2-minute Announcement at NYPS

Two-minute announcements" at NY-Penn Station

On April 6, one of our members boarded what he thought was M&E train #6939, the 8:11 p.m. departure that was departing on either Track 3 or Track 4 (same platform) of NYPS. The conductor did not reach his car until the train was between Secaucus and Newark-Penn. When our member showed his ticket, the conductor advised him that he was on the wrong train (NJCL #7273 that had departed NYPS at 8:07 p.m.). The conductor advised him to exit at Newark-Penn and cross over to take the next train back to Secaucus to catch M&E train #6941. Our member opted instead to take a cab from Newark-Penn to Newark Broad in the hope that he might still be able to catch the earlier M&E #6939. (Needless to say, he didn’t and had to wait almost an hour for M&E #6941.) In a conversation the next morning, he mentioned that he had not heard the “two-minute” announcement of train destination and stops, which had been the custom for all the years he had been an M&E commuter on trains leaving NYPS. He speculated that perhaps the P.A. system had not been working in the car he was in.

On April 21, I rode NJCL #7265, the 6:07 p.m. departure from NYPS to connect to PVL #2123 at Secaucus for my trip back to Montvale. Loading opposite us on the Track 3-4 platform was M&E #6935 that was scheduled to depart at 6:11 p.m. Both MLV consists were packed to the gills with standees in the vestibules. There was nary an unoccupied seat in the lower level of my car. I specifically took note that there was no “two-minute” announcement on my train that night.

I’m not sure if the “two-minute announcement” is no longer NJT policy. If that is the case, then it should be restored, especially on weekends when there are many discretionary passengers, some of whom could be on the wrong train. If the “two-minute announcement” is still an NJT policy, then perhaps a memo should be send out to conductors reminding them of such. I do know that while waiting at Secaucus for my Pascack Valley Line train, I heard both Bergen #1879 and Main Line #1729 announcing their destinations and routes, as did the conductor of PVL #6935.                    

Thank you for your help in this matter.

Sincerely, Lester W. Wolff,

Director, NJ Association of Railroad Passengers

NJT's Same day response to the above.

Dear Mr. Bresenhan:

We are replying to your feedback of 4/24/2013 regarding subject: "Two-minute announcements".

The best way to avoid confusion when boarding trains in New York is to listen for PA announcements, which will clearly advise which track each train is boarding on, and also to check the station monitors and destination boards posted at the entrance to each track. If this information is not available or noted, a crewmember should be consulted BEFORE a customer takes a seat and gets settled. Crews in New York don’t necessarily make platform announcements, as there are PA announcements and monitor postings upstairs. So a crew naturally will assume anyone boarding a train will know which train it is.

Regardless, onboard announcements are and always have been required prior to the train's departure; there is no specific number of minutes prior to leaving when such announcements must be made. Obviously, enough time should be provided for anyone who realizes they are in fact on the wrong train to safely exit.

Please be assured that we have made your feedback available to our rail supervisory personnel for review and consideration.

Thank you for contacting NJ TRANSIT.

Sincerely,
Fred Bauer
NJ TRANSIT Customer Service Team

My response to Mr. Bauer

Hi Mr. Bauer:

THANK YOU very much for your prompt reply. I once heard the announcement referred to as "the two-minute warning", which I guess was a play on football's two-minute warning. It always seemed to be about the last thing the conductors did just a minute or two before the train departed – at that time, Hoboken. That was about it, most of the time, unless there had been a track change. Of course, NJT had control over track assignments at Hoboken and a variation in track was a rarity. lI'm aware that NYPS is an entirely different ball game.

Regards!

les wolff
nj-arp