[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Mark 24

I would think a comparison of today's schedule with that of one from before WW1 would give insight on how many trains could be handled. Also, consider there were freight movements during the day while most long distance trains ran after evening rush hour service.

I am not sure what that would show. It was a much different world back then. You did not have thousands of people commuting from Connecticut into Manhattan on a daily basis so there were few trains. Plus to the train equipment was very different than it is today. I believe train speeds were much lower back then because going even 30 miles per hour was considered to be fast. Jay

[Wilton2ParkAve]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I am not sure what that would show. It was a much different world back then. You did not have thousands of people commuting from Connecticut into Manhattan on a daily basis so there were few trains. Plus to the train equipment was very different than it is today. I believe train speeds were much lower back then because going even 30 miles per hour was considered to be fast. Jay

Actually Jay - Metro North trains were faster 80 years ago. We've added 13 minutes from NH to GCT since 1976. In 1955, there was an 85 minute express train from NH to GCT.

http://streamlinermemories.info/Eastern/NH55TT.pdf

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by OyCrumbler

I guess the question is why is it harder to add more trains? Is it track capacity being impacted by slow zones and deteriotating track conditions where fixing the tracks is the closest constraining factor?

I believe due to congestion issues, especially where things converge in NYC.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by Wilton2ParkAve

Actually Jay - Metro North trains were faster 80 years ago. We've added 13 minutes from NH to GCT since 1976. In 1955, there was an 85 minute express train from NH to GCT.

http://streamlinermemories.info/Eastern/NH55TT.pdf

Accurate. The tracks were in better shape. Very sad something so basic has been neglected.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Wilton2ParkAve

Actually Jay - Metro North trains were faster 80 years ago. We've added 13 minutes from NH to GCT since 1976. In 1955, there was an 85 minute express train from NH to GCT.

http://streamlinermemories.info/Eastern/NH55TT.pdf

I don’t think there are any train on Metro North that does not stop someplace on the corridor. That makes a difference. The shortest trip from New Haven to New York is 106 minutes. 21 minutes for stops at several stations is not a lot. I doubt there are enough passengers going from New Haven to New York to justify nonstop service. Jay

[JD_MD]

Maybe it would make sense to dedicate 1-2 express trains (not full length trains, i.e., fewer cars) from NH to GCT each morning and evening. On a recent trip into NYC, I took the 8:49 am train out of West Haven and when it arrived every car already had a ton of passengers on it and it was a full length train. Doing this would make it more feasible to commute from points north and east of New Haven. Those same passengers would be more likely to take those trains rather than the local trains. It will probably never happen and doesn't solve the problem of the tracks being outdated and the speeds too slow.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I don’t think there are any train on Metro North that does not stop someplace on the corridor. That makes a difference. The shortest trip from New Haven to New York is 106 minutes. 21 minutes for stops at several stations is not a lot. I doubt there are enough passengers going from New Haven to New York to justify nonstop service. Jay

With stops the trains were about 12 minutes faster 10 years ago.

Even with no stops I would bet it wouldn’t be that fast. Just to East Norwalk with no stops is an hour.

[JGBigGreen]

That's a great old document. Thanks for sharing that! I'll echo Stylo that it is sad that our trains are slower now than they were so long ago. Sad, sad, sad.

Originally Posted by Wilton2ParkAve

Actually Jay - Metro North trains were faster 80 years ago. We've added 13 minutes from NH to GCT since 1976. In 1955, there was an 85 minute express train from NH to GCT.

http://streamlinermemories.info/Eastern/NH55TT.pdf

[OyCrumbler]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I don’t think there are any train on Metro North that does not stop someplace on the corridor. That makes a difference. The shortest trip from New Haven to New York is 106 minutes. 21 minutes for stops at several stations is not a lot. I doubt there are enough passengers going from New Haven to New York to justify nonstop service. Jay

A way for an express from New Haven to New York can make sense is if a Shore Line East or an electrified Hartford Line train had other stops east/north of New Haven first before running as an express to Manhattan. Shore Line East might be in the position to do that with the new M8s.

[BugsyPal]

Originally Posted by JGBigGreen

That's a great old document. Thanks for sharing that! I'll echo Stylo that it is sad that our trains are slower now than they were so long ago. Sad, sad, sad.

One reason trains were faster "years ago" was that engineers were under great pressure to arrive on time. This applied to freight and or passenger trains.


In era of privately owned RRs companies competed on things like arrival and departure times, this was true all over the world; hence the famous comments about Mussolini making the trains run on time.


Sadly often engineers got their trains to arrive on time by speeding in order to make up for lost time. This lead to (also sadly) no small number of accidents over the years.


Railroads did try fines or other job actions; but union fought back and or things were done with a wink and nod. Again the RR wanted/needed their trains to arrive on time; so what was the engineer to do?


Second response was all sorts of positive train controls including in cab signaling that can stop a train if it blows past preset speed limits.