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Even with the elimination of slow zones, rush-hour Blue Line service still slower than it used to be, analysis shows
By adamg on Fri, 05/17/2024 - 12:08pm
TransitMatters reports that while, yes, Blue Line trains now trundle along in less without slow zones, the peak-times trip between Wonderland and Bowdoin still takes longer on average than in February, 2023, before the T announced zillions of slow zones everywhere.
TransitMatters says that's because while the tracks are now in good shape, the Blue Line is still suffering "due to a switch issue, a signal issue, or a more significant ops issue altogether."
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Comments
At Wonderland, the train
At Wonderland, the train operator walks along each car to make sure no one is still on board before the train heads to the dead end to change ends and head back. In the off-peak, when trains are running every 8-10 minutes, they can do this before the next train shows up. In the peak, when they are running every 5-6 minutes, the next train can show up and needs to wait. I think the DPU and FTA want them to do these checks as part of the new emphasis on safety culture, which is why it wasn't a problem pre-2023. A safer T may be a slightly slower T.
They could hire someone to
They could hire someone to stand on the platform and check the back of each train. This would get the process done quicker.
Blue Line Problems
As a daily Blue LIne rider I have been saying this exact thing. And the Blue Line is running worse after the recent repairs than before. I feel like a voice screaming in the wilderness. I have a hard time getting anybody to listen because, for some reason, many people have this "the Blue Line runs better than any other line" myth that they cling to for dear life. I don't know where it comes from, but it never goes away, despite endless Blue Line woes. Yes, given the small size of the Blue Line compared to the others, and the fact that it's basically just a loop, implies that it should run efficiently. But it does not.
TL/DR, all that time being
TL/DR, all that time being stuck in traffic on 1A for 45 minutes to an hour on busses was all for naught.
All these problems with the signals and overhead wires existed before the shutdown. I realize the purpose of the shutdowns was to work on the tracks to alleviate the slow zone issues. However, I wonder if it would have been feasible to also work on the other issues mentioned.