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Posted by
randyo
on Wed Nov 4 15:23:48 2009, in response to Scheduling, posted by Busrider on Tue Nov 3 11:15:40 2009.
edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d NYCT subway schedules do not have "blocks" of work like the buses. The timetable is put together based on the needs of the service over a 24 hour period, and unlike the buses daily, Sat and Sun schedules wrap around from one day to the next including weekends. That means that the timetable for all 3 services are identical after midnight rather than having a slightly different Mon morning timetable from the other 4 weekdays as many bus lines have. After the timetable is prepared, crew (or T/O in the case of OPTO lines) work programs are compiled by assigning individual trips to runs until all trips are covered. At the present time these trip assignments are accomplished on a computer and the last I heard, the NYCT schedule department is experimenting with applying a variation of the bus scheduling computer program to the subways and generating runs in a similar manner to the buses. Also unlike the buses, most runs report and are relieved at terminals rather than relief points along the line or at the depot with the exception of the D line which makes its reports and reliefs at Bedford Pk S/B rather than 205 St due to lack of crew facilities at 205 St. In recent years, crews at Stillwell report to a central administrative dispatcher rather than the individual supervision of the several lines that terminate there. Runs that require crews to prepare and put trains in service from yards do report at the yards adjacent to the terminals where the trains go in service and are relieved in those yards when trains lay up there. In most cases train crew do drop back at terminals and on long lines like the F and R will often drop back at the opposite terminal from the reporting location. On shorter lines like the 1, and 7, crews my be able to remain with the same train for the return trip and in the case of the 5 and 6 where trains loop the crews do remain with the train for the return trip. A the home terminal of the line, crews almost always drop back and on long lines where crews only make 2 trips, crews would usually take their lunch breaks upon return from their first round trip. More recovery time at terminals is necessary in the subway, since unlike the buses, train operators are required to secure their operating cabs at the arriving end of the train walk to the opposite end of a train that is between 500 and 600 ft long and reopen the operating cab at the leaving end of the train. This takes more time than merely remaining at the wheel of the bus and looping around a street corner and is necessary to maintain the integrity and on time performance of the operation. There are some more differences between the two scheduling methods too numerous to easily mention here but I tried to cover a few of the mores salient ones. There is another poster on this forum whop does bus schedules and is unlike me, still working and he may possibly be able to provide even more updated information. By the way, what info I provided applies to NYCT scheduling methods. From what I have heard, other transit systems, especially those in cities where buses were the predominant from of transportation and there is no tradition of rapid transit like NY, or Chicago, use the exact same scheduling system for both their buses and rapid transit systems.
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