World Urban Track Maps

[N6 Limited]

I stumbled upon this: http://carto.metro.free.fr/cartes/metro-paris/

 

It has track maps for several cities around the world.

[Tokkemon]

Brilliant site. I just wish they had New York.

[traingoat]

The maps show an interesting feature as it appears they only have locals on their tracks as I looked at a number of them with the track diagrams and no express tracks could be seen.  Interesting find.

[Minato ku]

Express tracks are not a common feature among subway networks.

This is pretty much limited to New York city.

Almost all the subway networks all over the world are local services only.

[traingoat]

 

Express tracks are not a common feature among subway networks.

This is pretty much limited to New York city.

Almost all the subway networks all over the world are local services only.

 

Thank you.  It probably because of the extra costs involved.

[Minato ku]

It is because New York City subway was conceived in that way but this is not the common way.

 

It is true that Manhattan has large straight Avenues that provides the space to build four tracks in cut and cover but when streets are smaller or you use TBM, it is more difficult or much more costly.

The 7 extension and the SAS don't have express tracks.

[traingoat]

It is because New York City subway was conceived in that way but this is not the common way.

 

It is true that Manhattan has large straight Avenues that provides the space to build four tracks in cut and cover but when streets are smaller or you use TBM, it is more difficult or much more costly.

The 7 extension and the SAS don't have express tracks.

 

The 7 extension doesn't as the distance is not that far  from 42nd street.  and that line is a local in Manhattan as it had only 3 stops originally.  The tunnels under the river are the oldest in the system plus it was originally designed for trolley cars.and had only 2 stops one in Manhattan and the other as a connection to the Long Island Railroad.  42nd Street while famous in actuality is not that wide and an express station would mean undermining and supporting buildings above it.   Same problem with the SAS and a number of those buildings are huge in size.  When you look at a picture of New York City Skyline you notice grouping of very tall buildings and a bunch of shorter ones. and that is because the tall buildings are built into the bedrock which comes close to the surface and can support them.

[bobtehpanda]

Thank you.  It probably because of the extra costs involved.

 

Think about it this way. You have money for four tubes in the ground. Do you want a local-express, or do you want two separate local lines?

 

That's basically why there's no express. The only reason it made sense in New York City is because that's what people were used to; the els had expresses, so the subway must have them too. (The fact that signalling wasn't as great was also a factor; maximum TPH on a IND line is 30 TPH, but modern signalling allows for 40TPH.)

[LTA1992]

Think about it though, we get across the city WAY faster. Imagine not having those express tracks, it would be a nightmare.

[bobtehpanda]

Think about it though, we get across the city WAY faster. Imagine not having those express tracks, it would be a nightmare.

 

That's very debatable. The express difference on, say, the Flushing Line is only five or six minutes faster. Since almost no one rides end-to-end, it doesn't end up saving any significant amount of time; it's just there to increase train throughput.

[LTA1992]

That's very debatable. The express difference on, say, the Flushing Line is only five or six minutes faster. Since almost no one rides end-to-end, it doesn't end up saving any significant amount of time; it's just there to increase train throughput.

I was referring to True Expresses.

[sovetskii52]

Brilliant site. I just wish they had New York.

http://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/New_York_City_Subway_Track_Maps

[bobtehpanda]

http://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/New_York_City_Subway_Track_Maps

 

Also http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2541531/468stations-842miles.pdf

[traingoat]

I was referring to True Expresses.

During rush hours Main street Flushing is a major bus hub feeding the system and express trains can be standing room only going to New York also the same in the evening exiting at Main Street. Once that 7 express leaves Queens Plaza to Main street the time difference is closer to twenty plus minutes versus the local.

[traingoat]

That's very debatable. The express difference on, say, the Flushing Line is only five or six minutes faster. Since almost no one rides end-to-end, it doesn't end up saving any significant amount of time; it's just there to increase train throughput.

The time difference of the Flushing express from Main street to Queens Plaza is closer to 25 minutes versus the local which is a great deal as Main street is a significant bus hub as most getting off at Flushing are going to be taking a bus also.

[LTA1992]

During rush hours Main street Flushing is a major bus hub feeding the system and express trains can be standing room only going to New York also the same in the evening exiting at Main Street. Once that 7 express leaves Queens Plaza to Main street the time difference is closer to twenty plus minutes versus the local.

That Mets Super Express only saves 5 minutes maximum. That Super Express doesn't pass the local until 33rd Street. That's still not a true express though.

 

The and lines are the only lines I would consider to be true expresses. Though the fastest of the bunch are the and , so I count those as the truest expresses of them all.

[N6 Limited]

Aren't there some subway lines around the world that run similar to commuter railroads, where express trains simply bypass stations?

[Orion V 9441]

Aren't there some subway lines around the world that run similar to commuter railroads, where express trains simply bypass stations?

There are a few:

 

London with the Metropolitan (express) and Jubilee (local) lines. Also with Picadilly (express) and District (local) lines.

Chicago with the purple and red lines.

Paris metro with lines 1 (local) and line 14 (express from Chatelet to Gare De Lyon). RER A could also be counted as an express in this case if you are willing to stretch it.

Broad street line in Philadelphia

[GojiMet86]

The Chiltern Railway, which is a rail company similar in railroad status to main line railroads like the MNRR, actually shares the fast (express) tracks with the Metropolitan line. The District Line shares the tracks with the London Overground, which is now essentially part of the national rail system.

 

Just imagine the sharing the LIRR tracks to get to Manhattan. And a similar operation decades ago had the LIRR sharing the Jamaica line into Lower Manhattan.