program throughout the weekend.

LIRR crews will be working around the clock during the weekend in an effort to restore full service for Monday morning’s rush hour. However, customers should be aware that accomplishing that goal depends upon the results of testing being conducted on Saturday and Sunday.

Depending upon the progress of the testing of the switch and signal system in this critical area of the Railroad, the LIRR may have to continue running a reduced AM and PM rush hour schedule on Monday.

Safety remains the LIRR’s top priority. If more repairs or further testing becomes necessary, the LIRR will continue using a manual method to switch trains in the area east of Jamaica as a safety precaution.

West Hempstead Branch:

Weekend customers on the LIRR’s West Hempstead branch, one of its least traveled routes, will be served via buses between Valley Stream and West Hempstead.

Bus Service Locust Manor, Laurelton, and Rosedale:

Customers at Locust Manor, Laurelton, and Rosedale stations will have bus service to and from Jamaica throughout the weekend in place of trains as a result of the switch and signal testing.

Bus Service Hollis and Queens Village:

Eastbound Buses Saturday: Customers traveling eastbound to Hollis and Queens Village stations on Saturday, August 28 will have bus service from Jamaica Station; trains will operate westbound from Hollis and Queens Village on Saturday.

Westbound Buses Sunday: Customers traveling westbound from Hollis and Queens Village stations on Sunday, August 29 will have bus service to Jamaica Station; trains will operate eastbound to Hollis and Queens Village on Sunday.

Bus Service St. Albans:

Eastbound Buses Saturday: Customers traveling eastbound to St. Albans Station on Saturday, August 28 will have bus service from Jamaica Station; trains will operate westbound from St. Albans on Saturday.

Westbound Buses Sunday: Customers traveling westbound from St. Albans Station on Sunday, August 29 will have bus service to Jamaica Station; trains will operate eastbound to St. Albans on Sunday.

Far Rockaway Branch:

Far Rockaway Branch customers traveling to and from Penn Station on the weekend will make their connections at Valley Stream instead of Jamaica .

Babylon Branch:

Babylon Branch customers traveling to and from Atlantic Terminal on the weekend will make their connections at Valley Stream instead of Jamaica .

Oyster Bay Branch:

Westbound Oyster Bay Branch customers traveling to LIRR western terminals on the weekend will make their connections at Mineola instead of Jamaica.

I will post any new information I receive as it comes in.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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