Sometimes it's difficult to be enthusiastic about commuting or trains:
https://gothamist.com/news/broken-signal-breeds-rush-hour-chaos-penn-station-its-honestly-not-safe
Too late for the March issue, but I can't wait to see the NJ Transit rants in April's "Railpace."
We had a bad accident involving a couple tractor trailers the other day. Roads were a complete mess, commuters delayed.
Probably won't rate a rant.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
zugmann We had a bad accident involving a couple tractor trailers the other day. Roads were a complete mess, commuters delayed. Probably won't rate a rant.
No, for highway mishaps and accidents there's the "Route 80 Rant Page" on Facebook. "Railpace" doesn't care about rubber tires on asphalt.
Something of interest here is the abject failure of 'social media' to produce the reverse analogue of a flashmob here.
The crowd is a byproduct of some interesting traffic dynamics: a great inrush of people from various modes of transport within a short time, expecting to be carried out through a very restricted portal -- with that portal being interdicted after most of them had 'committed' to entering the approach facilities.
This indicates that a very quick 'Job 1' for NJT (and perhaps Penn Station management as well) is to set up and publicize 'emergency response' apps that can track a person's location and give them very specific alternatives on where to go and what to do (aside from going to Pennsy before it gets the boot later this year!) to keep out of each others' way. This would be a very different thing from saying something like "massive traffic snarls - avoid this area" on light-up notice boards or TV reports, which used to be the kind of CYA that transportation agencies thought was sufficient. It should be possible to manage the response in stages: delocalize the crowd until, say, the additional trains on PATH were actually en route or ready, then direct them in a JIT fashion to control choke crowding at any intermediate point as well as on the actual platforms.
Be an interesting thesis for someone in computer science, as well as a highly useful utility app for commuters should the back-end be properly coded and then executed. Think of the opportunities for local and perhaps not-so-local businesses!
Here's the story...
https://www.nj.com/traffic/2020/02/nj-transit-train-ran-a-red-light-setting-off-commuting-chaos-at-penn-station.html
Brilliant suggestion Overmod! The problem is, it would need someone in the NJ Transit bureaucracy to make a decision to get the ball rolling on it. Good luck at finding someone willing to make a decision.
By the way, yesterday nj.com eliminated the "Reader's Comments" section of their on-line news stories. I can imagine the comments this story would have generated.
Some of the comments on news stories made my hair stand on end! Although to be fair some were quite funny, some downright hilarious, and some quite profound.
Flintlock76Here's the story... https://www.nj.com/traffic/2020/02/nj-transit-train-ran-a-red-light-setting-off-commuting-chaos-at-penn-station.html Brilliant suggestion Overmod! The problem is, it would need someone in the NJ Transit bureaucracy to make a decision to get the ball rolling on it. Good luck at finding someone willing to make a decision. By the way, yesterday nj.com eliminated the "Reader's Comments" section of their on-line news stories. I can imagine the comments this story would have generated. Some of the comments on news stories made my hair stand on end! Although to be fair some were quite funny, some downright hilarious, and some quite profound.
I am sure this will help the operations through the New York tunnels for years to come.
https://www.progressiverailroading.com/federal_legislation_regulation/news/Chao-Fix-Hudson-River-rail-tunnel-instead-of-building-new--59848
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
There is only one constant in travel - Delays will happen. It makes no difference in the mode of transportation being used - delays will happen. They will happen for a multiplicity of reasons, some preventable in the long run, however travel is a short run undertaking as one wants to get from here to there - NOW.
A rough afternoon for some more NJ Transit commuters.
https://dailyvoice.com/new-jersey/paramus/news/update-man-struck-killed-by-train-in-hackensack/807752/
Happens at least once a month somewhere on the system.
Flintlock76A rough afternoon for some more NJ Transit commuters. https://dailyvoice.com/new-jersey/paramus/news/update-man-struck-killed-by-train-in-hackensack/807752/ Happens at least once a month somewhere on the system.
Striking pedestrian/trespassers is just a routine impediment to rail transportation. Nothing new, nothing to see here, move along!
BaltACDStriking pedestrian/trespassers is just a routine impediment to rail transportation. Nothing new, nothing to see here, move along!
No doubt, but I'd hate to be the head-end crew just the same.
Flintlock76 BaltACD Striking pedestrian/trespassers is just a routine impediment to rail transportation. Nothing new, nothing to see here, move along! No doubt, but I'd hate to be the head-end crew just the same.
BaltACD Striking pedestrian/trespassers is just a routine impediment to rail transportation. Nothing new, nothing to see here, move along!
Unfortunately, it is not a matter of IF - It is only a matter of when.
Those involved in any form of road service are more likely to be involved in the incident than those that work only Yard jobs - but there are locations and situations in Yards where it also happens.
On CSX, pre EHH, when such a incident happened the crew members involved were permitted/encouraged to call 'Critical Incident' relief. Those involved in the Critical Incident program would be hooked up with mental health professionals to attempt to handle the employees issues. How successfully?????
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