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By Victoria Bekiempis
Senior Writer
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The Metropolitan Transit Authority has posted a video revealing that parts of the New York City subway still run on 100-year-old technology, which slows down service.
Signaling systems account for a lot of this old tech. On the majority of lines with a letter name—which still use a 1930s signaling system—MTA staffers still flip switches to tell conductors when to stop or go, an MTA spokesman explains to Newsweek.
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With the traditional signaling system, the MTA has only a general idea about a train's location and speed on the track. A new system called Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) allows the MTA to know trains' exact locations and speeds. This means the MTA can safely run trains closer together, allowing for more trains on the track to accommodate commuters, the video says.
Right now, the Canarsie line (L train) is the only line that uses CBTC. Switching to the new system cost $1 billion and took seven years to install.
The MTA is now installing CBTC on the Flushing line (7 train). It should be operational in 2017. Next, the agency plans on installing it on the Queens Boulevard lines (E, F, M and R trains.)
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