Metro North Issues Speed Restrictions

[Ridgefielder]

Yesterday I rode the New Haven line (GCT-Stamford & back) for the first time in a long while and and found the slow running terrible. I didn't see any obvious (to me) reason for this but I can tell you we never got over 60 mph once, the entire ride. FWIW: 1) Eastbound I was on #1530, with M2/4/6 equipment --- including, incidentally, a working bar car.

Well there you go-- it's all a plot to increase beverage sales!

[Amtrak7]

According to Mileposts, the Bronx ROW work won't be finished by 11/17. New schedules take effect with minor changes, busing continues for Melrose/Tremont.

[MetroNorthRider098]

According to Mileposts, the Bronx ROW work won't be finished by 11/17. New schedules take effect with minor changes, busing continues for Melrose/Tremont.

Sorry, but this is a complete joke. Peak-hour trains (at least the ones I've taken every weekday) have all been 15-20 min. late every day -- in the morning and the evening -- for the past two weeks. (What's the point of the schedule? You might as well just show up and wait for a train to come.) Metro North says this portion of the track was supposed to take about 2 weeks (started Oct. 28, according to the MTA), so will any of the congestion be alleviated by next week???? I can deal with 5 minute delays, but 15+ min.+ extra is making me have to completely adjust my schedule and take different trains. Wasn't this supposed to be done by Labor Day? If this is the new norm, then I'm moving, because spending 5 hours of my day commuting is just ridiculous.

[Commuter rant over.]

[RearOfSignal]

Well, the work being done is a little more complicated than painting a bathroom. Yes, most of this MNR brought on itself. But trying to get all of this work done so quick, the railroad is actually stumbling over itself, several groups of workers get in each other's way down in the bronx. Of course all of this can be done much quicker if the railroad shut down all four tracks between CP 106 and CP 112, but I'm sure that would go over great with the people. It's much harder to remove an organ from a living donor than from a cadaver, sort of the same thing here.

[MetroNorthRider098]

So, any idea if this particular section of work that supposedly started Oct. 28 will be done by Monday (Nov. 11), as the press release indicated? The congestion in South Bronx/Harlem area over the past two weeks has seemed to be the worst since the whole project started...I could walk faster than the trains move through that area. Also, traffic in and out of GCT has been really bad.

[Steamboat Willie]

MNRider - You have to realize that a lot of these improvements and repairs were mandated by the FRA. When the TLV made its rounds TTCI made a list of priority in such that there were quite a lot of areas that needed immediate attention to. Speed restrictions ballooned overnight once the TLV project took off. The task has grown so much that MN had to recruit other agencies to assist in the work being done (NYCT comes to mind.) Keep in mind too that the Bronx work commenced before the Hudson Division derailment, and when that happened the resources were ran thin when they were recruited to assist in repairing the rock cut at Spuyten Duyvil. That has constituted in the delay of progress in the Bronx. As always with any kind of track work, even beyond MN they always advise that you as the rider should make adjustments to your travel schedule.

[russellsal8]

One thing I've observed is that they're working on Track 3 (the easternmost track) through the length of the Mott Haven junction. Whereas before during this construction project, there would be four tracks up to where the Hudson Line splits off, now there appear to be three tracks. This track closure seems to start from the drawbridge, just past the switch from track 3 to track 1. This creates a bottleneck of three tracks for all three lines. I've definitely noticed a slow down on NB trains just north of 125th street. I didn't notice them working on the other tracks through Mott Haven, maybe track 3 was in much worse condition than the others? Clearly this work has to be done - it's not optional, and hopefully they do it right.

[Steamboat Willie]

That was one of the urgent repairs I mentioned of. On the curve on track 3 just north of the Harlem River Bridge and beyond to CP 106. When we had some hotter days in the summer that was one of the areas where the imposed a temporary speed restriction of 15mph.

[BuddSilverliner269]

The New Haven line is down to 10 restrictions. During the summer after the Fairfield wreck, there were as many as 25 restrictions on the line. Some progress as been made. The restrictions that remain are kind of annoying but its nice to see that they are being whittled away. I see that the Harlem Line has had an increase in restrictions lately.

[DutchRailnut]

the speeds other than a few curves are largely back to normal , still keeping the 90 mph section at 80 mph as of Sundays bulletin order.

[BuddSilverliner269]

the speeds other than a few curves are largely back to normal , still keeping the 90 mph section at 80 mph as of Sundays bulletin order.

I still laugh at Walk bridge. 3 different speeds in effect on the bridge. 15,30 and 45.

[DutchRailnut]

it will be 30-45-30-30 as of Sunday unless there are other speeds in DTBO

[BuddSilverliner269]

it will be 30-45-30-30 as of Sunday unless there are other speeds in DTBO

They did such a wonderful job on track 1 with a complete rebuild. The other 3 are getting the quickie rebuild to up the speed to 30. It's much better then 15mph

[Amtrak7]

Nice to hear they're actually working on improving the tracks rather than just imposing the slow orders for safety and indefinitely deferring the permanent repairs.

[DutchRailnut]

they were NOT indefinitely deferring , the FRA gave them a list of priorities, which had to be handled first.