LIRR And MNRR Random Thoughts Thread

[Italianstallion]

On 10/17/2019 at 1:31 PM, 78 via Stew Leonards said:

HELP

I left my bag on the 5:43 local Hudson Line train from Grand Central to Greystone on Tuesday. I boarded the train at GCT and got off at Riverdale. Its a black Food Network bag. Does anyone know how I could possibly get it back?

(I already put in an inquiry for Metro North Lost and Found a couple days ago)

Lost and found is your best option. I suppose you could board the same train again and ask a crew member if they saw it.

[XcelsiorBoii4888]

I seriously do not understand why the LIRR does not coordinate with Stony Brook knowing that the university brings so much traffic to the branch. Stony Brook is the reason why service increased drastically on the Port Jefferson branch east of Huntington, and because of the increased service...the stations along the line also increased as service is more reliable. (hopefully soon after the Main Line project they can expedite the double track considerations, and hopefully electrify east of Huntington). 

BUT....the LIRR still has the situation of not coordinating trains to accommodate when school goes on break or days when everyone is going home. 

Earlier this month, Stony Brook had its mid-semester fall break. Friday, Oct 11th was the last day of classes until Oct 16th. Clearly everyone is going home that Friday, and most classes on Friday run from 10am-3:30pm. 4:18pm is the perfect train for everyone to catch and its express to Jamaica. No one even considers the 6:49pm unless they need to because it takes an extra 35mins because it sits around at stations waiting for eastbound trains to pass. (and why take that train when you can take the 4:18pm for free because its so crowded they can't check tickets). 

Anyways...imagine everyone going home that Friday on that ONE train....the 4:18pm...my goodness the platform looked like Times Square during New Years...

And at that...the train only had FIVE C3 cars and ONE 4xx DE30AC...it took about 9mins to board at that station, and literally the last 3 cars were packed to the doors (even both levels had people standing, literally the most uncomfortable and slowest ride I've ever had).

Imagine having to pick up at St James, Smithtown, Kings Park, Northport, and Greenlawn.....(mind you, the exits at 90% of these stations are at the back of the platform...and engineers stop at the front middle of the platform. So now the only the first two cars had slight standing room in the aisles on both decks, and everyone literally had to walk down the train (which took about 5-6mins at each station) to board the train. It was so crowded and slow (that poor engine took forever to accelerate up to speed). 

LIRR....you've got to do better next time....we don't even need an extra train....just make it an 8 coach set with two engines whenever Stony Brook has breaks like that...

Here's a heads up: next big break is Thanksgiving Break. It starts WEDNESDAY, November 27th, and goes on until November 30th. This means everyone will be going home on TUESDAY, November 26th. Everyone is going to target the 4:18pm train....please make it 8 cars....PLEASE make it 8 cars.....so we can actually get to Jamaica on time and not 30-35mins late. 

Here's a video of the boarding crowds (mind you, I was already standing here for about 3mins because I had to wait for the train to pass before crossing). 

 

[NY1635]

Nobody expected the warmer than normal Fall Season, which in turn is causing more foot traffic. Can't wait to see how News12 spins this

[N6 Limited]

So I've just noticed, the Transit Layer on Google Maps now shows NJT and MNRR  but no LIRR. 

[danielhg121]

Heard that conductors will start scanning LIRR e-tickets on the regular very soon

[N6 Limited]

On 11/15/2019 at 1:57 AM, danielhg121 said:

Heard that conductors will start scanning LIRR e-tickets on the regular very soon

It's kind of in prep for OMNY?

[Italianstallion]

On 10/21/2019 at 12:49 PM, XcelsiorBoii4888 said:

I seriously do not understand why the LIRR does not coordinate with Stony Brook knowing that the university brings so much traffic to the branch. Stony Brook is the reason why service increased drastically on the Port Jefferson branch east of Huntington, and because of the increased service...the stations along the line also increased as service is more reliable. (hopefully soon after the Main Line project they can expedite the double track considerations, and hopefully electrify east of Huntington). 

BUT....the LIRR still has the situation of not coordinating trains to accommodate when school goes on break or days when everyone is going home. 

Earlier this month, Stony Brook had its mid-semester fall break. Friday, Oct 11th was the last day of classes until Oct 16th. Clearly everyone is going home that Friday, and most classes on Friday run from 10am-3:30pm. 4:18pm is the perfect train for everyone to catch and its express to Jamaica. No one even considers the 6:49pm unless they need to because it takes an extra 35mins because it sits around at stations waiting for eastbound trains to pass. (and why take that train when you can take the 4:18pm for free because its so crowded they can't check tickets). 

Anyways...imagine everyone going home that Friday on that ONE train....the 4:18pm...my goodness the platform looked like Times Square during New Years...

And at that...the train only had FIVE C3 cars and ONE 4xx DE30AC...it took about 9mins to board at that station, and literally the last 3 cars were packed to the doors (even both levels had people standing, literally the most uncomfortable and slowest ride I've ever had).

Imagine having to pick up at St James, Smithtown, Kings Park, Northport, and Greenlawn.....(mind you, the exits at 90% of these stations are at the back of the platform...and engineers stop at the front middle of the platform. So now the only the first two cars had slight standing room in the aisles on both decks, and everyone literally had to walk down the train (which took about 5-6mins at each station) to board the train. It was so crowded and slow (that poor engine took forever to accelerate up to speed). 

LIRR....you've got to do better next time....we don't even need an extra train....just make it an 8 coach set with two engines whenever Stony Brook has breaks like that...

Here's a heads up: next big break is Thanksgiving Break. It starts WEDNESDAY, November 27th, and goes on until November 30th. This means everyone will be going home on TUESDAY, November 26th. Everyone is going to target the 4:18pm train....please make it 8 cars....PLEASE make it 8 cars.....so we can actually get to Jamaica on time and not 30-35mins late. 

Here's a video of the boarding crowds (mind you, I was already standing here for about 3mins because I had to wait for the train to pass before crossing). 

 

Don't write to us. Write to the MTA! Even better, ask the school admin to contact the MTA.

Edited November 16, 2019 by Italianstallion

[Italianstallion]

On 11/14/2019 at 5:58 PM, N6 Limited said:

So I've just noticed, the Transit Layer on Google Maps now shows NJT and MNRR  but no LIRR. 

That's weird.  Anyway, contact Google.

Edited November 16, 2019 by Italianstallion

[Italianstallion]

On 11/14/2019 at 5:58 PM, N6 Limited said:

So I've just noticed, the Transit Layer on Google Maps now shows NJT and MNRR  but no LIRR. 

Apple Maps, BTW, has the LIRR.

[Jsunflyguy]

 

On 10/21/2019 at 12:49 PM, XcelsiorBoii4888 said:

I seriously do not understand why the LIRR does not coordinate with Stony Brook knowing that the university brings so much traffic to the branch. Stony Brook is the reason why service increased drastically on the Port Jefferson branch east of Huntington, and because of the increased service...the stations along the line also increased as service is more reliable. (hopefully soon after the Main Line project they can expedite the double track considerations, and hopefully electrify east of Huntington). 

BUT....the LIRR still has the situation of not coordinating trains to accommodate when school goes on break or days when everyone is going home. 

Earlier this month, Stony Brook had its mid-semester fall break. Friday, Oct 11th was the last day of classes until Oct 16th. Clearly everyone is going home that Friday, and most classes on Friday run from 10am-3:30pm. 4:18pm is the perfect train for everyone to catch and its express to Jamaica. No one even considers the 6:49pm unless they need to because it takes an extra 35mins because it sits around at stations waiting for eastbound trains to pass. (and why take that train when you can take the 4:18pm for free because its so crowded they can't check tickets). 

Anyways...imagine everyone going home that Friday on that ONE train....the 4:18pm...my goodness the platform looked like Times Square during New Years...

And at that...the train only had FIVE C3 cars and ONE 4xx DE30AC...it took about 9mins to board at that station, and literally the last 3 cars were packed to the doors (even both levels had people standing, literally the most uncomfortable and slowest ride I've ever had).

Imagine having to pick up at St James, Smithtown, Kings Park, Northport, and Greenlawn.....(mind you, the exits at 90% of these stations are at the back of the platform...and engineers stop at the front middle of the platform. So now the only the first two cars had slight standing room in the aisles on both decks, and everyone literally had to walk down the train (which took about 5-6mins at each station) to board the train. It was so crowded and slow (that poor engine took forever to accelerate up to speed). 

LIRR....you've got to do better next time....we don't even need an extra train....just make it an 8 coach set with two engines whenever Stony Brook has breaks like that...

Here's a heads up: next big break is Thanksgiving Break. It starts WEDNESDAY, November 27th, and goes on until November 30th. This means everyone will be going home on TUESDAY, November 26th. Everyone is going to target the 4:18pm train....please make it 8 cars....PLEASE make it 8 cars.....so we can actually get to Jamaica on time and not 30-35mins late. 

Here's a video of the boarding crowds (mind you, I was already standing here for about 3mins because I had to wait for the train to pass before crossing). 

 

You know, I really don't understand this common assertion on the internet where people start with "I don't understand why X doesn't do Y, they need to just <highly reductive, over idealized solution>.  As it stands, the LIRR has a number of colleges that use the line for one reason or another, for instance this year extra service was run by LIRR and NJT for the NYU graduation because NYU called, they have the information on where there students are from and how many people will be attending. The same way SBU knows who signed up for what classes (students pick classes around this train so they have a really good idea of how many people are lined up for the train plus some people cutting classes). The MTA can't bear the burden of examining a bunch of transient ridership events throughout the system. Thanksgiving and Xmas are obvious, but  Mid-Fall break is highly variable, some schools are doing 3 day weekends, some have a whole week. If SBU cares about its student QOL they can pick up the phone and deliver the information, the MTA even has a group rate program so SBU could organize the travel and possibly get a discount.


For the record this train has 2 extra cars, as it was scheduled for 3 C3s + 1 ENG at the time of this video, and they've boosted it since this video so Thanksgiving and Xmas will probably have 6 cars. So it isn't as though no one realized there were extra people coming, but without exact count its just throwing darts as to how much is enough, and you can believe that if you rob 3 C3s from some other branch and it wasn't necessary the person who made that decision is getting kicked in the balls.
The problem is putting more than 5 cars on a train requires 2 engines since the HEP requirements are too much for one engine. So the MTA can't "just" summon an engine if it doesn't exist, as LIRR uses 95% of its available engines, so 1 or 2 failures really puts the chokehold on service.

Edited November 17, 2019 by Jsunflyguy
Sentence flipped

[bobtehpanda]

3 hours ago, Jsunflyguy said:

You know, I really don't understand this common assertion on the internet where people start with "I don't understand why X doesn't do Y, they need to just <highly reductive, over idealized solution>.  As it stands, the LIRR has a number of colleges that use the line for one reason or another, for instance this year extra service was run by LIRR and NJT for the NYU graduation because NYU called, they have the information on where there students are from and how many people will be attending. The same way SBU knows who signed up for what classes (students pick classes around this train so they have a really good idea of how many people are lined up for the train plus some people cutting classes). The MTA can't bear the burden of examining a bunch of transient ridership events throughout the system. Thanksgiving and Xmas are obvious, but  Mid-Fall break is highly variable, some schools are doing 3 day weekends, some have a whole week. If SBU cares about its student QOL they can pick up the phone and deliver the information, the MTA even has a group rate program so SBU could organize the travel and possibly get a discount.


For the record this train has 2 extra cars, as it was scheduled for 3 C3s + 1 ENG at the time of this video, and they've boosted it since this video so Thanksgiving and Xmas will probably have 6 cars. So it isn't as though no one realized there were extra people coming, but without exact count its just throwing darts as to how much is enough, and you can believe that if you rob 3 C3s from some other branch and it wasn't necessary the person who made that decision is getting kicked in the balls.
The problem is putting more than 5 cars on a train requires 2 engines since the HEP requirements are too much for one engine. So the MTA can't "just" summon an engine if it doesn't exist, as LIRR uses 95% of its available engines, so 1 or 2 failures really puts the chokehold on service.

IIRC if the LIRR followed its own service guidelines, there would be hourly service to a station as busy as Stony Brook's is on the regular. As it stands the LIRR diesel fleet is so undersized and so unreliable that this would be a total fantasy.

Quite frankly, LIRR should look heavily in replacing at least some of the diesel locomotive fleet with DMUs that can run to Jamaica, or maybe even Atlantic (can the Atlantic Avenue tunnel exhaust diesel properly?) Britain has DMUs that are designed to be future-proofed with electric engines in the future, and now with FRA Alternate Compliance there isn't really a reason not to do this. The PJ isn't fully double tracked, but the right of way definitely exists to do so, and the stations I'm pretty sure have been extended to 12 cars, or at least much longer than the current diesel consists.

A truly transformative LIRR Capital Plan would ask what it would take to run hourly or half-hourly service all day to Port Jefferson, Patchogue and Speonk. But we don't have a customer focused railroad so we don't ask questions like that.

[NY1635]

The LIRR simply doesn't have the fleet to enhance service on the non-Ronkonkoma, Babylon, and Port Washington Branches. The agency also knows that their riders don't like the look of the old M3 fleet because it looks battered. 

[bobtehpanda]

2 hours ago, NY1635 said:

The LIRR simply doesn't have the fleet to enhance service on the non-Ronkonkoma, Babylon, and Port Washington Branches. The agency also knows that their riders don't like the look of the old M3 fleet because it looks battered. 

And these are things that could change with a vision, but the LIRR has no vision, other than the (no pun intended) tunnel vision it has for East Side Access.

LIRR is only $5B of the next Capital Plan. NYCT has a $37B capital plan, because Byford has a vision on how to improve the subways, and that includes new cars. But the LIRR is content to sit on their hands.

 

[N6 Limited]

2 hours ago, NY1635 said:

The LIRR simply doesn't have the fleet to enhance service on the non-Ronkonkoma, Babylon, and Port Washington Branches. The agency also knows that their riders don't like the look of the old M3 fleet because it looks battered. 

Looks, feels (and sometimes smells) battered

[paulrivera]

21 hours ago, Jsunflyguy said:

for instance this year extra service was run by LIRR and NJT for the NYU graduation because NYU called, they have the information on where there students are from and how many people will be attending.

They probably call NYCT too; they usually have extra  trains ready for after the graduation.

17 hours ago, bobtehpanda said:

IIRC if the LIRR followed its own service guidelines, there would be hourly service to a station as busy as Stony Brook's is on the regular.

They still want to do service cuts for the LIRR at some point. Wait till some of these bus redesigns wrap up.

[CDTA]

Why does the 1:51 AM train out of Southeast end at Dover Plains? The only thing I could think of is the crews timing out but I can't imagine that's it.

[CDTA]

If I have a ticket from say, Poughkeepsie to Ossining, can I buy a ticket from Ossining to idk, Marble Hill and use them as a ticket from Poughkeepsie to Marble Hill on the same train?

[trainfan22]

On 11/26/2019 at 4:06 PM, CDTA said:

Why does the 1:51 AM train out of Southeast end at Dover Plains? The only thing I could think of is the crews timing out but I can't imagine that's it.

NIMBY's in Wassic don't like the horn noise late at night.

[B46+SBS via Utica Av]

LIRR should go into Staten Island.. Hmph

[Lex]

4 hours ago, B46+SBS via Utica Av said:

LIRR should go into Staten Island.. Hmph

What.

[bwwnyc123]

LIRR stands for Long Island Railroad it transports riders between Manhattan and the Whole Long Island includes Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk.  There is really no reason for LIRR to serve Staten Island. Even the MTA Subways before were planning to send trains thru a underwater tube tunnel into Staten Island, and I think it is really hard to do that which was never done. Also because of the distance between Manhattan and Staten Island is too far from each other.

[B46+SBS via Utica Av]

7 hours ago, bwwnyc123 said:

LIRR stands for Long Island Railroad it transports riders between Manhattan and the Whole Long Island includes Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk.  There is really no reason for LIRR to serve Staten Island. Even the MTA Subways before were planning to send trains thru a underwater tube tunnel into Staten Island, and I think it is really hard to do that which was never done. Also because of the distance between Manhattan and Staten Island is too far from each other.

Thanks for letting me know. I was wondering why the LIRR could never go into Staten Island

 

[bobtehpanda]

On 11/29/2019 at 7:39 AM, B46+SBS via Utica Av said:

Thanks for letting me know. I was wondering why the LIRR could never go into Staten Island

 

Quite frankly, what's in it for the LIRR or Long Islanders? A bunch of disgruntled Stony Brook students making poor choices like commuting all the way from SI?

[B46+SBS via Utica Av]

5 hours ago, bobtehpanda said:

Quite frankly, what's in it for the LIRR or Long Islanders? A bunch of disgruntled Stony Brook students making poor choices like commuting all the way from SI?

Lmfao

[NY1635]

On 11/30/2019 at 10:55 AM, bobtehpanda said:

Quite frankly, what's in it for the LIRR or Long Islanders? A bunch of disgruntled Stony Brook students making poor choices like commuting all the way from SI?

A one seat ride into Brooklyn and skipping the Hillside Support Facility. A lot of disgruntled Stony Brook Students party in the city and get stuck at Penn after getting drunk. They're mad that Suffolk is putting a curfew on Fire Island and Montauk parties due to all the disorderly conduct associated with them.