New Red and Orange Line Cars

Jahvon09

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Thank you for the rundown. This is very informative.

This information raises the question: why haven’t headways improved? We allegedly are now able to run 11 trains on the Orange Line, instead of 10. We allegedly have the dispatchers to run 11 trains, instead of 10. Yet, we still have 11-13 minute headways, as we have since the slow zones were implemented last month. Why?
The slow zones for the Orange Line go back to sometime when the shutdown had just or not too long ended that I know of. The line was supposed to be fixed & updated. Then this damn thing had spread to the other lines like a disease without any cure!! (n)
 
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bakgwailo

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Thank you for the rundown. This is very informative.

This information raises the question: why haven’t headways improved? We allegedly are now able to run 11 trains on the Orange Line, instead of 10. We allegedly have the dispatchers to run 11 trains, instead of 10. Yet, we still have 11-13 minute headways, as we have since the slow zones were implemented last month. Why?
Could it just be that with the current speed restrictions in place that headways are maxed out?
 

HenryAlan

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Could it just be that with the current speed restrictions in place that headways are maxed out?
I'm not up to doing a full analysis on this right now, but logically, if there is 10% more vehicle and dispatching capacity, then you can decrease the headways, regardless of how slowly the trains are moving between stations. Or is there something I don't understand about speed restrictions (ie some required gap between trains that has already been hit)?
 

bigeman312

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I'm not up to doing a full analysis on this right now, but logically, if there is 10% more vehicle and dispatching capacity, then you can decrease the headways, regardless of how slowly the trains are moving between stations. Or is there something I don't understand about speed restrictions (ie some required gap between trains that has already been hit)?
This is where my thought process is, too. Yet there’s been no improvement on headways:

7A8B09C3-DFEA-4B33-B807-A956D26B063B.jpeg

(Apologies for any quality issues with the image, this is posted from an iPhone aboard a very slow Red Line train)
 

bakgwailo

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I'm not up to doing a full analysis on this right now, but logically, if there is 10% more vehicle and dispatching capacity, then you can decrease the headways, regardless of how slowly the trains are moving between stations. Or is there something I don't understand about speed restrictions (ie some required gap between trains that has already been hit)?
Yeah not sure there - other than speed + signaling block length would limit overall TPH/headways. I had thought, for instance, the Harvard curve on the Red limits the entire line to a max of about 3 minute headways (6 on the branches). That said perhaps it's more along the lines of the T trying to build a reserve of rolling stock to at least maintain current headways should any of the new cars (continue) to be break/malfunction requiring them to be out of service. Can think of a few instances recently of dead new trains on the OL.
 

Jahvon09

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I'm beginning to think that the new OL cars came off the production lines with glitches that kept the T yanking them out of service constantly for one thing to another. That the CRRC probably knew about these problems yet didn't fix them. o_O
 

Jahvon09

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Take a long look at the MBTA.

 

Jahvon09

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NETransit Roster now lists 84 new orange line cars, up from 78, and there were 11 new sets active this morning, so it seems there has been progress. Would be nice if red line could move up from the 10 cars!
That's great news!! At least we're getting some more new Oranges!!! :)
 

Kinopio

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NETransit Roster now lists 84 new orange line cars, up from 78, and there were 11 new sets active this morning, so it seems there has been progress. Would be nice if red line could move up from the 10 cars!
I saw a test train this morning. Dunno if that counts in the 11 or not.
 

bigeman312

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I saw a test train this morning. Dunno if that counts in the 11 or not.
It likely does as the Orange Line has still been experiencing 11 minute non-Sunday (14-minute Sunday) headways. Compare this to the first half of March when there were 10-minute headways even though fewer Orange Line cars had been accepted into service.
 

Jahvon09

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It likely does as the Orange Line has still been experiencing 11 minute non-Sunday (14-minute Sunday) headways. Compare this to the first half of March when there were 10-minute headways even though fewer Orange Line cars had been accepted into service.
Now since more new cars have been introduced on the line, I would think that some more of the old Hawkers would be put out to pasture. The Red Line should see more new cars soon, hopefully. :)
 

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