This Morning's Clusterfcuk

[craps]

Let's hear your war stories.

My RVL was 30 minutes late into Newark. Announcements were few and far between, and all said the same thing: "We are being held at a signal. As soon as we get a more favorable signal, we'll be moving." Real helpful, dickweed. We finally arrive, on Track 2. We're told the delayed 6:51 to New York would be next on Track 2 (it's about 7:35 now). First, the delayed 6:42 to Hoboken arrives. Then, finally, the NY train. Standing room only (I am soooooooo sick and friggin' tired of paying to stand).

We arrive on Track 10 in NY.  We are also sharing the track, so we're much further back than we should be, so it's a hike through a massive crowd to get to the stairs. Of course, the one functioning escalator is going down.  Add another 5 minutes to my late morning right there.

Total commute door-to-door: 2 hours, 25 minutes. (Normal is 1 hour, 30 minutes). Thanks, NJT.

A special shout-out to the NYP dispatchers (or whoever assigns tracks). Go fcuk your self, motherfcuker.

[JerseyAveVet]

I got on the 6:04 out of Jersey Ave.  As soon as the doors closed up, a conductor came on the PA to tell us that because of a disabled train, we might be 30 minutes late getting into NYC.  He didn't know for sure; he said we may be on time.  And that was the last we heard from the conductor. 

We then left and made good time to MetroPark.   

After that, we either sat still or creeped at 10 mph all the way to Newark

As we sat, for up to 15 minutes at a time, 1 Amtrak and 5 NJT trains passed us by.

No announcements, no explanations.

Due normally to pull into Newark at 6:41, we pulled in at 7:55.  (I get off at Newark.) So much for being 30 minutes late.  I have no idea what time it finallygot into NYP -- probably about 8:30. 

Thanks for keeping us updated, conductors.

And thanks dispatchers for letting those 5 NJT trains pass us -- I'm sure there must have been very important people on board those trains, with very important business.





   

[mhnj]

I heard about 45-60 minute delays before I got to the station. I took the 7:24 from Princeton Junction. We got to Newark a little late (and came in on Track 3!), then got to NYP about 20 minutes late. I guess most of the mess was cleared up by then, although the conductor was still saying 45-60 minute delays.

[lyra]

I was on the 6:57 from Dover. After Newark, we get an announcement that we'll be stopping at seacaucus, it's going to be crowded, make room.  So we pull into a wall track in SEC, and there are a bunch of people out on the middle track island, where they would have to go up, and over, and down again, to reach us- no idea why we didn't enter the track immediately to our left, so that we would have stopped on their track island.  We open doors and wait. And wait. Conductors make an announcement that we have to wait for people to walk over to us. No one is moving on the track island. In fact, they started clustering around the far track away from us.  Finally we shut the doors and left. 

NJT, your competence never ceases to amaze and impress me.

[TrescaGirl]

I think I win for longest commute today.  I left the house 6:40 and walked through my office door at 10:00.  I took the 6:50 (that was canceled and somehow turned into the 7:15 without any notification) out of Jersey Ave.  We sat for an hour at one point around Linden.  I felt so bad for the people that were standing this entire time.

So for anyone counting:
Left Jersey Ave: 7:15
Arrived Penn Station:  9:30

It was really nice to see all the trains flying by us, especially the Amtrak ones.

NJT can kiss my ass.

[Ripper]

 About Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley and MidTOWN DIRECT Delays on Wednesday, May 28, 2008

May 28, 2008 10:15 a.m.

NJ TRANSIT apologizes for the delay and inconvenience many of you experienced this morning.

At approximately 5 a.m., NJ TRANSIT train 3806 experienced damage to its pantograph, the arm of the train that collects power from the overhead power lines, between Elizabeth and Newark. This damage caused the train to become disabled just west of Newark Penn Station, blocking the two primary tracks used for eastbound service—Track 1 and Track A.

The 300 passengers aboard train 3806 were transferred at Newark Penn Station to following trains. We also established cross-honoring with PATH during the early part of the peak period to provide additional travel options between Newark and New York, as well as with NJ TRANSIT buses to the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

As a result of this incident, most Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line customers experienced delays of 45-90 minutes this morning due to congestion from the reduced track capacity through Newark. In addition, many Raritan Valley Line trains were delayed 15-20 minutes due to congestion around Newark Penn Station, and some MidTOWN DIRECT trains were delayed 15-20 minutes due to congestion from late arriving trains in New York.

During this incident, we provided train crews with information to relay to customers and provided the most current delay information available via station PA announcements, broadcast traffic reports and the My Transit alert system, which can send personalized travel advisories to your cell phones, PDA or pager. (To sign up for My Transit, visit www.njtransit.com.)

Once again, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience. If you have additional questions or comments regarding these delays, please contact us online at www.njtransit.com or by calling NJ TRANSIT Customer Service at 1-800-772-2222.

[JavaJiver]

Got to Trenton for the 8:08 and ALL of the 7:46 people were there.
Got on the "7:46" and basically crawled to Hamilton then PJT...OH then they decided that we were going to pick up Metropark!
So we had the Trenton, Hamilton and PJT 7:46 and 8:08 people and the Metropark people!
Wee!!!

About time to find a better way to deliver power IMHO.
This is what the 8th problem in the last two months due to this?

[jjostm]

I was on the 7:15 Jersey Ave. Torture Express. The train was standing room only, with every seat smooshed with irritated commuters. Lovely.

Although I would like to give Amtrak and NJ Transit the one-finger salute, I'd also like to tell my digestive system to sod off. While stopped, I *had* to go to use the lovely facilities in the first car...which involved crawling over or sliding by thirty some-odd people. And my destination? Well, it smelled like a swamp. So, if I accidentally stepped on your shoe this morning, I do heartily apologize. If and when the NEC people gather together to revolt against our transit overlords, I'll buy you a beer afterward.

Amtrak and NJT need to get stuffed.

-j

[CrudeBoy]

I was on the 9:22 AM M&E out of Madison this morning. It picked us up at 9:30 AM. After a 20 minute delay just past Secaucus, we finally inched into NYPS. The problem has not been resolved.

[TrescaGirl]

I was on the 7:15 Jersey Ave. Torture Express.

Oh - yay!  We can share the longest commute prize.  I was near the window in the front of the train.  No toes stepped on for me.

[jjostm]

>>Oh - yay!  We can share the longest commute prize.

Does the longest commute prize involve booze? Because, frankly, it should.

And I'm thankful that I didn't step on your toes. Besides the abdominal/bladder pain I was feeling when walking to the stink room, the only thing I could think was "I hope no one from TransitHell gets pissed off at me and then writes about it! 'There was some douche who needed to use the bathroom and yadda yadda yadda...'"

-j

[RVL_Girl]

I knew my regular train was going to be cancelled or otherwise hell (packed and standing room only for what I knew was going to be a long crawl), so I waited for the 8:00am train and stocked up on coffee and a muffin. No surprise, it arrived ten minutes late. I get on, grab my seat and prepare myself for what would eventually be a three hour trauma.

In front of my train was the train right before it and the one before it and so on, so that signals prevented us from moving more than one mile an hour. Every stop we made involved sitting at the station, doors open for ten minutes and waiting for the light. Then slowly starting up again, creeping to the next, one by one.

Two hours later when I bailed off at Newark around 10:20am, there were no PATH trains and no New York trains. After a time, a PATH train pulled in and then right out of the station after malfunctioning so I had to wait for yet another to arrive. When it did, it sat in the station for 10 minutes with door problems. Around 11:15am I clambered out of the train (butt thoroughly numb from sitting for three hours) and limped into the office. I got a round of applause.

[TrescaGirl]

I got a round of applause.

I'm soooo jealous.  I got the - Well my train was only 15 minutes late speech.

[JerseyAveVet]

I got chastised -- though nicely, no big deal -- by colleagues in Shanghai.  So my tardiness had international implications.

[JavaJiver]

I got a round of applause.

I'm soooo jealous.  I got the - Well my train was only 15 minutes late speech.

1/2 my office was missing when I got in.
Lot of NJT runners.

It was pretty funny because the looks just got worse and worse as they came in.