usually I lurk and do not comment... but here I cannot resist! I take the MTA into the city twice per week - once from the Harlem line (blue), once from the Hudson line (green). The tracks head underground at 122nd street. For roughly 5 - 7 blocks the speed limit is fairly reasonable with conductors doing 20 - 40 mph. Just about 3 minutes into the tunnel, the speed limit slaws to a deadening crawl. I do not recall if it is 10 mph or 15, but that is the ballpark. I hear lots of people saying that the Park Ave tunnel is a bottle neck when compared to the platforms, and that is partly true. There are 4 tracks in/out of Grand central. If the MTA imposes an (idiotic) speed limit on the immediate beginning of those tracks, they have NO one to blame but themselves. Yes,I agree that during rush hour a LOT of trains are scheduled through the tunnel. yes, I agree the dispatchers do an adequate job in the scheduling to get as many trains as possible in/out. However.... I have zero sympathy for the MTA when I hear them complain about adding capacity at Grand central (the MTA does say that from time to time). With a station that has as many platforms as GCT does, there is no excuse to have a 10 mph speed limit on the connected tracks. Imposing a much more reasonable speed limit would increase frequency without any *major* added cost. In fact, I feel like they (MTA) are trying to fool many of us (you and me) when they say they are at capacity. They can try harder.
I have heard two counter arguments to my intolerance of the Park Ave speed limit - 1) the sheer number of converging platform spurs requires a low speed limit, and 2) The speed limit is so low to avoid damaging the huge number of junctions the trains roll over. My response to #1 is: Upgrade your antiquated signaling, because if that is the reason for the hold up that is pathetic. I've been through the tunnels when contrustion lights are on, and I've visually seen the layout and understand the advanced age of the light signals used. The signals are clearly very old. *IF* the antiquated signals are the reason for the low speed limit, I find that a very poor excuse. My response to #2 is in two parts: 2a) In the station with the most platforms, someone HAS to do a better job of laying it out then. If the junctions are of inferior quality, then get some higher quality trackage for the sake of the millions who take the train annually. 2b) The older trainsets were significantly heavier than the ones used today. ALL Harlem line trains, and by the day more New Haven line (red) trains are the newer lighter trains. There are only a few of the old very heavy Wassaic-bound or po-town bound trains used today. The lighter trains do not place as much of a load on the junctions, and therefore you should be able to run the trains faster.
I will admit there are most likely other factors I am unaware of. I won't pretend I found some magical golden answer. Perhaps there is a really good reason why ALL trains into GCT are slowed to a dead crawl before entering the platform junctions. If there is a good reason, the MTA does not make it well known.
hboy: to his comment.
