MTA Signal
Replacement
The MTA which operates the New York subway system has
been constantly criticized for unreliable performance, extremely long delays in
construction and poor accessibility features of the stations. At present, there
are “728 miles of mainline signals but 37% of them have already crossed their
50-year useful life. What does this mean? This means that trains are moving much
slowly. These are just some quantitative stats. So, how to repair this?
“In September, the Metropolitan Transportation
Authority announced as part of its 2020-2024 capital plan and Andy Byford’s
Fast Forward vision that $7.1 billion will be allocated to replacing the signal
systems on six sections of the subway system, including the Lexington Avenue
Nos. 4, 5 and 6 lines. The updated signal system is called communications-based
train control, which is a computerized version of the current signal system
that will control the speed, starting and stopping of subway trains. The MTA’s
current outdated signal systems have long been criticized as a leading cause of
the system’s notorious delays. As part of the MTA’s previous capital plan,
other routes were selected to undergo the same signal system upgrade, including
the No. 7 line, but upgrades have proved challenging, since the new system
requires additional power on some lines, as well as new or upgraded cars”
(Cityandstateny).
A picture of the subway (Image Credits: Metro Magazine)
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