3 ms·

Maybe they should be fixing that instead of providing raw data API? Or at least before. Totally doable I should say.

by guard-of-terra 12y ago

toomuchtodo 12y ago
Awesome! Get a gig with Carltrian and try to eliminate those unexpected delays.
GFK_of_xmaspast 12y ago
Many of Caltrain's problems are systematic, such as lots of at-grade crossings and mega-rich fucks in Atherton.
- guard-of-terra 12y ago
  Just curious how "mega-rich fucks in Atherton" prevent railway from functioning?
  - ZanyProgrammer 12y ago
    NIMBYs preventing HSR, which in turn jeopardizes the funding course for Caltrain electrification?
  - kordless 12y ago
    My advice is to never ask someone who is making blaming statements a question regarding the blaming statement.
GFK_of_xmaspast 12y ago
Many of Caltrain's problems are systematic, such as lots of at-grade crossings and mega-rich fucks in Atherton.
mcpherrinm 12y ago
Sure, they could fix delays! A good start to doing so would be: - Eliminate at-grade crossings - Switch to level platform boarding - Double the number of trains - Replace the current trains with faster accellerating electric ones That ought to be done within a decade or two. Seems like more work than releasing the data they already have.
- toomuchtodo 12y ago
  You should also add "station-specific spurs", to allow trains to express through while trains are dropping off/picking up passengers at that station.
- guard-of-terra 12y ago
  This is a good start. Many railway systems in the world have that since, I don't know, 70s. Even in not first world exactly (Moscow railway in mind). Sounds like doable in a few years. You may even keep some at-grade crossings.
  - mcpherrinm 12y ago
    Electrification will be started by 2019. Level crossings will be eliminated by the time California HSR opens in 2029. Whether or not level boarding happens, and what sort of service increases come with electrification are unclear.
    - jonemo 12y ago
      Level boarding is currently not possible due to the requirements imposed by the one (or two?) freight trains going through per day.
      - guard-of-terra 12y ago
        Why is that? It doesn't cause general problems, and specific problems may be treated if there are any. Mentioned Moscow rail has lots of freight traffic and high-level boarding.
        mcpherrinm 12y ago
        It's an issue of "loading gauge". If caltrain adopted higher platforms, they would interfere with the size of freight trains passing through. There are ways around this: If all the high platforms were on 4-tracked sections, the freight could use the express tracks only. Mixing high and low boarding might be more painful though. Not to mention the current train stock doesn't support level boarding, so Caltrain would be restricted to use them as express trains and only have high platforms at local stations, for example. Or the platforms could be far away from the trains and they use extending platforms: That is potentially unreliable and costly. There is a somewhat reasonable blog about this type of issues at http://caltrain-hsr.blogspot.com/ http://caltrain-hsr.blogspot.com/ which is mostly reasonable though it tends to be written as if it is the only reasonable choice.

Maybe they should be fixing that instead of providing raw data API? Or at least before. Totally doable I should say.

toomuchtodo 12y ago

Awesome! Get a gig with Carltrian and try to eliminate those unexpected delays.

GFK_of_xmaspast 12y ago

Many of Caltrain's problems are systematic, such as lots of at-grade crossings and mega-rich fucks in Atherton.

guard-of-terra 12y ago
Just curious how "mega-rich fucks in Atherton" prevent railway from functioning?
- ZanyProgrammer 12y ago
  NIMBYs preventing HSR, which in turn jeopardizes the funding course for Caltrain electrification?
- kordless 12y ago
  My advice is to never ask someone who is making blaming statements a question regarding the blaming statement.

GFK_of_xmaspast 12y ago

Many of Caltrain's problems are systematic, such as lots of at-grade crossings and mega-rich fucks in Atherton.

mcpherrinm 12y ago

Sure, they could fix delays! A good start to doing so would be: - Eliminate at-grade crossings - Switch to level platform boarding - Double the number of trains - Replace the current trains with faster accellerating electric ones That ought to be done within a decade or two. Seems like more work than releasing the data they already have.

toomuchtodo 12y ago
You should also add "station-specific spurs", to allow trains to express through while trains are dropping off/picking up passengers at that station.
guard-of-terra 12y ago
This is a good start. Many railway systems in the world have that since, I don't know, 70s. Even in not first world exactly (Moscow railway in mind). Sounds like doable in a few years. You may even keep some at-grade crossings.
- mcpherrinm 12y ago
  Electrification will be started by 2019. Level crossings will be eliminated by the time California HSR opens in 2029. Whether or not level boarding happens, and what sort of service increases come with electrification are unclear.
  - jonemo 12y ago
    Level boarding is currently not possible due to the requirements imposed by the one (or two?) freight trains going through per day.
    - guard-of-terra 12y ago
      Why is that? It doesn't cause general problems, and specific problems may be treated if there are any. Mentioned Moscow rail has lots of freight traffic and high-level boarding.
      - mcpherrinm 12y ago
        It's an issue of "loading gauge". If caltrain adopted higher platforms, they would interfere with the size of freight trains passing through. There are ways around this: If all the high platforms were on 4-tracked sections, the freight could use the express tracks only. Mixing high and low boarding might be more painful though. Not to mention the current train stock doesn't support level boarding, so Caltrain would be restricted to use them as express trains and only have high platforms at local stations, for example. Or the platforms could be far away from the trains and they use extending platforms: That is potentially unreliable and costly. There is a somewhat reasonable blog about this type of issues at http://caltrain-hsr.blogspot.com/ http://caltrain-hsr.blogspot.com/ which is mostly reasonable though it tends to be written as if it is the only reasonable choice.