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senatorium t1_j5vclkl wrote

It's nice to see slow zones being fixed, but if they have to pick a line, shouldn't they focus on the Red? It is absolutely riddled with slow zones now, especially in the south.

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Affectionate-Panic-1 t1_j5vpg1x wrote

Transit matters was tweeting that the red line slow zones are actually worse than 2019 after a train derailment took out a signals box

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BabyLegsOShanahan t1_j5w0pra wrote

I believe it. I’m wasting money on Uber to get to work on time because no matter how early I leave the Red Line screws me. And now they’ve been doing two Braintree and then two Ashmont, doubling the already shitty time.

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RoaminRonin13 t1_j5w8qxo wrote

Flip side of this: as an Ashmont rider there was nothing more frustrating that hitting back to back Braintree trains and then the next Ashmont train is full. Which (pre-Covid) happened all the time at peak hours.

Even if you managed to get on it was miserable, packed until the end of the line.

But why run both back to back? I always assumed there was some ridership data to back up running 2 Braintree 1 Ashmont - but if they have they same number of trains in service why wouldn’t you just alternate?

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BabyLegsOShanahan t1_j5w8vze wrote

Exactly!! I can’t think of any reason running them back to back makes sense. Especially given how slow they go.

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RoaminRonin13 t1_j5wb1s6 wrote

Maybe it has something to do with switching at JFK?

(I may just be outing myself as knowing nothing about how the trains work, IDK)

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Graflex01867 t1_j5xtild wrote

No, that’s actually very likely. The less often they have to throw a bunch of switches (and make sure the associated signals change properly) the better.

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RoaminRonin13 t1_j5yplf1 wrote

Ah, so maybe it makes a certain amount of sense then, given the state of things.

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Bburke89 t1_j5w34bb wrote

So what you are saying is…4 years later, the signal box is still destroyed.

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GarlVinlandSaga t1_j5zhpow wrote

I believe that. JFK used to be my stop, and as frustrating as that summer was, it was only for a few months and I don't remember it being as bad as it is now.

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LIATG t1_j5vza9q wrote

also, I may be mistaken, but aren't the worst slow zones north of where the closure is? I guess it's more trafficked through downtown but fixing the slow zones on the north end of the line would do a lot more to reduce headways

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omgvector t1_j5w07e6 wrote

slow zones are the worst near jfk rn.

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LIATG t1_j5w0lts wrote

I meant for orange line, but yes the red line slow zones are worse south of JFK

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sloadslayer t1_j5wcwym wrote

I spent 2018-2020 working on Albany and Mass Ave. Used to get to Kendall at 5:40-45 AM. Then SHTF and that slowly kept creeping up. Thankfully, I haven't had to work in Cambridge since 2020 but unfortunately now I am once again working in the PRC. Routinely show up at Kendall at or minutes past 6 AM. It depends on how long the doors stay open at each stop to let the freezing cold air in and then those nice mid-tunnel dead stops so the train can remember where it's supposed to go.

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