Suffering 7 Train Riders Will Face More Planned Work Disruptions In January And February

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

http://gothamist.com/2018/12/27/7_train_changes_2019.php

Straphangers who have already waited an eternity for the MTA to complete signal renovations on the 7 line will have to wait just a little longer for a fully functional train. The transit authority announced Friday that it had more planned work in the pipe—work that allegedly couldn't have been undertaken before years of maintenance finally wrapped in November, and work that NYC Transit Authority President Andy Byford characterized as non-negotiable.

"The 7 line is a critical transit artery in Queens and we are doing everything we can to improve its reliability and performance," Byford said in a statement. "This is work that could not have been completed while we were installing the new signal system and it is absolutely critical it be completed soon."

Throughout January and February 2019, the 7 will shut down between Queensboro Plaza and 34th Street-Hudson Yards on nights and weekends.

From 11:45 PM to 5 AM, no Queens-Manhattan 7 service on the following weeknights:

• January 2nd through 4th

• January 7th through 11th

• January 14th through 18th

• January 21st through 25th

• January 28th through February 1st

• February 4th through 8th

From 12:15 AM Saturday to 4:30 AM Monday, the 7 will shut down on the following weekends:

• January 5th through 7th

• January 12th through 14th

• January 19th through 21st

• January 26th through 28th

...and on that last weekend, service will also be suspended between 74th Street-Broadway and Queensboro Plaza, so you have that to look forward to. In an attempt to fill the transit void, the MTA will dispatch shuttle buses between 74th Street-Broadway and Queensboro Plaza, from Queensboro Plaza to Vernon Blvd-Jackson Ave, and from Times Square to Hudson Yards. It will also amplify peak hour E train service, which...thanks for the thought.

Why can't the MTA just go ahead and make all the fixes in one go, you may ask, and this is a reasonable question: As mentioned, the agency just completed the long (as in, 8-years-long) and arduous process of installing a modern Communications-Based Train Control signal system on the line. But immediately after the MTA unveiled CBTC on the 7 in late November, commuters experienced repeated rush hour delays, many due to—you know the drill—signal malfunctions. At the time, MTA spokesperson Shams Tarek assured us that implementing new tech always requires a grace period in which to "iron out" the wrinkles.

And then, recall, the upcoming maintenance (allegedly) has nothing to do with the signals: According to the MTA's statement, workers stumbled upon a 2,000-foot stretch of shoddy track outside Grand Central while installing the CBTC system. The track is safe for use, officials emphasized, but it must be replaced in order to head off future calamities. Also, construction crews will repair water damage, along with worn out rails, track ties, and concrete.

As various parts of the transit system crumble into sewer sludge, these updates do not seem unwarranted, but they will make getting to and from Manhattan challenging for parts of North Brooklyn and Queens next month. Recall, the J and M lines are also slated for closure due to L train shutdown-related preparations, and the E train has also been undergoing signal maintenance: This weekend, for example, it will run on the F line between Queensbridge and West 4th Street. All of which is to say, your commute will not get easier in 2019, and I have just pulled out all my hair. Happy New Year to you!

[Lance]

It's annoying, but there is a reason for this. And it's likely the same reason why Myrtle Ave is out on weekends for the next few weeks. Once Canarsie closes in April, neither of those lines can be taken out of service without creating a disastrous situation. Just as the has to run on Myrtle Ave for the complete duration, so must the  between Queens and Manhattan, especially during off-hours when the doesn't hit Court Square to pick up the transferring riders from the train. It's possible this could've been piggybacked with the CBTC work, but I imagine they could not have adequately tested the signal system with the tracks completely out of service even for test equipment.

[RR503]

1 hour ago, Lance said:

It's annoying, but there is a reason for this. And it's likely the same reason why Myrtle Ave is out on weekends for the next few weeks. Once Canarsie closes in April, neither of those lines can be taken out of service without creating a disastrous situation. Just as the has to run on Myrtle Ave for the complete duration, so must the  between Queens and Manhattan, especially during off-hours when the doesn't hit Court Square to pick up the transferring riders from the train. It's possible this could've been piggybacked with the CBTC work, but I imagine they could not have adequately tested the signal system with the tracks completely out of service even for test equipment.

I heard the decision was made not to piggyback because the resulting two or three weeks of skeletonized track would have forced them to thin out weekday service. CBTC allows you to re-space trains on the fly, meaning no need to thin out for slow service. And yes, this is being done now because it sure as hell can't be done during Canarsie. 

[Gotham Bus Co.]

14 hours ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

Why can't the MTA just go ahead and make all the fixes in one go, you may ask, and this is a reasonable question: As mentioned, the agency just completed the long (as in, 8-years-long) and arduous process of installing a modern Communications-Based Train Control signal system on the line. But immediately after the MTA unveiled CBTC on the 7 in late November, commuters experienced repeated rush hour delays, many due to—you know the drill—signal malfunctions. At the time, MTA spokesperson Shams Tarek assured us that implementing new tech always requires a grace period in which to "iron out" the wrinkles.

 

"Wrinkles"? Those signals don't work at all when they get even slightly wet.

[bulk88]

On 12/28/2018 at 11:02 AM, RR503 said:

I heard the decision was made not to piggyback because the resulting two or three weeks of skeletonized track would have forced them to thin out weekday service. CBTC allows you to re-space trains on the fly, meaning no need to thin out for slow service. And yes, this is being done now because it sure as hell can't be done during Canarsie. 

There are still MONTHS of work left to finish CBTC. All the old 1930s-1950s signal heads (garbage bagged) and relay cabinets and trip cocks need to be demolished, remove the cable bundles, demolish signal rooms. Remove all old conduit from UG sections in Queens/Manhat. Concrete the trackbed where the old trip cocks were. Replace the shorted ISJs with short filler rails, then come back with CWR all the way from Main Street to Times Sq to "seal over" the crude miscut ISJ replacement rails. Identra boxes will also probably be demolished.

They might have "cut over" to CBTC, but now they have to "build" AWS before the CBTC project is done.

Oh and what happened to ATO? Or they wont turn that on until they CWR the whole line for derailment liability reasons.

[RR503]

35 minutes ago, bulk88 said:

There are still MONTHS of work left to finish CBTC. All the old 1930s-1950s signal heads (garbage bagged) and relay cabinets and trip cocks need to be demolished, remove the cable bundles, demolish signal rooms. Remove all old conduit from UG sections in Queens/Manhat. Concrete the trackbed where the old trip cocks were. Replace the shorted ISJs with short filler rails, then come back with CWR all the way from Main Street to Times Sq to "seal over" the crude miscut ISJ replacement rails. Identra boxes will also probably be demolished.

They might have "cut over" to CBTC, but now they have to "build" AWS before the CBTC project is done.

Oh and what happened to ATO? Or they wont turn that on until they CWR the whole line for derailment liability reasons.

Well of course. But ATPM gets you the operational characteristics you need to run 15 through interstations w/o capacity impact.

The issue with ATO is liability but also just technical capability. Delocalization has been an issue (esp w the expresses) and the system is still glitchy. Those bugs need to be rigorously worked out before ATO and related increases can take place. The worry is that that this all won’t happen in time for Canarsie. 

[JeremiahC99]

On 12/28/2018 at 12:10 PM, Gotham Bus Co. said:

 

"Wrinkles"? Those signals don't work at all when they get even slightly wet.

And did the contract for the Flushing CBTC installation not call for waterproofing the new CBTC signals to protect from rain? What happened to making the new system resilient to weather?

[RR503]

11 hours ago, JeremiahC99 said:

And did the contract for the Flushing CBTC installation not call for waterproofing the new CBTC signals to protect from rain? What happened to making the new system resilient to weather?

Gotham Bus Co is just being dramatic. There were issues with trains becoming delocalized during heavy rain, but IINM those have been fixed.