NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) — New York City’s subway system, the biggest in the US, has new plans to address the bottlenecks on its tracks that delay trains and leave passengers trapped in stalled cars.
The transit network is more than 100 years old and includes 70 pinch points where multiple lines merge onto one track or go through sharp turns. Outdated switches and old train signals in these spots can often cause backups that reverberate through the system.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the city’s subways, buses and commuter lines, plans to start by addressing two bottlenecks in Brooklyn that are major contributors to delays, according to a new report on the bottlenecks. The agency is building new crossover tracks at Nostrand Junction in Brooklyn, where the 2, 3, 4, and 5 subway lines come together. The work will reroute service and reduce delays, saving about one minute of travel time for trains passing through the area and benefiting 1.2 million daily trips…