Internal Website (Radar)

More pre-peak service is needed. Several LIRR trains on major lines (including two out of GCT) look pretty packed. Post-Covid, less and less people are using departures later in rush hour, while departures around this time are much more crowded.

Case in point, train #166 to Babylon (3:39 out of Penn) is at 125% capacity with at least 120 people in every car. 10 car train.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Tue Mar 14, 2023 10:47 am Hold on, I got a spreadsheet with Amtrak numbers here...

Keystones are 600-680. No conflict currently but would conflict if MNR gets into Penn Station.

There is no conflict if they don’t operate on the same line. There are no plans, or even dreams, of Harlem Line trains running to Penn Station.

I don't think they made a mistake leaving this publicly exposed. It doesn't seem to have any data they don't appear to be required to make public.

BTW, The MTA is participating in NYC Open Data Week 2023 so if this visualization is eventually put behind an authentication barrier, someone could write their own.

Realistically what Harlem line trains would run into Penn making it a conflict? Not to mention they may use a different numbering series for Penn Access trains.

Harlem Line into Penn was eliminated as an option at the very beginning of the study due to poor connectivity. The disused and disconnected Port Morris branch had connections but both were in the wrong direction (Harlem Line northbound and Port Morris Northbound). To access via the Hudson would involve a time-consuming double back up to Spuyten Dyvil around an incredibly slow turn at Mott Haven, and what would be an incredibly slow turn across inbound traffic at SD. Nope.

Everyone - The MTA Radar website looks quite informative...Like the way they used the LIRR Keystone and
the MNCR circle M to denote both railroads - both are better than the MTA "pac-man" logo...

Today (3/17-St. Patrick's Day) it is going to be interesting to observe westbound and southbound trains this
morning to see when and where (LIRR riders have the option of traveling to Grand Central this year which is
closer to the 5th Avenue parade route then Penn Station) riders are traveling to and what the most heavily-
used trains turn out to be for those planning on attending this year's St. Patrick's Day Parade...

In the afternoon starting around 2:00 PM trains eastbound and northbound should be extra busy with a
combination of early Friday getaway riders along with parade goers returning homeward. With decent
weather forecast today some may choose to stay later in Manhattan therefore lengthening out the PM
Peak hour return somewhat - and even make some trains less crowded in certain instances.

Let's see how St. Patrick's Day 2023 turns out for both railroads...MACTRAXX

Tuesday/Wednesday rush hours seem to be much busier. There's been a ton of trains that are pretty full, including some overloaded LIRR 8-car sets out of Penn and 4-car sets on Oyster Bay. Train 1848 to Danbury was the most packed I've seen a branch line train, although quite a few people got off at Darien. Numbers are slowly starting to go down as of 6pm. More trains from 3:30-5 please!

The SB afternoon rush train on the other hand had maybe 15 people with one car open. Glad it was a “mini-Bomb”.

1925 a.m. rush from Waterbury to Bridgeport has good ridership.

1811 from Danbury the branch ridership not so much. It really doesn't fill up until SoNo.

Final count on 1811 ~495. It skips STM.

Danbury Branch ridership really seems to have struggled. After I posted about #1848, a ton more people got off at Rowayton/SoNo. It had something like 600 out of GCT, and only 220 continued onto the branch line (125 past Wilton). 230 people for the absolute heart of rush hour isn't great. I believe that train used to make Stamford but temporarily doesn't, so maybe that's hurting it. It's probably much easier to drive over to the Harlem Line now.

I've really hit peak nerd status with this website lol.

1542 today was packed; 690 customers, four cars in the red, one with 112, vicinity Noroton Heights.

MNR has been running 6-car trains almost exclusively on the Harlem and lower Hudson lines, and for the most part it works fine. Maybe one or two of the peak expresses on the Harlem should be given an 8-car, but for the most part 6-car sets get it done.

Meanwhile on the New Haven, they've taken to running trains as short as five cars, and right now there's a ton of six-car sets being used. Guess which trains account for four of the five most crowded on the system? Yup, six-car outer NH trains. Even during off-peak, all sets minus those headed for branches need to be at least 8 cars.

As opposed to the LIRR, where many of the trains use 10-car consists. That from what I've observed is rare on MNRR.