NICTD - SCHEDULE CHANGES TAKE EFFECT SEPTEMBER 5, 2010

SCHEDULE CHANGES TAKE EFFECT SEPTEMBER 5, 2010

Weekday schedule changes:

* WESTBOUND
o Consolidate Trains 114 and 14 - Train 14 will make all local stops arriving in Chicago at 10:28 a.m.
o Train 20 will depart South Bend and all intermediate stations 10 minutes later in order to meet eastbound Train 11 along Wilson Siding.
o Train 220 will depart Gary Metro Center and all intermediate stations 10 minutes later to reflect later arrival of eastbound Train 215.
* EASTBOUND
o Consolidate Trains 211 and 11 - Train 11 will depart Millennium Station at 4:02 p.m. making all local stops to South Bend.
o Flip Trains 115 and 215. Train 115 will depart Millennium Station at 5:28 p.m. running non-stop from Van Buren St. to East Chicago.
o Train 215 will depart Chicago at 5:32 p.m. making all stops except East Chicago.
o Train 107 will depart Chicago 35 minutes later at 10:45 a.m. in order to move the meet with westbound Train 116 west of Gary Metro Center.

There are no changes to the weekend/holiday schedule.

Please click here (pdf) for a printable table of specific changes to each train.


Source: NICTD News Page - Posted August 4th

Brings a tear to my eye that they're eliminating my "hot shots", but it's the right decision. The good news is that we know that those slots work, so they can be reinstated at an appropriate time in the future if and when needed.

How come they're eliminating the hotshots? That was a great article in F&F on them.

sounds like ridership is a bit down, not superbig but an adjustment

and some meet changes

They discussed the possibility back at the May board meeting (according to press at the time). Ridership is down enough and has stayed down where the trains just are not needed at this time. They are a good idea and I hope they return (just as I hope more service to South Bend is added on the weekends after CTC is in place at Birchim).

Swapping 215 and 115 makes sense. The afternoon peak eastbound trains are noted as "may run up to four minutes early" departing stations before their scheduled time. The current schedule only works when 215 is running early (or 115 is running late). If 215 were held for schedule 115 would be slowed or stopped following it every day. It looks like the new schedule will fix this (although allowing 215 to run up to four minutes early is a good fix).

This also removes the crossover at Clark Rd (CP 61.5) from 215. Currently 215 crosses over to Track 2 on approach to Gary Metro Center as 115 follows less than 6 minutes behind on Track 1. Being on Track 2 allows more time to empty the train before 115 arrives on Track 1. With the new schedule, 215 will be able to follow the pattern of the other 200's and use the add track to the east of the station for the reverse move (there will be 28 minutes before the next eastbound arrives - 6 minutes after the scheduled departure of 215's equipment as 220). Of course it still could be crossed over as no westbounds are scheduled.

Tadman wrote:How come they're eliminating the hotshots? That was a great article in F&F on them.

Thanks! I just gave a presentation on the operating plan changes at NICTD in Philadelphia last month that drew from my article, just in time for them to change things back!

Actually, I completely agree with the rationale at this time. The hot shots were a needed fix at a time when ridership was skyrocketing for the "peak shoulder" trains (those just on the other side of the peak period dividing line), and weekend trains. Now that ridership is down and there is a very focused effort to identify cost savings that won't have a huge impact on service, it makes sense to temporarily mothball them. But, as I said, the slots are there, the agreements with Metra worked out, and they can be put back if and when we climb out of the Great Recession.

The 115/215 swap is a good move, too - I agree with justalurker. There was a reason we didn't do it on the initial changeover when we made 115 an express, but it escapes me now. I think it may have had something to do with maintaining some service to the Metra Electric "local" stations.

Right now 215 only stops at Millennium Park and Van Buren in Chicago ... then all NICTD except East Chicago to Gary Metro. 115 makes all the normal Chicago pickup stops but only stops at East Chicago before it gets to Gary Metro. The pattern west of Gary Metro is the same (only the numbers will changed). The only problem I can see with the new schedule is that the train making the most Chicago pickup stops ends at Gary. But 117 is close enough that anyone who wants to go further from 11th St or 55-56-57th St can do so within a half hour. 117 makes all stops - including Kensington, which will be dropped when 115 becomes 215.

I'm not sure I'd even call that a "problem" ... in a way it provides an express from Millennium/Van Buren to East Chicago/Gary Metro and points east. Less stops for those going further. By not having the Hegewisch/Hammond passengers on the train those going further may be able to find a seat (if that is an issue).

justalurker66 wrote:Right now 215 only stops at Millennium Park and Van Buren in Chicago ... then all NICTD except East Chicago to Gary Metro. 115 makes all the normal Chicago pickup stops but only stops at East Chicago before it gets to Gary Metro. The pattern west of Gary Metro is the same (only the numbers will changed). The only problem I can see with the new schedule is that the train making the most Chicago pickup stops ends at Gary. But 117 is close enough that anyone who wants to go further from 11th St or 55-56-57th St can do so within a half hour. 117 makes all stops - including Kensington, which will be dropped when 115 becomes 215.

I'm not sure I'd even call that a "problem" ... in a way it provides an express from Millennium/Van Buren to East Chicago/Gary Metro and points east. Less stops for those going further. By not having the Hegewisch/Hammond passengers on the train those going further may be able to find a seat (if that is an issue).

Yeah, I think the idea was to try to divert as many people to the *second* train (by stopping more before expressing); the reason that the arrangement was made was to balance out the passenger loads between two trains that leave only 4 minutes apart from Millennium Station, and to make sure that we didn't create a situation where people who get on at the "local" Metra stops would have to wait for their ride east of Gary. 117 is only about a half hour behind, but there was apprehension that we'd get complaints from the "east of Gary" riders who get on at, say, 55-56-57th St.

All that said, I like the "true express" nature of 115 as it is under the new timetable. At the time when the changes were made the first time around, the thought was that we'd just shift the overcrowding problem, and not solve it. I think that fear was unfounded, and making 115/215 a real express/local combo is a much better arrangement, operationally and service-delivery-wise.

I wish Metra would be as proactive in adjusting schedules to manage demand like NICTD was doing here. While it's true that Metra suffers from a lack of resources, there's still some service that could be tweaked without adding extra equipment...