Bronx 5 Train Exp Service Suspended For 3 Months
If you are one of the many who count on my “Service Diversions” page for the latest scheduled diversions or happened to ride the 5 today, you would have noticed how express service in the Bronx was not running. Earlier today I received information from MTA New York City Transit as to why it was suspended. The suspension is part of a complete signal modernization of the 180th Street signal system. Here are the complete details:
MTA NYC Transit announced that beginning today, Monday, August 24, 2009 and continuing until Friday, November 13, 2009, there is no express subway service on the 5 line between the 3rd Avenue/East 149th Street station and the East 180th Street station.
In addition, during the afternoon rush hour, four of the northbound 5 trains that normally operate to the Nereid Avenue station will terminate at East 180th Street. Customers traveling on these 5 trains will have to transfer to northbound 2 trains at East 180th Street or other Nereid Avenue-bound 5 trains for stations on the White Plains Road line.
The three month suspension of express service is necessary in order to accommodate the ongoing $280 million East 180th Street Signal Modernization Project. The scope of work includes the reconfiguration of track, installation of new signal equipment, the construction of a new relay room and additional Automatic Train Supervision (ATS) functionality for the Dyre/White Plains Road line. NYC Transit regrets any inconvenience to our customers and appreciates their patience while this work is underway.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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Comments
I take this train everyday and it’s big inconvienance and they still haven’t put up any signage to this effect. They make announcements on the train but they never state that this will be in effect until November 13. I just happen to be watching Bronx 12, the local, local news and that’s when I heard about this.
Linda Love
OMG
I thought it was just me. But I notice that one morning I was taking my train ride up to Manhattan, I was running late to work, then I realized that they decided that to say when I was on 180th street, my train would be running local. I looked across and saw another 5 – train coming in. I jumped off from a perfect seat on to the next train. Then an announcement came on saying, this train will be running local also, now I am late, lost a perfect seat, and all trains will be running local. The next day in the morning again an announcement came across and we all were told that due to signal problem our train will running local, but will be back up shortly. Not once did I hear a mention of a 3-month needed construction. Until I finally decided to look Google “why the 5 train are no longer running express”. Which brought me to a website called Strap handler. There I found out that the MTA had decided to suspend all 5-express train due to needed construction will be back up and running by November 11th 2009. I would like to know who we can get in contact with, because what more of an inconvenience is not being told. Waking up to a train ride from hell, and why now when school kids will be returning from summer vacation for them to decided construction is needed? they knew this was something that needed to be done. But their wait for the bad weather to come so they can pro-long this construction. The bronx is always the LAST TO KNOW!
I have the misfortune of taking this train. It is a rare event that passengers are told of any issues with this line. I’ve had to wait for the 5 for up to a half hour in the midde of the evening rush, and not one announcement. I was not aware until I found this website that express service had been suspended until November. Not one sign, anywhere, to this effect. While it causes an inconvenience I understand that maintenance and improvement work is necessary. Wish that the MTA had enough decency to let us passengers know so we can plan ahead. 5 train sucks.
Good thing I don’t take the 5 up that way anymore.. When I used to go to pelham parkway I would take the 5 to 180 if I didn’t feel like dealing with the 2, Then I would get off to take the 2 train to Pelham parkway and white plains road, I can imagine this must be an inconvenience for a lot of commuters.