When the El sneezes....

A E/B MFL train broke down at 15th Street today. Some kind of brake problem, while about 500 people were on the platform. So everyone got kicked off the train while it hobbled to the pocket track at Spring Garden.

Next train right behind it pulls up, stuffed to the gills. Takes on what it can and leaves. We get on the next one, only to find out at 5th Street that its now an express to Margaret Orthodox (Why?). 3 minutes later we get on the next one, stuffed to the gills while all 300 of us try and squeeze in. When we get to 2nd, the platform has almost 500 people there, apparantly dumped from the train before us.

Someone started banging on the operator's door when we were told to get off at 5th Street as the operator on the train that left us there in the first place told us the next one would be a "local".

So I'd like to know, when there is a problem, why do the trains dump everyone off, making things worse, then scoot up to the end of the line? If they need a pad, why not just express to Girard? With all the wasted money spent on ATC, you would think it could manage things just a bit better than that.

Judging from experience, I also think they should be running 8-10 car trains as its impossible to get a seat leaving Center City, even off-peak, or going inbound at Girard. But I'm guessing there aren't enough cars to do that during peak load times. Guess SEPTA goofed with their growth projections, or liquidated the M3 cars a little too soon. 8 cars would be a big help, anyone who has ridden the 4 car disaster set on the weekend or evenings knows what I'm talking about.

I don't get why SEPTA insists on messing with the heaviest rail route on the system, and why they can't clean up the A-B system, like making Spring Garden and 2nd St A-B stops again.

I hear you about the crowded conditions on the El. SEPTA cannot run trains over six cars because of the platforms at some stations are too short. I always thought that since majority of the most heavily used stations can fit 6 + cars, why not run at least eight cars so they can be used for those stations only. SEPTA would have to add a conductor to the trains to operate selected doors ala NYC Subways. We all know this would never happen. This is why SEPTA installed the closed circuit TV in the cab, so the operator can view the left side of the train when stationed.

Instead of dumping huge capital costs into extending the length of the platforms, SEPTA invested in new signal technology to shorten headways. The more frequent service was supposed to help alleviate the crowding and on paper, in makes sense and should work. Since the signals were implemented, I have not seen any improvement in performance.

The problem with the broke train, the locals going express, and dumping passengers, must of benn compacted by the construction. With the tracks to 69th street severed, there are only so many cars available for service. FTC can only store a certain number of cars. With the limited number or cars available, when one breaks down and clogs the line, the whole line starts to go into disarray exponentially. They probably wanted to send the train up the line to avoid another bottleneck near the FTC by spreading out the trains. When trains bunch up in center city, they end up just sitting and waiting up the line. I have seen this happen many times if a train for some reason gets delayed (signal, mechanical, minor emergency…) early in its trip. The platforms get crowded quick, so when the train stops, it takes forever to load and unload – especially the way the cars are designed facilitating standing at the doorways. This delays the train even more causing a bunch up behind. Because majority of the people board the crowded train (Tired of waiting), the trains behind catch up pretty quickly and bunch up.

I experienced this riding from 15th to the FTC. Around 430PM, I entered the station and just missed a train. The next one did not arrive until 20 minutes passed. By this time, the platforms were full. When the train arrived full, I waited for the next one, as most people did because the laws of physics dictated that they could not fit. The next one arrived in about 2 minutes but was full once everybody crunched in, so I decide to wait. About two minutes passed and the next train arrived empty. I boarded and it was a very slow ride until we reached the Magaret –Orthodox station; there we sat for about 10 minutes waiting for a spot at the FTC.

What I do not understand, is that SEPTA suspended skip stop service during the construction. Don’t they know that the El is basically two lines? You can cut the line in half at 15th street. The ridership did not decrease between 15th and the FTC, so the problems that happened yesterday were made worse because all trains are supposed to make all stops