sammy2009 wrote:I was just thinking this earlier....since there will be alot of people in the city and taking SEPTA all of SEPTA'S Regional Rail fleet will be in motion (Im assuming with the push-pull sets be used ?) they would make sense to have in service...7 cars bombers .....and also i was thinking would NJT possibly lease some Arrows for SEPTA extra service for that weekend. ? That would seem like a smart idea in my book....but would NJT ENGINEERS HAVE TO OPERATE THEM ?...i really dont want SEPTA to have a NJTRANSIT "SUPERBOWL MELTDOWN" All eyes is on Philly & SEPTA like how the New Jersey was the center of attention.
Good idea Sammy.
But SEPTA operates on a strict operating budget. Where do you take money away from rail operations in the fiscal year to pay for leasing NJT Arrow cars.
Do the NJT cars work on the Reading side of the phase break?
The cars look similar to a Silverliner, but the components are different. This means operating crews, mechanics, and electricians all need technical training before they can put their hands on the equipment.
This isn't like the 60's when everybody bought passenger equipment off the shelf with standard components.
This is an assumption, but the Federal law states engineers and conductors can only work 6 days per week. So that means SEPTA can only work with half of their normal weekday staff on Saturday and Sunday. If you could procure the extra equipment from NJT, who is going to run it?
As I stated before, if a typical weekday on regional rail transports 150,000 people from the suburbs to the city, than Regional Rail (at absolute best) can handle 7% of Pope visitors for the parade and Sunday mass (assuming they were fully staffed with train crews).
Short of running Duck Boats up the Schuylkill River and Ferry Boat service across the Delaware, people have to get creative to find a way into the city to see Pope Francis.
There will be GRIDLOCK Sunday evening as everyone departs the city at once to go home Sunday night, after they spent all day funneling into the city. Kinda like New Years Eve in Times Square. I'm betting the Schuylkill Expressway or Atlantic City Expressway will experience some type of accident gridlock Sunday that will set a Guinness Book world record.
You can only put 5 gallons of $h!t in a 5 gallon bucket.