T to try out real-time train info on commuter-rail lines
By adamg - 3/11/09 - 8:38 am
Old electronic signboards to be replaced by GPS-enabled messaging from trains; expected to roll out systemwide by the end of summer.
Comments
That's an idea
It actually sounds a little more useful than telling us "the next Orange Line train to Oak Grove is arriving" as it barrels into the station. What next?
My favorite Orange Line announcement
"The next Orange Line train to Forest Hills is now arriving" - when played at Forest Hills.
Obviously the Orange Line
Obviously the Orange Line system has developed either a sense of humor or a optimism regarding future expansion to the south.
Are they planning on
Are they planning on implementing them system-wide or only for the commuter rail?
As far as subway notification goes, I've always liked the little strip of lights on the Washington Metro platform that blink as a train is about to come into the station. You need more than that for accessibility reasons, granted, but the lights are a nice little touch.
I hope the countdown signs work better than the current MBCR ones.
welcome to circa 2002
welcome to circa 2002 europe. What's next, internet cafes? Walk signals that don't require you to push a button?
Oh good...
...that should keep the fares down.
What a waste.
Why is this being done on the Commuter Rail, which has infrequent trains and a published schedule rather than the subway, which has frequent trains and no readily available schedule (other than cards with published headway times, which are mere fantasy)? The current LED signs on the Commuter Rail seem more suited to getting the information needed.
Why?
Because attaching a GPS unit to a train and taking advantage of the free-to-use GPS satellites and then radioing that information up and down the rail to the signs is easy and cheap.
Some sort of new underground antenna system that would track the subway or hardware/software solution to relay whatever subway position information they have at HQ back out to the stations is not easy and cheap.
150,000 riders on average
take the commuter rail every day, most paying hundreds of dollars a month.
We are a significant source of revenue for the T.
The published schedules for the commuter rail are every bit as laughable as the subway timetables--and if it stays that way, ridership will drop off.
The costs are higher
If a subway train is "late", or breaks down, the next train is at most 15-20 minutes away (unless there are serious delays, in which case they have the new announcement system). Often, the best response to a late subway train is "I'll wait for the next one, and I'll call and say that I'm late."
If the commuter rail is late or disabled, you could be waiting 2.5 hours for the next one. Almost always, the response to a late commuter rail is "I'll drive/call a cab."
I never use commuter rail anymore, but when I lived in the suburbs, I'd have killed for an accurate estimate of the next train. I considered finding someone who lived next to the tracks, two stops away, and paying for them to install a webcam.
It's also handy (if risky) for judging when to leave your house in the winter. Why stand in the cold any longer than necessary?
I don't begrudge them this one.
As a daily Commuter Rail rider.,,
I am all for this. I can't tell you how many times I've stood outside in the snow/rain/sleet/hail with the frigging LED sign saying "All Trains Running At or About On Schedule" despite being 30 minutes late.
How about on the web, too?
Why don't they post the real time information on the web, too, so if you know you're train is running 30 minutes late, you can have a few extra minutes with the fam? (And I have neither fam nor commuter rail commute.)
T Alerts
The T will already email and text you.
And the website has listed delays for the past several years.
T Alerts are NOT real-time; in fact, they are almost useless.
I tried them for several months.
Even though I had selected to receive alerts only about the Orange line and Fitchburg commuter rail, I would regularly get alerts about the Blue, Red and Green lines.
When the system did deliver information that I actually wanted, it lagged hopelessly behind. Often, I'd receive my first notification of a 15-minute delay only after I'd already boarded the delayed train.
But, hey--at least I always knew when the escalators were down at Aquarium Station.
Maybe
The e-mail alerts are color blind?
Evidence
"There is a disabled train on the Red Line between Arlington and Copley."
maybe
That's what they mean when they say "this train is being rerouted".