Metro North Increases Service At Melrose & Tremont
Metro-North riders at the Melrose & Tremont stations can rejoice as the agency has announced an increase in service. Here is more via the official press release I received:
The MTA advises customers that Metro-North Railroad’s new October 8 schedule includes permanently increased service levels at the Melrose and Tremont stations on the Harlem Line.
In an effort to build ridership and provide Bronx residents with more convenient travel options, on October 2, 2016, Metro-North implemented a pilot program that increased service at the Tremont and Melrose stations from a two-hour frequency to hourly frequency during off-peak and weekend travel times. The service day was also extended, with earlier inbound service on weekdays and significantly later outbound service on weekdays and weekends. During the pilot period, overall ridership at the two stations increased by 81%, with an increase in weekday ridership of 67% and an increase in weekend ridership of 101%.
With the success of the pilot program, and after a public hearing about the schedule change, the increased service at Melrose and Tremont is now permanent.
“We continually strive to find ways to improve and enhance our service,” said Catherine Rinaldi, Acting President of Metro-North Railroad. “We’re pleased that increased service at Melrose and Tremont has become so popular. Expanding service at Melrose and Tremont stations not only benefits customers who commute to Grand Central Terminal, but also the Bronx residents who reverse commute up to Westchester County and Connecticut.”
“Expanded service at the Melrose and Tremont Metro-North stations is not only a benefit for the commuters in the surrounding neighborhoods, but for the entire borough and, in fact, the entire region,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. “I am proud to support this expansion, and I am grateful to the MTA for listening to the numerous Bronxites who asked for this additional service at the recent public hearing.”
Details of increased service at Melrose and Tremont stations are below:
- Weekday inbound service is now available from 5:51 a.m. to 12:47 a.m.
- Weekday outbound service is now available from 5:38 a.m. to 1:20 a.m.
- Weekend inbound service is now available from 6:44 a.m. to 12:44 a.m.
- Weekend outbound service is now available from 6:25 a.m. to 1: 20 a.m.
I know many riders who use these stations who will be excited about this. These stations have long been underutilized but that should definitely change for the foreseeable future.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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LIRR To Replace Post Avenue Bridge
The MTA Long Island Railroad will be replacing the Post Avenue Bridge this weekend. Due to this work, buses will substitute for trains between Mineola & Hicksville along with other service changes. Here are the complete details via the press release I received:
During the weekend of October 21-22, workers using cranes and a movable industrial-grade hydraulic lift will remove the 103-year-old Post Avenue Bridge and roll a new pre-assembled one into place. To facilitate the bridge swap, the Long Island Rail Road will need to suspend train service between Mineola and Hicksville for 48 hours. Buses will substitute for Port Jefferson Branch trains and some Ronkonkoma Branch trains. Most Ronkonkoma Branch trains will operate over the Babylon Branch and reach Hicksville via the Central Branch.
“We’re working hard to minimize the impacts that our customers will experience during the 48-hour period where service will be disrupted, and we’re working equally hard to get the word out to all our customers well in advance of the work,” said Patrick Nowakowski, President of the Long Island Rail Road. “This location is of central importance to the railroad, figuratively and literally, and all branches will be impacted in some way. Anyone thinking of using the LIRR on Saturday, October 21, or Sunday, October 22, should pick up a copy of our special timetables.”
Copies of all branch timetables, and an overview of the bridge work and service changes, can be found at this link:
http://web.mta.info/supplemental/lirr/postavenuebridgeinstallation.htm
The new bridge, which carries the Main Line over Post Avenue at the Westbury Station, will result in long-term improvements to service. It will be 13 feet wider than the current span, offering enough space for the future Main Line Third Track. The new bridge will be two feet, two inches higher than the current bridge, allowing trucks of up to 14 feet to safely pass underneath. The current bridge’s height left it susceptible to strikes by overheight vehicles, causing delays to trains while inspectors determine the structure’s stability and safety.
Port Jefferson Branch and Ronkonkoma Branch customers riding the LIRR during this weekend should plan for an additional 40 to 60 minutes of extra travel time, or should consider traveling on alternate branches, including the Montauk Branch or Babylon Branch.
Specifics for service changes on the weekend of Oct. 21-22 are detailed by branch below.
Port Jefferson Branch
- Port Jefferson Branch/Ronkonkoma Branch Special Timetable is here:
- http://web.mta.info/lirr/Timetable/10-21%20to%2010-22-2017%20-%20KO%20&%20PJ%20-%20Appendix%20P.pdf
- Buses substitute for trains between Hicksville and Mineola for the entire weekend. Buses are scheduled to allow for 10 minutes of transfer time at both stations in both directions. LIRR customer ambassadors will be at both stations throughout the weekend to assist customers making the connection.
- Trains between Huntington and Port Jefferson will operate every two hours.
- Service between Huntington and Penn Station will operate hourly.
- Carle Place and Westbury will be served by buses.
- On Friday night, Oct. 20, some trains will operate on adjusted schedules: Passengers on the 9:29 p.m. train from Huntington will change trains at Hicksville to continue west. The 9:41 p.m. train from Port Jefferson will be replaced by a bus that will leave up to 22 minutes earlier than normal.
Ronkonkoma Branch
- Ronkonkoma Branch/Port Jefferson Branch Special Timetable is here:
- http://web.mta.info/lirr/Timetable/10-21%20to%2010-22-2017%20-%20KO%20&%20PJ%20-%20Appendix%20P.pdf
- Buses substitute for trains between Hicksville and Mineola during the overnight hours. Buses are scheduled to allow for 10 minutes of transfer time at both stations in both directions. LIRR customer ambassadors will be at both stations throughout the weekend to assist customers making the connection.
- Bethpage customers will use buses between Mineola and Hicksville.
- Between 7 a.m. and midnight on Saturday and again on Sunday, customers from Farmingdale through Ronkonkoma will travel to and from Penn Station by train with no transfers; trains will be rerouted via the Babylon Branch.
- Trains will operate between Ronkonkoma and Greenport, on adjusted schedules. On Friday night, Oct. 20, one train will operate on an adjusted schedule: Passengers on the 10:11 p.m. train from Ronkonkoma will change trains at Hicksville to continue west. Passengers traveling on the 9:39 p.m. train from Greenport will board and arrive at normal times.
Babylon Branch, City Terminal Zone, Far Rockaway Branch, Hempstead Branch, Long Beach Branch, Montauk Branch, Oyster Bay Branch, Port Washington Branch, West Hempstead Branch
- All eastbound and westbound trains will operate on adjusted schedules.
- Most connecting train times to and from western terminals have also changed.
Impact to Motorists
Post Avenue will be closed between Railroad Avenue and Union Avenue between 8 p.m. on Friday, October 20, and 6 a.m. on Monday, October 23. Motorists are advised to take an alternate route during this period. The marked detour will take motorists nine tenths of a mile east, to cross the railroad at School Street.
Northbound Auto Detour
Motorists looking to travel northbound on Post Avenue would turn right at Railroad Avenue and travel for one block, to School Street, to make a left, followed immediately by another left onto Union Avenue for a two-block drive back to Post Avenue to make a right and continue northbound.
Southbound Auto Detour
Motorists looking to travel southbound on Post Avenue would turn left at Union Avenue and travel for two blocks, to School Street, to make a right, followed immediately by another right onto Railroad Avenue for a one-block drive back to Post Avenue to make a left and continue southbound.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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Countdown Clocks Come To E & G Lines
Countdown clocks are now here for the 
& 
lines. Here is more via the official press release I received:
Countdown clocks at all stations on the
This accelerated effort to bring real time train arrival information to the rest of the system is part the MTA’s Subway Action Plan to stabilize and improve the system and lay the foundation for modernizing the New York City Subway. A key component of the Action Plan calls for improved customer communications and providing train arrival information system-wide allows customers to be kept fully informed of regular service, delays or emergency situations, should they arise.
MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota said, “The days when customers on our lettered lines are forced to peer down a subway platform looking for headlights will soon be over. Bringing real-time train arrival information to all stations is part of our aggressive and immediate efforts to improve the customer experience through increased reliability and capacity, enhanced stations and safety, and clear and accurate communication.”
MTA Managing Director Veronique Hakim said, “Beacon technology does not involve invasive modifications to station infrastructure and can be deployed at a fraction of the costs associated with the countdown clocks already in the system. More importantly, it’s part of an Action Plan that puts our customers first.”
The beacon technology has already been deployed on the
and
lines and involves placing four low-energy Bluetooth beacons on each train set and two receivers on each platform. LCD display screens at each station provide customers with real time train arrival information.
The addition of countdown clocks to the
stations with countdown clocks, connected to the line’s Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) signal system. The
line will also get countdown clocks after the installation of CBTC is completed later this year.
This will be a great tool for commuters on these lines to help make the commute a tad easier which is something we all can appreciate.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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Woman Pushed Onto 2nd Av Station Tracks
Cops in the Lower East Side are on the lookout for a man who pushed a woman onto the Queens-bound subway track at the 2nd Avenue 
late Tuesday evening.
Thankfully no train was approaching the station during this time & the 49 year old victim only suffered a laceration to her head. Hopefully the cops catch the lowlife responsible for this despicable act!
xoxo Transit Blogger
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Service Diversions 08-18-17
I have just updated the Service Diversions for the weekend through the end of the next week.
Make sure to follow @TransitBlogger on Twitter as I am using it more often. Also if you are into indie music make sure to follow @IndMusicReview & @SurgeFM!
xoxo Transit Blogger
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