NYC Subway Interchange

[Overmod]

alloboard

I appreciate your knowledgeable info but anything is possible.

Perhaps the ultimate 'yes, but' I have seen so far on these forums.

Do you not comprehend what would be required to build out the IRT tunnels even to suit BMT clearances, let alone IND?  And what would be involved in time, cost, and temporary inconvenience to current ridership while that was being done?

It is technically 'possible' in the sense that Lofstrom loops are

but you have to ask whether the expense is worth the practical result.  For the IRT in particular, it's almost ridiculously clear that it isn't. 

You use more trains with better CBTC spacing to give your additional capacity at several orders of magnitude lower cost ... most hours of the day, the passenger demand doesn't require larger cars, so the same poor economics governing improvements of commuter rail would apply to tunnel size expansion projects.

 

[alloboard]

I appreciate your kowledgable info but anything is possible.

[daveklepper]

There is absolutely no possibility of converting IRT subway tunnels to accept the wider and longer IND-BMT equipment.  And there is no reason to couple IRT and IND-BMT equipment together, even if they are electrically and air-wise compatile, with identacle couplers.  Work equipment currently is based on the control and air systems of the now obsolete passsenger equip;ment of which only the R32's are still in ipasenger service.  There are sufficient ex-IRT-Red Bird "rider cars" to obviate the necessity of using regular passenger equipment in work-train service.  There may be exceptions, but as far as I know, all current work equipment of all types, including diesel locomotives, can fit IRT lines and can be used system-wide.  There is a slight difference in the third-rail location (pherhaps since changed) but not great enough to prevent IRT cars from running anywhere on the IND-BMT lines.

Recall that under-river tunnels are old and are largely cast iron. To accommodate larger cars, new tunnels would be required.  And again, under-street subways with track spacings and locaiton of girders.  Widening would be like consructing new subways.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

alloboard

Thanks. Makes sense. One day in the future the IRT tunnels has to be widened and new cars to be built.

 

I don't think that will ever happen.  The clearance dimensions of the IRT are literally carved in stone and enlarging them would be expensive beyond belief.

[alloboard]

Thanks. Makes sense. One day in the future the IRT tunnels has to be widened and new cars to be built.

[pajrr]

I believe that the cars can work together, but the IRT cars have smaller dimensions because the tunnels are smaller. I am pretty certain that IND equipment physically doesn't fit on the IRT portion, but the IRT equipment can run on all parts of the system. However there will be a large gap between IRT cars and IND platforms. The system does all connect together for maintainence equipment access.

[alloboard]

Can An IRT Subway car be coupled to or work and be compatible with an IND car?

Are there connecting track which links the IRT to the IND lines or vice versa?