Work at New York Penn

[John Bobinyec]

NYP is quite peaceful when all trains are on the rail and you divert 200 trains away from it.

Let's see,

Empire Service = 6

Maple Leaf = 2 (combined with Adirondack)

NE Regional = 6

Keystone = 6

Crescent = 2

Total Amtrak = 22

What's the breakdown between LIRR and NJT?

jb

The Maple Leaf is combined with the Adirondack only northbound. Southbound they run as separate trains. This is to reduce slot and platform needs during the morning rush hours. In the evening they arrive way after the rush hours, so no slot/platform issues.

I think you forgot to count the other 179 LIRR and NJT trains that are not coming to Penn Station during this period. In terms of number of trains Amtrak is a small potatoes user of Penn Station when compared to NJT and LIRR.

Didn't forget - was asking for the LIRR and NJT numbers.

jb

 

[jis]

NJT would be somewhere between 40 and 50 Morristown Line and Gladstone Line Midtown Directs arrivals and departures.

LIRR appears to be same order of magnitude during rush hours, but not clear what else they are canceling or diverting at other hours, beyond the three or four overnight trains between 2am and 4am. One concrete number I could find is that 17 evening rush hour trains won't run from Penn Station. Could not find a corresponding number for the morning or for the balance of the day.

 

[west point]

Now if only the ESA was in service there would have been very little disruption to LIRR ?

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

LIRR service will be cut by about 20%, so if anyone knows the number of LIRR trains per weekday into Penn Station, divide that number by 5 to get an approximate number of LIRR trains that are cancelled or rerouted per day.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

From one of my friends, Amtrak engine 95 is running between Grand Central and Albany. I thought that this engine was a straight diesel. Is this being used in protect service only?

jb

The Amtrak trains operating to/from Grand Central Terminal have two locomotives so some consists run with one P42 which can be shut down if necessary when in Grand Central.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

LIRR service will be cut by about 20%, so if anyone knows the number of LIRR trains per weekday into Penn Station, divide that number by 5 to get an approximate number of LIRR trains that are cancelled or rerouted per day.

I counted 188 trains in each direction per weekday into NYP on the LIRR, meaning about 75 total trains are cancelled per day on the LIRR (both directions combined). This is from the City Terminal Zone schedule only, so certain trains such as the diesel expresses may be missing. Based on the previously state numbers of about 65 Amtrak and NJT trains, one would expect about 135 LIRR trains rather than 75. While there are likely more than 75 cancelled LIRR trains, is it possible there is also some NJT trains we are missing to make up the 60 train gap?

 

[Agent]

Amtrak posted two more videos this morning. One features Wick Moorman, and the second one is another time-lapse video.

 

[PaTrainFan]

So what is the verdict on Week 1 of the Summer of Hell? From what I have been able to glean, it was fairly tame and not quite the catastrophe Dr. Doom (Gov. Cuomo) and the Giant Beachball (Gov. Christie) predicted. Narcissistic politicians do not like to be proven wrong. I am sure it was an inconvenience for a significant number of people but it appeared to be far from the expected disaster.

 

[jis]

Anticlimax! The media is in utter despair!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Real Fake News!

 

[Thirdrail7]

Here are a few pictures (from another board) of what is left of 10 track. 10 is one of the tracks that is blocked on the west end due to the work on the Xs (featured in the video above). The opportunity exists to work on the bed and overhaul parts of the platform. The eastern portion of 7 track received this treatment a few weeks ago.

 

[railiner]

Anticlimax! The media is in utter despair!

Love it when the media is standing around disappointed by "nothing to report" ....

One commentator did get it right when he said Amtrak may have purposely exaggerated the impact the track work would cause, just to cover themself, and make it appear that they were handling it well.

Now they are thinking, they are ahead of "schedule", and may even get done earlier than promised.

Another said that the strategy was to have passenger's have "low expectations, so they would not be disappointed"... ..

 

[ehbowen]

Another said that the strategy was to have passenger's have "low expectations, so they would not be disappointed"... ..

Sounds like Amtrak SOP....

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Ever repair something old? The scope of work is often much more than expected. Any sane person builds in time for those unexpected problems, and when they don't occur? Ahead of schedule.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

In my job I always add padding to my time estimates. Never know what kind of issues I might run into since each project I work on is different.

 

[PaTrainFan]

Another said that the strategy was to have passenger's have "low expectations, so they would not be disappointed"... ..

Sounds like Amtrak SOP....

I always like to say under promise and over deliver. Better that they set lower expectations and exceed them than make unrealistic promises and be accused of failing. Nobody is ever going to be happy in this scenario. I actually have to give Amtrak for having a thick skin through this entire fiasco.

 

[City of Miami]

Lynchburger (176) has been late arrival NYP everyday this first week - average 44 minutes. I'm watching since I may use it in a couple of weeks and need to transfer to GCT for Metronorth to POU.

 

[PVD]

what about staying at NYP and taking 237 to POU if the schedule is ok? MN usually saves some time/money, but not sure how much if you include the hassle of the transfer, and the ticket being one way peak.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

With the connecting ticket it may actually be cheaper to take Amtrak all the way to Poughkeepsie.

As to the NYP work, I thought the work was overstated all along. For example, LIRR rerouted 20% of its trains away from NYP, but the trains were longer so this capacity difference is minor. In addition, many people are working from home due to the media hype, and many of those who are not are either using alternate stations, using busses, using ferries, driving, or not travelling during peak periods. I am on Amtrak up to NYP right now, and I am not at all worried about the work going on during the next week.

 

[railiner]

If the LIRR can successfully run longer trains....why not do so on a permanent basis to reduce congestion, even after the summer trackwork is concluded?

And perhaps NJT, likewise?

At airports with limited 'slots'....don't they try to operate larger aircraft to take full advantage of their 'slots'?

 

[jis]

NJT trains are at max length possible for tracks 1-6, which is what many of them use. A few trains that are longer have to use the middle platforms, which reduces the options available when something goes wrong.

And what makes you think they have the extra equipment hanging around doing nothing during weekday rush hours?

The possibility of using larger aircrafts exists only in those airports where gates that can accommodate larger aircrafts are available. Try getting a 380 into Newark International and see what happens

 

[John Bobinyec]

NJT trains are at max length possible for tracks 1-6, which is what many of them use. A few trains that are longer have to use the middle platforms, which reduces the options available when something goes wrong.

And what makes you think they have the extra equipment hanging around doing nothing during weekday rush hours?

I think he meant reduce the number of trains but redistribute the equipment to the remaining trains.

jb

 

[railiner]

NJT trains are at max length possible for tracks 1-6, which is what many of them use. A few trains that are longer have to use the middle platforms, which reduces the options available when something goes wrong.

And what makes you think they have the extra equipment hanging around doing nothing during weekday rush hours?

I think he meant reduce the number of trains but redistribute the equipment to the remaining trains.

jb

Exactly...thanks for clearing that up...

 

[jis]

NJT trains are at max length possible for tracks 1-6, which is what many of them use. A few trains that are longer have to use the middle platforms, which reduces the options available when something goes wrong.

And what makes you think they have the extra equipment hanging around doing nothing during weekday rush hours?

I think he meant reduce the number of trains but redistribute the equipment to the remaining trains.
jb

Exactly...thanks for clearing that up...

Not enough platforms available that are long enough is one of three issues in the case of NJT. Don't know enough about LIRR operations. NJT already makes maximum use of longer trains that is possible within the constraints of available equipment and platform and serving6 routes with regular cadence. Some trains are actually shorter than the longest possible due to equipment turn and cadence issues.

 

[PVD]

For a 380 or a 747-8 a wider runway and taxiway is also required (or an FAA waiver) so even if I have a gate that could take one it might still be a no go....but that does not change the validity of your point.