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Track problems to the south and the north mean that some riders can't just sally forth
By adamg on Tue, 01/05/2016 - 7:29am
Both the Haverhill and Greenbrush lines are having "track" issues this morning; in the case of the Haverhill Line, that involved an out-of-service train derailing. One Haverhill train, the 204, left Andover like 45 minutes late. Tim the Enchanter reports:
I'm sitting on the Haverhill line right now. We've traveled half a stop in 90mins. "Winter Happens", per MBTA signs.
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Comments
Don't Worry!
All will be solved when the fares go up!
Whadaya gonna do?
Winter happens.
We've been
We've been told this before.. "We'll raise fares and things will get better. we promise"
Ha!
Have they ever once promised
Have they ever once promised that? Typically they threaten to cut service if they don't get more money, not promise more service for more money.
Well things arent going to
Well things arent going to get better unless someone comes up with a lot of dough.
Funny
That sounds an awful lot like straight-up extortion.
Someone flunked out of Organized Crime U.
The idea is to threaten to break things if the victim won't pay up, not to break it first and then threaten not to fix it.
"Track problems" on the Red Line and Commuter Rail??
I don't understand. Charlie and Marty assured us that the T was ready for winter. This cant be happening.
Who you gonna blame for this Chucking Farley? Beverly Scott?
Their winter resiliency horn
Their winter resiliency horn-tooting was about repairing equipment that experienced failures due to extreme levels of snow causing ice-clogged equipment last year: Third rail, switch, and signal heaters.
These track problems are caused by sudden extreme cold: Just like how metal expands and warps on very hot days, it shrinks and can crack on extremely cold days. It isn't a failure mode their winter resiliency work even tried to fix.
About those fare increases...
If the T is going to raise fares then there needs to be a better system in place to handle refunds. It should be as simple as delay = refund. And the refund can be credited or cashed.
MBTA did away with refunds a
MBTA did away with refunds a fare increase or two ago.
Seriously
People take the T because they can't afford double-digit Ubers on a daily basis. If you're going to charge them, what, $3 for a subway ride that doesn't actually get them anywhere? That strands them somewhere where they end up having to take a cab anyway? You damn well better hand over the refunds, without fuss or complaint or delay or any MBTA bullshit.
In all fairness, the T doesn
In all fairness, the T doesn't just strand you somewhere. You may have to wait for the buses to show as an alternative, but, they never just say "too bad, start walking"
Guess you weren't around last
Guess you weren't around last year when they stranded a whole bunch of people in the city when they shut down the outbound CR in the middle of the evening commute.
Or you think things like 2-3 hour delays, which became normal on the CR last year, for weeks, are still within the (non-satirical) realm of "yes, we'll get you there."
I suppose the fact that the T always reopens the next day means technically you're never stranded. T fell apart today? Just wait until 5:15am tomorrow! We'll get you home!
Red line now hobbled
"Track problems" have the Ashmont line busing....
haverhill derailment
Why is a track problem in Andover causing cancellations for towns closer to Boston? the slightest problem is an excuse for complete anarchy. no ability to manage the problem and mitigate impact.
I believe north of Andover
is a single track, so a derailment in Lawrence may block train sets stored in Haverhill overnight, causing an equipment shortage on the north side.
It's because of how
the trainsets are scheduled and the ripple effect that happens if there is a delay on a particular run.
As an example, a train that originates in Reading is the same trainset from the previous Boston to Reading train, which in turn is the same trainset from a previous Haverhill to Boston train. If that inital train from Haverhill is severely delayed (as was the case this morning due to the
derailmenttrack problem), it affects several other trains.Contributing to this ripple effect is the fact that Keolis has few, if any, trainsets and crews "on reserve" ready to go to cover these gaps.
Lastly, as GoSoxGo points out, the line between Reading and Lawrence is single track, which only excerbates these issues.
Keolis explains: https:/
Keolis explains: https://vimeo.com/150791773
4 train sets were stuck in the Bradford layover, so service modifications (cancellations of short turn trains) had to be made. Keolis still isn't sure what actually happened on the tracks/why the train derailed after the interlock.
I give Keolis credit for this.
I can't hear the audio (computer config at work), but I give them credit for posting something like this. I think that providing some kind of credible explanation for a service problem goes a long way for many people (even if there are many hundreds or thousands of credible explanations that still need to be offered by the T/Keolis). This was a smart move.
They do the videos for major
They do the videos for major disruptions. See related videos. Keolis is really trying to do their best with what they have been given & provide more open communication with a frustrated greater-Boston area.
Keolis isn't at fault for
Keolis isn't at fault for this shit; it's the MBTA's rail that cracked. Of course the MBTA will probably shaft Keolis for this. Why take responsibility for your crap rail network and crap trainsets when the contractor (who just operates them) can be blamed for everything that goes wrong?
Wonder who's going take over the CR when Keolis' contract runs out. Like Amtrak, I can't imagine they're going to want this job back.
Disgrace
Every day this happens now, I feel for all the subway riders, especially in these single digit temps. Then it's difficult to get into work late, still freezing cold, and transition to work mode right away.
Indeed, as a bus rider I feel
Indeed, as a bus rider I feel for the subway riders.
Silver Line going out from
Silver Line going out from South Station was awful.
On the plus side
You could post this statement every day -- at all times -- and still be right.
They need some sort of a line
They need some sort of a line system like as if it were an amusement ride.
I once had to go to a morning
I once had to go to a morning meeting in Dudley Square-- took 1 hour from arriving at South Station to arriving in Dudley via Silver Line. There were no special service delays other than the normal, embarrassing headways that are apparently assigned to Roxbury-bound SL buses even at peak hours. Atrocious.
Winter is coming
Winter came.