New York subway cuts train numbers and schedules until November 2022
'21.06.2021'
Lyudmila Balabay
Passengers of some metro lines should prepare for long waiting times for trains in the evening and at night. This is due to the fact that the New York Transportation Administration (MTA) will significantly cut the number of trains on five lines at least until November 2022, writes New York Daily News.
The train cuts are expected on weekday evenings on lines B, D, N, Q and R. The move is to be finalized on June 23rd, but MTA sources say it has already been resolved.
Under the new rules, D and N trains will run locally, rather than an express train under Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn, reducing the number of trains on each line. Under the MTA's plan, some Northbound D trains will depart from Broadway Lafayette Street rather than Coney Island, further reducing the number of trains on this section of the line.
The plan states that phasing out express flights under Fourth Avenue will also require the MTA to reduce the frequency of B, Q and R trains in the evenings.
If the MTA board approves this plan, then the train reduction will be in effect until at least November 2022.
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Officials said the service changes are necessary in order for maintenance trains to reach the parking lot at 38th St. at Sunset Park in Brooklyn.
Maintenance trains, which run significantly slower than passenger trains, are required for critical construction work such as upgrading outdated traffic lights on several lines and installing elevators at 14th St./Sixth Ave station.
“These changes will minimize the disruption to passengers from the maintenance train fleet, which will become even more congested as our repair program gains momentum,” MTA said.
In addition to renovations, NYC Transit faced an acute shortage of subway crews as a result of a hiring moratorium and precipitous retirement during the pandemic.
The number of employees working in the provision of metro services, including train operators, conductors, dispatchers and controllers, decreased by 10% between May 2019 and May 2021 - from 8 to 572 people.
