NYC subway may get open gangway cars

[bikkuri bahn]

Finally?

 

Moving from one subway car to another is no easy task.

There is the dart-and-hustle option, entailing a sprint between entrances before the doors close, and the perilous — and prohibited — passing between the doors at the end of the car.

But the Metropolitan Transportation Authority wants to examine another route: a new generation of subway trains with open pathways between cars.

This week, the authority released an image of the model, known as an open gangway plan, delighting train aficionados who had wondered when the idea would arrive in New York City. The model has already appeared in systems in Paris, Toronto and other cities.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/28/nyregion/open-subway-cars-may-come-to-new-york-city-as-early-as-2020.html?module=WatchingPortal&region=c-column-middle-span-region&pgType=Homepage&action=click&mediaId=wide&state=standard&contentPlacement=3&version=internal&contentCollection=www.nytimes.com&contentId=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2016%2F01%2F28%2Fnyregion%2Fopen-subway-cars-may-come-to-new-york-city-as-early-as-2020.html&eventName=Watching-article-click

 

another article:

http://www.amny.com/news/subway-cars-of-future-include-wi-fi-cameras-charging-stations-1.11391990

Edited January 28, 2016 by bikkuri bahn

[kvp]

If the trains are only connected/disconnected rarely, then this is a great way to increase capacity and allow better passenger flow. If the cars are shuffled around often, then the classic accordion type connections and openable doors on car ends are a better solution, but provide no extra capacity. Afaik some cars have been designed in the past to be gangwayed together, but they were never installed.

[railsquid]

The rest of the world welcomes NYC into the late 20th century ;)

[Guest keio6000]

So much for the main feature of riding subways in the USA: the grand panhandler entrance.

[Jace]

Yes, finally. There will be a ten car gangway equipped prototype train that will be included in the R211 order (890 60' cars for the mainline plus another group of likely 75' cars for Staten Island).

 

Unlike the Triplexes of old, the cars will not share bogies. NYCT has been reluctant to go this course not just because they tend to be pretty conservative (which, given the importance of the subway is not a bad thing). For one, the system has some very tight reverse curves. Unlike the 50' and 60' cars, the end doors on the 75' cars are kept locked because of the nasty scissoring effect of these curves particularly the severe reverse curve south of City Hall on the Broadway line. They've also worried about the vandalism prospects of a canvas bellows. The cars will have CCTV (another new feature) which may offset the vandalism risks.