Truckie

Where would quiet car will be on MNRR and LIRR during AM Peak Hours, when trains are heading out of NYC?

MNRR is the north (east on NHL) car.

This question is for Truckie:

 

I notice you have an badge under your profile pic when you do a post and I see it's an award for train conductor. How do you get it, and is there one available for bus operators (like Lakeland?)

Was put there by the admin.

Metro North has quiet cars during peak periods only.  The quiet car is always the north (or east) most car.

People are portable, all you have to do is walk up.

It amazes me to see people crowd up in one car of the train (because that's the first car the come to) instead of walking a few more steps to a mostly empty car.

I was on train 1207 out of Grand Central on Monday which was 10-Car train. Since it goes local to Harrison, no station could accomodate the first two cars through its entire trip. Is this a normal occurance? It was definitely needed as the train was modestly crowded 10 minutes prior to depature.

I don't know if it's a normal occurrence for this specific train but it is normal for there to be trains longer than the majority of the stations that the train stops at.

The 3:19 train to N. White Plains is always an M3

NWP is on the Harlem Line. The OP was inquiring what Hudson Line trains are regularly M3's.

AFAIK there isn't any runs on the Hudson line that uses the M3s most of the time. Only on the Harlem line is where you see a M3 on certain runs 99 percent of the time, usually its the runs that use 10 car trains.

There are a few. I think 761 is an M3 train.

If you decided to drive would things be any better? 

Any time a large event ends it's a logistical nightmare trying to get everyone out.  Whether it be by train, or by car. 

I know trying to leave a sporting event, concert etc, I've had to wait an hour just to get out of the parking lot, let alone another hour to get far enough down the road that I can drive faster than I can walk.  When this happens the last thing I think about is the DOT commissioner should add lanes in anticipation of this.

The problem is anytime anyone is under schedule beyond their control, they get annoyed when they can't get where they want to be quick enough.

There had been direct service from the Harlem and New Haven Lines to Yankee Stadium events for the last three or four years (since the station opened).  This service has taken place during baseball, football, hockey games and numerous concerts that have taken place there.

I think it's preposterous to allow you keep your tickets for two months but not be able to exchange them, considering that they already have your money.

No argument from me.

the question is why would they allow it on the train but not at the ticket booth??

It's not allowed on the train, hence the reason the ticket seller said to speak with the conductor first.

I hate when passengers are told stuff like this.  The problems get pawned off on us and because you are given misleading information it's now our fault because "the guy at the window said...".

The only thing that can be done on the train is use one of you Woodlawn to Fleetwood tickets and get a ride extension from GCT to Woodlawn and pay the $9.  But then again, the guy at the window could have just told you and sold you the same thing.

The reason behind the 24 hours exchange policy is it's a from of revenue control.  The powers to be figure that the general rider is going to buy tickets as needed.  With that said, if a passenger get's on at Woodlawn to go to Fleetwood, there is a chance that the ticket will not be collected due to the conditions on the train.  Now they can't exchange it for something else because it's too late. 

As far as the tickets being able to be refunded with in 60 days, you loose $10.00 on the surcharge.  So if you have 3 of those intermediate tickets valued at $9 total, you're refund is a moot point.

VG8, it's supposed to be a zone to zone calculation. With your Melrose to Fordham vs Melrose to Fleetwood example, some might accept it,some might not. Technically if you are traveling beyond the zones printed on the ticket, we are supposed to charge a ride extention.

If you got the extension on the train it would be $7.25 rounded up to the next $ amount being $8.00 to go from Stamford to NH. 

You also need the difference for the extension for 125 to Fordham.  Unfortunately Fordham is not a station you can extend to so it would have to be Mount Vernon East.  In theory you could be charged $8.00 for that.

Being a one way off peak ticket from GCT to NH is $16.25 you are better off hanging on to what you got and buying a single ticket to avoid any issues.

Heard there's been some issues on the New Haven line. Apparently it has something to do with a switch control house catching fire near Cos Cob. Then this morning I heard there was wire damage near Rye. Their system beginning to fall apart too? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

One has nothing to do with the other. The wire damage was caused by an outside contractor's crane. In order to make the necessary repairs, the power had to be shut down.

None of what Metro North has recently retired has to do with less or shorter trains.  It's a strict "robbing Peter to pay Paul" reason from the increased service over the last few years.  Shorten existing trains to make more trains.  That's all.

Granted there are occasions were what is usually an 8 car train only has 6 due unforeseen reasons. 

And why are they so short? If they barely have enough cars to make service......

You already know the answer. You rave about the reason but rant about the result.

The biggest problem with adding more trains (or cars to trains) is there is no more to add.

If you go to any given yard during rush hour the most you will usually see is one train. That's the one that just came off the road and is getting ready to go back onto the road.

Metro North does have E Cleaners that do a top to bottom cleaning.  I don't know how often this gets done.

People putting their feet on the seats are a huge problem.  Given rainy or snowy weather wrecks havoc on the seats.  We are powerless in preventing this from happening.  Aside from making announcements there is nothing else we can do on the trains.  At one time I asked people to remove their feet from the seats but after a fellow conductor was reprimanded for doing just this, I no longer do so.

 Also, wouldn't it make sense to just have hourly service at Melrose and Tremont rather than every two hours during parts of the weekend? I do see people get on at Melrose considering that service is only every two hours for parts of the weekends.......

.....Morris Heights and University Heights are a joke in terms of ridership and I've started using the Hudson Line from Riverdale on weekends here and there and they're right not to give those stations that much service.  Just no point in stopping there with the one lone person getting on if that.

You are only comparing one train at one stop at one time. 

As a whole Melrose and Tremont's ridership is far less than Morris and University Heights.  The trains I'm on that stop at Melrose and Tremont only one or two people get on or off if that.

The same time of day I've seen 10 to 20 get on and off at Morris and Univerisity  Heights.  But that horse has been long dead.

Do the Hudson & Harlem lines have electric outlets on their trains? I was looking this weekend and didn't see any like I see on the new New Haven trains.  Also, what is up with them still using those old trains on the New Haven Line? I got one today from Westchester and I was not pleased to say the least.  Dark inside and I felt like I was stuck in a time warp, not to mention that I couldn't charge my cell phone... 

The common Harlem and Hudson Line M7's only have a few outlets in each car.  When they were built in the early 2000's it was not with the thought of everyone having a cell phone.  Being you couldn't do much more on a cell phone than make a phone call, the thought (or need) wasn't there.  In fact, the outlets that are there aren't meant to have portable electronics plugged in, one surge and your phone will be fried.  The reason for the outlets on those cars is for cleaning equipment.

The new M8's on the New Haven Line are the only cars to date that have outlets (with the proper surge protection) in every seat.

Took Metro-North to work today (I was in a good mood lol). Caught the 3:19 pm express Harlem train out of Grand Central. Funny thing was that the boards said the first stop would be Mt. Vernon West followed by Fleetwood (my stop), even the conductor said Mt. Vernon West would be the first stop. Ended up stopping at 125 St anyway (not that it mattered to me), then Mt. Vernon West.

 

Caught me an M3 too, only the second time I caught one since I started working up there

The whole thing with Harlem 125 is even though most trains stop there, it's only to receive passengers (as designated in the public timetable by an "R").  This is the reason it's not announced that's it's the first "stop".  When a train stops there to receive passengers, the conductor has the option not to open all the cars.

Well that's funny. Normally LIRR craps out and MNRR continues on. Which is one of the reasons LIRR gets trashed so much when it comes to stuff like this. But this time around, it seems like LIRR did a fairly good job.

Long Island only got approximately 1/2 the snow the northern regions of Metro North got. In Poughkeepsie, there was a total of 20 inches when everything was said and done. When I woke up this morning the snow in my driveway was up to my knees. That was after I cleared it last night.

Today the harlem line was absolutely Screwed up. For the PM Peak, they had ONE TRAIN FOR THE ENTIRE LINE. Stoping at Melrose Tremont and every single stop up to Wassaic in One 7 car train.

 

Hourly Service? There was no standing room in the train! Why a 7 car Shoreliner?

It's my guess that's all they had left to run since the electrics would not have gotten too far.

I'm just glad I didn't have to work in that mess.

MTA pays for the fuel, as far as I know. They do hedge fuel/get discounts for buying in bulk though.

Being they are a government agency / authority,  they are required to go through a bidding process for it's purchase and are required to go with the lowest responsible bidder.  The exception is if they use the supplier named on the annual New York State bid.

It's" Grand Central Terminal" which encompasses the whole enchilada, station and platforms. That's it's name, just like Pennsylvania Station, Atlantic Terminal, Broadway Junction, or Journal Square.

Grand Central Terminal is where Metro North Railroad goes in and out of. Grand Central - 42nd St is the subway. Grand Central Station is the post office.