SEPTA Trenton Line with Silverliner V's

[Jimmy]

For 7/18-7/22, the SEPTA Trenton Line has a number of trips scheduled
using the new Silverliner V cars.  This is an opportunity to see and
ride the new cars.
See:http://www.septa.org/service/rail/silverliner.html

I've never before seen cars with traps for low-platform boarding other
than at vestibule doors. Is that a unique feature of these cars?

Jimmy

[Jimmy]

These trains do not have vestibules.  I was told the reason was
because of new structural strength requirements--that putting a door
at the end would interfere.
Given that most SEPTA suburban stations are low-platform, I suspect
the door arrangement will lengthen dwell time at station stops.  My
limited observations so far is that it certainly does that, but
perhaps as crews and passengers ger used to the cars it won't be a
problem.

Quarter-point doors are supposed to have much quicker boarding than
traditional vestibule doors. What makes things slower on these new
cars?

Jimmy

[h***@bbs.cpcn.com]

Post by Jimmy

the door arrangement will lengthen dwell time at station stops.  My
limited observations so far is that it certainly does that, but
perhaps as crews and passengers ger used to the cars it won't be a
problem.

Quarter-point doors are supposed to have much quicker boarding than
traditional vestibule doors.  What makes things slower on these new
cars?

Passengers are used to moving to the end of the car where there's a
member of a train crew to leave or board, now they have to find a
quarter point door. Further, not all doors have traps. It seems to
take a while for the crews to open the doors after the train stops.

[Art Clemons]

Post by h***@bbs.cpcn.com
Passengers are used to moving to the end of the car where there's a
member of a train crew to leave or board, now they have to find a
quarter point door. Further, not all doors have traps. It seems to
take a while for the crews to open the doors after the train stops.

Remember with the new cars, the conductors and assistant conductors now have
to be sure that the doors are lined up consistent with a safe entrance or
exit. When a train crew member was at the first possible exit/entrance and
also one at the last possible exit/entrance, safety was obvious. Whoever
issues the command for the doors to open and traps to work has to first
check that. I imagine that eventually train crews will figure out the
equivalent locations and requirements on the Silverliner V's. Incidentally
I suspect that there is also a learning curve for the engineers too. What
would have worked as a stop indicator on the old cars, doesn't work with
longer trains during rush hour. Consider how for example a 4 car train
lines up in some of the shorter stations and how stopping the train so that
the first exit/entrance was at the very front of the platform could leave a
Silverliner with the last car not usable for an exit onto a platform. I
note that some of the stations seem to be getting prepared for extended
platforms.