July 10 marked the beginning of Summer of Hell in New York City. Originally the Summer of Hell was coined to describe line shut downs, schedule changes, and Penn Station chaos that’s the result of a long overdue 8-week repair project to many commuter rail lines that use Penn as a hub. These upgrades are slated to end on September 1, and so far, there looks to be a light at the end of the tunnel. In recent weeks, however, citizens have been woefully aware of the horrible conditions of their city’s subway system and a new Summer of Hell has begun to take shape.
How the Summer of Hell Affects Passengers
Penn Station’s repairs have caused many of Amtrak’s 21 tracks to close during renovation. The number of trains from Long Island and New Jersey has also decreased by 20 percent, which means there have been massive changes to schedules. Riders have been looking for alternate routes, and thousands of passengers must be diverted to either another train or to a bus or ferry. For example, subways like the 7 train that traverses Brooklyn and Queens and the PATH train has seen ridership numbers climb in recent weeks as Penn Station lines from Long Island and New Jersey are forced to drop riders off before they get to Manhattan.
These commuter diversions only further crowd NYC subway with daily ridership numbers now exceeding 6 million passengers. And unfortunately for New Yorkers, the antiquated underground system is getting overwhelmed. According to the New York Times, only a few trains are on schedule 70 percent of the time, and the loading and unloading of passengers at each stopaccounts for a third of all subway delays each month. Unfortunately, this leaves little room for error in the system and when train fires or signal failures slow traffic, the results are exponential delays.
Recent Subway Line Delays in New York City
The first set of major subway delays occurred within the first 7 days of NYC’s Summer of Hell due to track fire on the A train line on July 17th which resulted in the iconic photos of passengers packed like sardines onto subway platforms.
Other major delays in July included a huge hiccup on the morning of July 21 when a Q train derailed in Brooklyn. This caused the B train to be suspended in both directions. A pregnant woman suffered minor back strain, but none of the 135 passengers were seriously injured. Passengers had to be evacuated, however, and many were angry and scared especially since they were still reeling from delays caused by the Summer of Hell.
With delays, accident and line closures on the rise this summer, it has become clear to the MTA, and the governor that new tracks, switches and repairs need to be expedited. The hope is that these more immediate upgrades to the system’s technology will reduce the number of delays commuters face while overcrowding continues to be an issue.
Work with an Experienced New York Train Accident Lawyer
The NYC train construction project was implemented to prevent future derailments and fix outdated tracks. If you were involved in a train accident, don’t lose out on your rights to compensation. If you were injured, you may be able to receive financial recovery for medical bills and other damages. To learn more, call The Law Office of Jeffrey K. Kestenbaum to set up your initial consultation with an experienced MTA accident lawyer. Contact our Brooklyn office at (718) 237-5586.
