Pope in DC: WMATA Edition

[srepetsk]

WMATA and DDOT held a conference today discussing preparation for the Pope being in DC next week.

Apparently WMATA is planning to have 978 rail cars available for service - https://twitter.com/MartinDiCaro/status ... 4131637252" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - 24 more than a regular service day.

WMATA said they averaged 888 cars available for service in July. Troup said they wouldn't have 954 available today for "normal" service after "resuming" full-length trains on Mondays and Friday after the summer break.

Does anybody else see this as having the potential for incredible amounts of failure if the system has its normal number of train breakdowns during service? Last I checked, I wasn't going crazy...

[JackRussell]

WMATA and DDOT held a conference today discussing preparation for the Pope being in DC next week.

Apparently WMATA is planning to have 978 rail cars available for service - https://twitter.com/MartinDiCaro/status ... 4131637252" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - 24 more than a regular service day.

WMATA said they averaged 888 cars available for service in July. Troup said they wouldn't have 954 available today for "normal" service after "resuming" full-length trains on Mondays and Friday after the summer break.

Does anybody else see this as having the potential for incredible amounts of failure if the system has its normal number of train breakdowns during service? Last I checked, I wasn't going crazy...

I would assume that bicycles would be barred from being on Metro when the Pope is in town. They do that sometimes when there is a big event (even if you aren't going anywhere near the event). I got bit by this last year on Veteran's Day when I was trying to get to work.

[srepetsk]

I would assume that bicycles would be barred from being on Metro when the Pope is in town. They do that sometimes when there is a big event (even if you aren't going anywhere near the event). I got bit by this last year on Veteran's Day when I was trying to get to work.

You are correct:

Bicycles and large coolers will not be permitted on Metrorail on Wednesday, September 23, or Thursday, September 24.

via http://wmata.com/rider_tools/metro_serv ... m?AID=5107" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Sand Box John]

"srepetsk"

Does anybody else see this as having the potential for incredible amounts of failure if the system has its normal number of train breakdowns during service? Last I checked, I wasn't going crazy...

If the boy and girls working in the shops did do diligent to make sure all systems on the cars were in proper order before sending to the ready track we might slide for the few days the Pope is in town.

If we can make the above standard operating procedure public confidence might even increase.

[JDC]

Metro has a press release page where it keeps adding additional details about the Pope's visit, including a spiffy new video. Let's see if Metrorail runs as smooth as the video. http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/metro_ ... m?AID=5107

[farecard]

And we're off to a good start, a day early......[traction power station fire..]

[YOLO]

Power back on for the YL/GR lines. Preliminary cause of power outage is a RTU failure.

[Sand Box John]

Question in my mind is, Why did the RTU failure cause third rail power to be cut?

As you may remember WMATA had some reliability issues with the Silver line RTUs, don't recall third rail power being cut when those RTUs acted stupid.

[farecard]

Question in my mind is, Why did the RTU failure cause third rail power to be cut?

There's remote control of third rail power from the OCC; I've heard references to it.
If it's not via the RTU, there's some similar SCADA system of similar functionality.

[srepetsk]

Question in my mind is, Why did the RTU failure cause third rail power to be cut?

There's remote control of third rail power from the OCC; I've heard references to it.
If it's not via the RTU, there's some similar SCADA system of similar functionality.

There is, and very likely it's via the RTU. The question is why the RTU failure would cause the power to be cut, or if something else happened (i.e. power surge or something flipping a breaker) that ROCC would then be unable to reset because of the failed RTU.

[farecard]

The question is why the RTU failure would cause the power to be cut, or if something else happened (i.e. power surge or something flipping a breaker) that ROCC would then be unable to reset because of the failed RTU.

Simple: Fail to the safe mode. Same way track occupancy systems should work.

[farecard]

Has WMATA posted any usage stats from yesterday?