Express Service? Easier Than You Think

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  • Опубликовано: 21 дек 2021
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Комментарии • 444

  • @RMTransit
    @RMTransit  2 года назад +62

    What's your favourite transit line with express service?

    • @heikoschmelz1283
      @heikoschmelz1283 2 года назад +9

      Tokaido Superexpress 😁

    • @RandomDude10000
      @RandomDude10000 2 года назад +4

      Airport expresses

    • @transitthinker
      @transitthinker 2 года назад +11

      Probably the A or Q in New York because I took them a lot but I haven't been on very many.

    • @meltrain
      @meltrain 2 года назад +19

      The Metropolitan line. It's a shame that the Express service only runs at peak hours.

    • @moraimon
      @moraimon 2 года назад +7

      Berlin's combination of S-Bahn as a local service and DB's RE as an express service

  • @dustin6804
    @dustin6804 2 года назад +295

    I'm from NYC and it always surprises me other cities don't have express lines. This was thought of back in the early 1900s. Our subway and commuter rail both offer express service and it's amazing. I take the LIRR to the city for work and the express train cuts down my ride by 20 minutes. Love watching us speed by the other stations without stopping.

    • @tonywalters7298
      @tonywalters7298 2 года назад +29

      The only other express service i can think of is the Chicago L purple line

    • @dustin6804
      @dustin6804 2 года назад +23

      @@tonywalters7298 Yeah but it only runs during rush. Philly used to have skip stop service on the Market line but ended it. The broad street line still offers express though. We have express all times expect late night (1AM-5AM). We also have 24/7 which is just amazing

    • @josefstalin9068
      @josefstalin9068 2 года назад +4

      I know the feel, it’s always really satisfying to get an express along the Babylon branch since you skip through so many stations.

    • @dustin6804
      @dustin6804 2 года назад +6

      @@josefstalin9068 YES!! I live in Merrick so that’s my line! Took the express this morning. Got on at Merrick, stopped at Freeport then straight to Penn! In the evening I take the wantagh express and Merrick is the first stop. I love it

    • @captainkeyboard1007
      @captainkeyboard1007 2 года назад +2

      I love when the express trains skip the local stations at full speed.

  • @michaeloreilly657
    @michaeloreilly657 2 года назад +93

    Probably worth mentioning that Express trains can be longer, as they don't need to stop at (shorter) local stations.

  • @islaymassive1530
    @islaymassive1530 2 года назад +81

    Here in Nueremberg in germay we have Regional trains overlapping with S-Bahns so they form a express service by skipping all the small S-Bahn stations, it works quite well

    • @EpicThe112
      @EpicThe112 2 года назад +3

      Some lines have 4 tracks like Nürnberg Augsburg Railway where S-Bahn uses local tracks ICE Nightjet and Intercity Trains express tracks so is Köln-Aachen to Düren express Tracks ICE Freight Regional RE9 Nightjet Sleeper trains Local Tracks S12 S19 lines

    • @offichannelnurnberg5894
      @offichannelnurnberg5894 2 года назад +6

      Noch ein Nürnberger hier :) Und wir haben die S3 und S6 als "echte" Express S-Bahnen

    • @RMTransit
      @RMTransit  2 года назад +9

      Sounds excellent indeed! Express services exist across the distance spectrum!

    • @TheUrbanGaze
      @TheUrbanGaze Год назад +3

      That kind of a thing is probably why you don't see dedicated express transit in Europe; a different system provides express service.

    • @ufukakkaya9534
      @ufukakkaya9534 10 месяцев назад

      I wish we had that in Norderstedt near Hamburg. We literally have to travel with a f*cking U-Bahn from our town into the city. It takes 40 Mins to the city Center despite only being 20 kms away 💀😩

  • @connected-urbanplanningcon4973
    @connected-urbanplanningcon4973 2 года назад +77

    Yes, express service is probably one of the most underrated things in rapid transit!

    • @captainkeyboard1007
      @captainkeyboard1007 2 года назад +3

      I agree with you. Some transit agencies do not have express train service done properly. For example, there are slow speed restriction areas that can increase travel times. Track layouts may be sophisticated. Also, structures, whether subway, open cut, or aerial like trestle or bridge with concrete roadbeds are built differently from area to area. No two sections are exactly the same.

    • @RMTransit
      @RMTransit  2 года назад +13

      Indeed, there’s something special about flying by not only traffic, but other transit!

  • @MohdArif-pl3sy
    @MohdArif-pl3sy 2 года назад +46

    Meanwhile in Japan,
    JR West limited express Yakumo run between Okayama and Izumo (200km) with 1 hour interval both way on SINGLE track for 3/4 of the journey.
    Local train still there using same track.

    • @JBS319
      @JBS319 2 года назад +3

      The best thing about Yakumo is the rolling stock.

    • @RMTransit
      @RMTransit  2 года назад +18

      Incredibly impressive, I will do a video on single track and timetable planning

    • @goatgamer001
      @goatgamer001 2 года назад +1

      @@RMTransit yes plz

    • @lzh4950
      @lzh4950 2 года назад +1

      The _Nara_ Line also has express services running on single track 2x/h that's interspersed with local trains also @ 2x/h; resulting in a total frequency of once every just 15min, with level crossings some more.

    • @Myrtone
      @Myrtone Месяц назад

      @@RMTransit I wonder if this is a case of being able to provide an express service by virtue of a low frequency.

  • @stevenroshni1228
    @stevenroshni1228 2 года назад +35

    Often (in NYC) the express trains go much than out than local trains, making all stops after the local train's terminus. So it makes long trips faster and local trips don't become so long that a crew change would be needed.

    • @HallsofAsgard96
      @HallsofAsgard96 2 года назад +3

      True like the 4,5 vs the 6 and the 2,3 vs the 1.

    • @Sylveonkpopnyct
      @Sylveonkpopnyct 2 года назад +2

      @@HallsofAsgard96 A vs C, E/F vs M/R, B vs D, B vs Q

    • @lzh4950
      @lzh4950 2 года назад +2

      Reminds me how in Singapore, express bus services 502 & 518 used to split into 2 services each during peak hours - 502 & 518A running local in a more outlying suburb i.e. Jurong W & Pasir Ris respectively before running express past a less outlying suburb i.e. Jurong E & Tampines respectively all the way to downtown, while 502 & 518B are shorter services that run local in the less outlying suburbs before going express to the downtown, but don't extend into the outlying suburbs. During off-peak, the 2 services run local in both types of suburbs before going express to downtown instead

  • @aaronrogers6097
    @aaronrogers6097 2 года назад +56

    The Purple Line Express in Chicago has the opposite layout; the express tracks are on the outside, with the local (Red Line) island platforms in the middle. The problem is that now they have to tear down and rebuild the entire thing just to expand the stations, since the existing platforms were too narrow for elevators.

    • @JBS319
      @JBS319 2 года назад +10

      part of that is because south of Belmont, the Red Line is express and the Purple and Brown are local. I think historically, the side tracks were used primarily for North Shore trains to the suburbs and Wisconsin which terminated on the Loop.

    • @aaronrogers6097
      @aaronrogers6097 2 года назад +3

      @@JBS319 True. So crazy that there used to be interurban rapid transit connecting Chicago and Milwaukee.

    • @captainkeyboard1007
      @captainkeyboard1007 2 года назад +2

      One reason for the reconstruction for the stations and lines is because the trestles would periodic maintenance more than do surface, open cut or subway structures. I do agree that the station platforms should be wider than the old platforms.

    • @RMTransit
      @RMTransit  2 года назад +6

      Indeed, I think this layout just generally doesn’t make sense since the tracks must move more for the more frequent local stops.

    • @clivegregory8511
      @clivegregory8511 2 года назад +2

      The IC is perfectly designed for Metra Electric south suburban & South Shore line express services

  • @desanipt
    @desanipt 2 года назад +61

    Here in Porto, Portugal, they built a LR network whose part of the initial lines were readapted from old existing narrow gauge suburban train lines, so they could use the downtown core corridor for the LR and save on digging tunels downtown (while modernizing those suburban lines).
    And, honestly what I criticize about that is that they kept the long branches (that went as far as to towns 30 km away, through deep rural areas) attached to it (and it wasn't that hard to divert them to a main railway line it already crossed by, that went downtown through another corridor) all while converting the branches to a LR layout adding way more stops (regardless of crossing through rural areas).
    The thing is that while top speeds became way higher for the branches (as well as frequency and confort, which is great) the full journey from the ends of the outer branches to downtown took the same time as it took when the line was a diesel, single track, poorly maintained line (because of the added stops)
    People complained, so they added "express services" on the longer branch. The way they made it was alternating normal and express trains, by timetabling the express trains so that the normal service had gone enough time in advance to get to the end of the line just a little before the express train, that left 10 minutes later.
    Not the most incredible solution because you only save time if you happen to arrive in the station when the next train is an express one, or if you plan your activities so that you only get in the station when there's an express train leaving. You won't get home sooner if you skip a normal service to take the express one.
    But I guess that's not a horrible way to use the spare capacity the branches have, when the line wasn't planed to allow for overtakes.

    • @truedarklander
      @truedarklander 2 года назад +4

      Hopefully they fix that to a Cascais Line type solution with an express leaving and 2 minutes later a regular one leaving from terminal stations

    • @placeholdername0000
      @placeholdername0000 8 месяцев назад

      Heck, if the local leaves shortly after the express most people, assuming they show up randomly, will have the express be the next train. Thus meaning that most people get the benefit of express service.

  • @jack2453
    @jack2453 2 года назад +31

    Skip stop and overtake patterns are only possible if you have high reliability. Too many times I have been trapped on a delayed express train that then has to complete the journey at the speed of the local. Trying to be too clever leads to the multi-service patterns e.g. in Sydney and Melbourne that you are so (justifiably) critcal of.

    • @Lankpants
      @Lankpants 2 года назад +1

      Yeah, this is why the best lines for express trains in Melbourne are the Caulfield cluster. The quad tracks in the S/E just work better than the general trickery that's tried to keep expresses running in most areas of the city, the tri tracks on the Belgrave/Lilydale lines do an OK job as well. I think the western lines are also OK, but I've never had to use them.
      I know it's pretty poor going on the Glen Waverly line, where I don't even think there are expresses since it's duel tracked the entire way. I think it's quite similar to this on most of the northern lines too.
      Admittedly even on these lines it's not uncommon for your express train to get past the quad/tri track sections then just get dumped behind an all stations train, which sucks.
      It's pretty clear that the infrastructure based solutions just run a whole lot better here though.

  • @Sacto1654
    @Sacto1654 2 года назад +17

    A good example of what you described is in the Osaka westward through Hyogo Prefecture operations of JR West, Hankyu and Hanshin. JR West has dedicated tracks for local service on two tracks and limited stop service on two parallel tracks ( _kaisoku_ and _shin-kaisoku_ service), and Hanshin and Hankyu make local trains stop longer at stations to allow faster express service to go by on their two-track lines.

    • @jmstransit
      @jmstransit 2 года назад

      Stares at Amagasaki station lol

    • @Sacto1654
      @Sacto1654 2 года назад

      @@jmstransit The JR West Amagasaki Station has eight tracks, because it also serves as the south end of the Takarazuka Line services and the west end of the Tozai Line services.

    • @RMTransit
      @RMTransit  2 года назад

      Yep! The approach taken shouldn’t be static, rather you decide based on the service!

    • @lzh4950
      @lzh4950 2 года назад +2

      The _shin-kaisoku_ (新快速; literally meaning "new rapid/fast") is basically an even more express service i.e. stopping @ even fewer stations than the 'regular' express/ _kaisoku_ (快速). Makes sense though as the former can travel pretty far; ard 2h from _Maibara-Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe-Himeji_

  • @Xaac1609
    @Xaac1609 2 года назад +16

    Here in Germany there aren't any Express-Services in U-Bahn-Systems (as far as i know), but since often All trains (S-Bahn, RB, RE, ICE, Freight) use the same tracks you often have some sort of Express-Operation between two bigger Cities. But since our Rail-Network is massively underfunded there are rarely more than two tracks and some Signaling still needs to be upgraded to the 20th century, which completly f***s over any punctuality/reliability our Trains have.

    • @Xaac1609
      @Xaac1609 2 года назад +4

      Also i just remembered that in Munich They're building the "2. Stammstrecke", which will allow some S-Bahn trains to skip multiple Stations in the City-Cener-Section of the S-Bahn Network.

    • @23nine
      @23nine 2 года назад

      Yeah, we even have single-track routes with express service (regional train & regional express). Creating the timetables must be a nightmare, punctuality is.

  • @urbanliner529
    @urbanliner529 2 года назад +5

    Most private railways in Japan use the overtake system though some sections are quadruple track. There are some local trains that run only for the quad track section and express trains that become local after the quad track section ends.

    • @Myrtone
      @Myrtone 8 месяцев назад

      I believe the rail equivalent of overtaking is called leapfrogging.

  • @japanesetrainandtravel6168
    @japanesetrainandtravel6168 2 года назад +11

    The Keikyu line in Japan has one of the most impressive express services and was also recognized as one of best private train companies in Japan. They have two dedicated tracks instead of quad tracks and utilize the timed overtakes really well. If a Japanese train company can move the volume of passengers the way it does so can any other. (mind you, the Shinkansen uses timed overtakes too for it’s express services)

  • @dmangsmile
    @dmangsmile 2 года назад +3

    A good example of the Overtaking method is the Tokaido Shinkansen. A Kodama stopping all stations service from Tokyo can get overtaken by 7 Nozomi SuperExpress services by the time it gets to Nagoya. This is achieved with the Kodama timetable requiring the train to stop for up to 5 mins at specific stations (due to Nozomi having a minimum frequency of as low as 3 mins between trains) to allow Nozomi and/or Hikari Limited Express services to pass.
    Kodama services also all turn around at Shin-Osaka back towards Tokyo while Nozomi and Hikari can continue on south along the Sanyo Shinkansen Line to keep the higher level of service on the busiest section between Tokyo and Osaka. This is to not unnecessarily take up too much room south of Osaka where it isn't needed.

  • @KyleSiefring
    @KyleSiefring 2 года назад +12

    When I had an internship in the silicon valley, I would bike to and from the rapid 522 bus. It was noticeably faster than the regular bus.

  • @mdhazeldine
    @mdhazeldine 2 года назад +22

    In London we don't really do express services on the Underground, but you get them everywhere on national rail services. I live on the South Western Railway network out of Waterloo and here we have quad tracks on the South West Main Line all the way down to Basingstoke, where the line splits into double tracks to go to Southampton and Salisbury. On the Windsor Lines it's quad tracks as far as Barnes, and then it splits into 2 double track lines, one of which loops back onto the main line (Hounslow loop) and the main line through Richmond towards Reading & Windsor has another loop going off to Kingston and back into London again. This means you can run express services pretty much the whole way, because the local trains keep turning off the main line, clearing the way for the faster ones to slip through in between.

    • @RMTransit
      @RMTransit  2 года назад +7

      Well, there are a few select express services ;) on the tube

    • @JasonCliftJones
      @JasonCliftJones 2 года назад +3

      Metropolitan vs Jubilee between Baker St and Wembley Park is the obvious one.

    • @CoolTransport
      @CoolTransport 2 года назад +3

      @@RMTransit yeah only 2 sections and for about 4-6 stations

    • @flare2000x
      @flare2000x 2 года назад +3

      @@CoolTransport the metropolitan line has a few different service patterns

    • @CoolTransport
      @CoolTransport 2 года назад +1

      @@flare2000x yeah i forgot about that

  • @qolspony
    @qolspony 2 года назад +20

    The NYC does this arraignment a lot during rush hours. The "A" would remain on the Express tracks, but the "D" would be put on the local tracks. That's because they are three "A" branches and I guess it would free up time space for the line. So in some way, the "D" becomes a skip stop to the next express station. The rule for skipping a station on the local track is a train has to slow done as it approach a station even though it is not going to stop there. So the "A" ends up beating the "D" even though neither of them stopped at a local station.
    I bring this up, because trains that run a skip stop pattern don't or can't travel at regular Express speeds when they skip a station.

    • @tompao7832
      @tompao7832 2 года назад +3

      In New York - and in perhaps other american cities - they can´t. But this doesn´t have to be so - on modern systems with platform screen doors trains can pass a station without slowing down. Even without platform screen doors there is in most cases no need to slow down to a crawl while passing a station, on mainline rail you reguarly see trains passing platforms at speed...

    • @abentmetrocard
      @abentmetrocard 2 года назад +2

      I agree, as living in NYC and taking the subway daily(and being a train enthusiast) the only reason why NYC physically can’t have platform screen doors is because of the diverse rolling stock, because we have one of the biggest subway systems in the world and having THE biggest subway yard in the world, we can’t replace every single subway car ever 30 or so years. So we replace the oldest cars after they turn at least 30, and with the r32s up to 58 years old. Back to the main point, our trains have different sizing, length, door width, space between the doors, length of train, etc, so platform side doors would have to change depending on the type of train. Because the MTA is severely underfunded, it can’t afford to do so anyway because it has to use the little money it has to keep what it already has as modern as their money can buy.

    • @abentmetrocard
      @abentmetrocard 2 года назад

      Wow, that was longer then expected, btw this isnt to contradict your, just showing the facts and reasons why. Hope you have a wonderful day!

  • @metropod
    @metropod 2 года назад +8

    The easiest turnaround for a four track subway is how 179th street on the F train works, admittedly it was designed so the center tracks could continue, but the turn around capacity at the station is theoretically higher than the line capacity. Without CBTC, the E and F as the Queens Boulevard expresses, are capped at a combined 30 TPH. 179th could theoretically handle 40TPH.
    The inner and outer tracks have their own relay areas on two different levels, express tracks upstairs local tracks downstairs. The tunnels are wide enough that each level has four tracks.

  • @meltrain
    @meltrain 2 года назад +24

    6:20 The Dutch station Weesp is a perfect example where overtaking happens. The regional trains (Sprinters) wait a couple of minutes while the express trains (Intercity's) pass by.

  • @transitthinker
    @transitthinker 2 года назад +21

    I really love cities that have rush hour express peak-direction service. Possibly a bit easier to have if there isn't enough space for a qaud track corridor.
    Also I definitely see the problem with only have one express track but in terms of riding the train it can be pretty nice!

    • @RMTransit
      @RMTransit  2 года назад +2

      The issue is such service creates a lot of operational problems, largely unbalanced trains!

    • @lars7935
      @lars7935 2 года назад

      You don't need separate track for express trains. Most lines in Japan have express services, most of them on double or even single track.

  • @metropolisubway47
    @metropolisubway47 2 года назад +18

    As a resident of New York City, I see Express lines as a model for other cities.

  • @salmonidae3667
    @salmonidae3667 2 года назад +20

    Express service makes for some EXTREMELY crowded lines. Seoul subway line 9 is an example. The commute on that has been described as "the moving sindorim station".

    • @usa1945.
      @usa1945. 2 года назад +4

      Its mostly because of the high demand from interchanges(which are the same as the express stops), and its double track mostly with only some stations being overtake+4terminal layouts. Since there are a limited number of stops with these "rest&go" style stations, the maximum dispatch interval is limited to about 6:30 minutes. Because,.. again.. these stations are one in 4 to 5. Matching the demand of express:normal being 2.5:1, they needed to make the express trains come every six minutes, but the normal trains 13 to 15 minutes! (Extra minutes since they need to get safety distance from the foregoing train).
      And thats the "max" speed of which the trains will come!! But of course, they've tried this method of 2:1 express to normal for a year or two, then realized that they aren't getting they're moneys worth by having express trains every 6 minutes when not at peak times(still, most people couldn't sit at 1pm because at the time the trains were 4 cars for express trains). So having finished adding two cars to (half) the rolling stock of the speedy miniscule rascals, they've changed the ratio to the same 2:1 in peak times, but 1.5:1 in normal operations. That way, in non-busy hours, two back to back express trains where followed by one all-stop train, then another express train, finally followed by another all-stop. This created many other problems I can't get into since what I actually nedd to get to is deep rem sleep. Anyways, currently the line 9 of seoul has all express trains matched to the all-stop trains with 6 holy gold colored cars, and runs in 1:1 format, to mess not only with the express users which were already pancaked into the batter of human sauce, but the all-stop users, which now can't sit starting from the city outskirts thanks to the timetable being only reduced to 12 minutes from 15, which led the transportation authority of line 9 to make interchange users to use the all-stop when the unbearable wait time for the express actually makes it faster to go to the next interchange by all-stop. So now, they only use the 4 track stations to overtake half the time!. A money saving design saved the ability to even use their exisiting infrastructure!. This is how modern korean developments in transit are made. I have so much more to talk about, and not only about this line, but I need to get catch the express to my sleep.
      In hindsight:
      They should've: A:made it quad track B:made the cars as long as the other lines C:Made less stations (did it to increase the B/C) D:Hire enough qualified staff to properly run it E:HAVE TRAINS RUNNING AS MUCH AS THEY F"N CAN!! F:made the interchanges "walkable" as to prevent a stockpile of people from both directions wanting to go the same direction to become human jengas, G:.... ,H:...., I:.... ;;;;;;;

    • @jdc327
      @jdc327 2 года назад +1

      @@usa1945. Wow!! Thanks for that explainer; gave a (sadness) headache, but demonstrates why "cheap_easy" solution can be "fail_easy" solution instead. Unfortunate, but interesting. Would be helpful if other "express planners" are to find out about this disaster experience and plan better instead.
      *Do it right the first time, or don't bother at all* [IMHO]

    • @usa1945.
      @usa1945. 2 года назад

      @@jdc327 thanks for the reply bruv, what u say is da tru tru(choo choo).

  • @bennator0ATgmailcom
    @bennator0ATgmailcom 2 года назад +5

    I was amazed when I first took the JR Nara line (A commuter line in the Kyoto area). Single track line with local and express services in both directions. This was done by putting two or four tracks at stations, and tight timetabling. Though they hit capacity and started double tracking.

  • @georgeolivercarmera2610
    @georgeolivercarmera2610 2 года назад +2

    One thing that's interesting about Tokyo is how many different levels of express service you see on some lines (I imagine this is mentioned one of the videos?). For example Tokyu's Toyoko Line, which connects Tokyo and Yokohama: there are 4 levels of service (in order of decreasing number of stops): local, express, commuter express, limited express. This is separate from the interlining that happens with three + other lines. I see mention of 11 kinds of service on the Kyoto-Osaka Keihan Main Line, but I think a number of those services are only run sporadically or a few times a day.

  • @jack2453
    @jack2453 2 года назад +3

    The system used on German and Australian regional rail services is worth a look. Only the inner zone is quad-tracked and the regional services are local until they reach the inner zone and then express for the rest of the trip; the inner local tracks are close to metro services.

    • @karthikmahesh2182
      @karthikmahesh2182 2 года назад

      Ah yes. A very similar system operates on the Mumbai suburban railway

  • @analogbunny
    @analogbunny 2 года назад +9

    When I lived in Japan it seemed like literally every station on my local system had a bypass regardless of the actual service - probably to leave room to change things into the future.

    • @RMTransit
      @RMTransit  2 года назад +1

      Yeah, it’s a forward thinking approach that can allow for some future flexibility

  • @pimpnamedslickback7780
    @pimpnamedslickback7780 2 года назад +6

    Thats why I love my city of NYC with all of it's flaws. Express trains are a god send

  • @quoniam426
    @quoniam426 2 года назад +10

    Skip stations hasn't happened in Paris transportation for over twenty years now (unless a train has a significant delay to retake, then it will have a surprise skip of stations without bothering telling passengers about it).
    RER C to Versailles used to have two services to the Château de Versailles station, Vick and Vero. The Vero trains were skipping two minor stations in Issy and Meudon. But then the transport authorities decided that ALL trains on RER lines should become omnibuses, calling at every single station. ANd the Vero trains disappeared.
    RER B had some skip stations as well (not to mention the directs from Gare du Nord to Charles de Gaulle Airport... Since the renovation of signals and the decreasing of the spid limit from 120 kph to 90 kph, all trains are now calling at every station regardless of their service.
    And I don't mention the decision to postpone indefinitely the doubling of the Châtelet-Gare du Nord RER tunnel to allow full capacité on both RERs B and D... B has priority since it has better acceleration overall but it is still a drain on potential max capacity...
    And I really regret at least a partial express service on Grand Paris Express being left away because of building costs... It could have allowed to fusion both projects in competition (Grand Paris and Arc Express by the Region, the latter having more stops every 800 meters or so opposite to the former having stops every 2500 m)
    The simple Bypass stations are also the way the TGV stations work.

  • @wolfblaide
    @wolfblaide 2 года назад +4

    Tripple track works pretty well on my train line in the east of Melbourne. It's used to bypass most stations on the inner half of the line (closer to CBD), leaving a slower less frequent local service for the inner stations, as most customers are in the outer suburbs. Not perfect, but when it's working smoothly, it saves a lot of time.

  • @chaughten
    @chaughten 2 года назад +9

    boston green line - instead of taking 45 mins to go 5 km it takes 50 mins (face palm)

  • @trainluvr
    @trainluvr 2 года назад +4

    Also the JFK Express (1978-1991) and the Aqueduct (race track) Specials were scheduled expresses that skipped express stops and charged a premium fare.

  • @jstephens2758
    @jstephens2758 2 года назад +1

    Most of the New York City subway lines that have express service have only three tracks. The center track is for express service that runs into Manhattan in the morning and the other way in the afternoon.

  • @hwgusn
    @hwgusn 2 года назад +4

    An express line from Lawrence, Mass to downtown would be nice. That’s where the 495 crosses, also.

  • @unknownPLfan
    @unknownPLfan 2 года назад +14

    Usually as an American looking at how transit is done I think about what Europe and Asia are doing and ask "why can't we have that here?" But express service is the one thing where I have the reverse question. NYC is known for express but Philadelphia also has an express track. And even Boston's orange line has an express track north of Boston city proper that's unused.

    • @lars7935
      @lars7935 2 года назад

      Japan has express service on most lines in the country. From single track rural lines to the buisy suburban and subway lines in Tokyo. Though tripple tracking is not used, as it's not worth it in most cases, and quad tracking is only used where there are too many trains on the line to keep up average speeds with double tracked overtaking services.
      And most cities in the world have some kind of express option. Often it's the commuter or reginal train system that runs in parallel and is generally integrated into the same ticketing and scheduling system.

  • @dungandonuts
    @dungandonuts 2 года назад +1

    The Tokaido Shinkansen was the first system I ever used that makes heavy use of timed overtakes and it works really well. There are relatively frequent express, limited stops and all stops services and the overtakes are timed well enough that you're never waiting too long at stations on the non-express services.

  • @andrewclarkson3401
    @andrewclarkson3401 2 года назад +6

    I would love to have express service in Toronto like that in New York. But I agree with your comment that skip stop service can be confusing. I have ended up in Brooklyn when I wanted to stay in Manhattan because I didn't understand the skip stop pattern - twice on the same trip! Skip stop is also bound to mean waiting for a second train for a significant minority of riders. (Or a third, in the case of my Brooklyn misadventure.) However, the express in New York that uses four tracks is great!

  • @PhilliesNostalgia
    @PhilliesNostalgia 2 года назад +7

    The Philadelphia Broad Street Line has express and local as well, but I’m not on it enough to go too deep into everything about it

    • @RMTransit
      @RMTransit  2 года назад +2

      It’s Quad Track!

  • @sgtghost1418
    @sgtghost1418 2 года назад +2

    For the bypass express while ensuring service capacity, you can do a case study on Keikyu railways. 4 or 5 type of services in dual track only, and also operates the fastest metro line (besides dedicated express line like skyliner).

  • @brucewilkinson8599
    @brucewilkinson8599 2 года назад +1

    I grew up in Chicago - now living in Atlanta. In Chicago the CTA has revised its service model over the years before they settled on the current line color nomenclature. With the only “express service exists on the city’s North side with its Purple Line (Express). But for those of us using transit on the Southside the standard service is all that exists. Not too much to complain about.
    Now in Atlanta transit is rather dismal. My favorite transit system with express service is the MTA in NYC.

  • @JBS319
    @JBS319 2 года назад +13

    Somehow New York uses all of these except timed overtakes. Also, skip-stop's biggest drawback is when you do this in any area where ridership at every station is increasing a lot. This happened to the 1/9 in New York where skip stop sections were continuously cut back until the 9 was discontinued altogether in favor of a fully local 1 train. Triple track peak-only service is common, as you said, but most of the triple track in New York goes unused. In fact, the only lines where the full length of triple track is used are the Concourse Line (the only underground triple track line, and since you're digging up an incredibly wide street anyway, why not just make it four track) and the Flushing Line, which I get because it's elevated and the streets here are only so wide. Timed trickery is used only in Staten Island where a Tottenville Express departs right before a Great Kills Local which clears the platform into the turnback at Great Kills just in time for the next express. It's also used on the Port Washington line and also the New Haven Line off peak even though that line is quad track. The best timed overtakes I've seen are on Keikyu. There's a whole Japan Railway Journal from way back in the day about it.

    • @captainkeyboard1007
      @captainkeyboard1007 2 года назад

      Also, on the Broadway Line (in Brooklyn) B1-Division, the J and the Z trains ran express between Myrtle Avenue-Broadway and Eastern Parkway, now Broadway Junction, on the express track. Those trains run on the local tracks in skip-stop mode. When they ran express between that zone, train service was very good. Nowadays, skip-stop express service on the Broadway and the Jamaica Avenue line runs between Broadway Junction and Sutphin Boulevard.

    • @ayindestevens6152
      @ayindestevens6152 2 года назад

      So apparently Concourse was supposed to be 4 tracks but the great depression forced them to cut the budget.

    • @captainkeyboard1007
      @captainkeyboard1007 2 года назад +2

      @@ayindestevens6152 That is one thing I never knew about the New York City subway system and I have lived in New York City all my life.

    • @ayindestevens6152
      @ayindestevens6152 2 года назад

      @@captainkeyboard1007 I forgot where I read it but it made sense including the DOUBLE WIDE lower platform at 145.

    • @captainkeyboard1007
      @captainkeyboard1007 2 года назад +1

      @@ayindestevens6152 Thank you for tapping or writing to me.

  • @kurt9395
    @kurt9395 2 года назад +8

    The four parallel tracks on one level is not the only way it's done in NYC. There are places where an over-under arrangement is used, like on the Lexington Avenue line (4, 5, 6 trains) between 42nd Street and 96 Street. This includes two express stops at 59th Street and 86th Street with separate level platforms. Another example is the 6th Avenue line between 34th Street and West 4th Street. Yes, it's more expensive to construct it this way, but you can get the advantages of four tracks service without needing a wider right-of-way. Another thing done is having the express line split off entirely from the local line. This is done on the E and F trains where the express line splits off after Queens Plaza and rejoins again before 74th Street-Jackson Heights.

    • @lamargoat2.054
      @lamargoat2.054 2 года назад +1

      It also has that over-under track setup on The 4 train in Brooklyn between Franklin Avenue and Utica ave, Also on the A,B,C,D trains between 125 Street and 59 Street, Columbus circle

  • @MaebhsUrbanity
    @MaebhsUrbanity 2 года назад +4

    As a Londoner, which has only 1 express services I can think of in that sense. However things like crossrail or thameslink we have serving simular purposes but on compleatly seperate line and also serving places with large stop spacing.

    • @natemays4813
      @natemays4813 2 года назад

      Not exactly rapid transit, but the urban South London train networks has a lot of express/local services (e.g. Southeastern, Southern, SW Railway) that serve the Greater London area.

    • @hanhoco1
      @hanhoco1 2 года назад

      Another one I would call that Metropolitan Lin at London, national railway on 140miles or higher speed service.

    • @JBS319
      @JBS319 2 года назад

      There is definitely more than one express service in London. The Piccadilly Line is the express to the District in West London and then the Metropolitan Line is the express to the Jubilee Line. This is on top of the Metropolitan Line's slow, semi-fast and fast services.

    • @RMTransit
      @RMTransit  2 года назад

      There are a few local / express setups on the Tube

    • @ollie2074
      @ollie2074 2 года назад +1

      Other examples that are overlooked are the Jubilee and DLR between Stratford and Canning Town as well as the District Line and C2C services between City of London and Upminster. Also pretty much every national railway mainline has express services except for Cannon Street.

  • @Taitset
    @Taitset 2 года назад +1

    One value of having express services that doesn't often get discussed, is what they do to the perception of the service. In my experience express trains can be good just because they FEEL fast, and it encourages people to use the service. Express trains on my local line actually only save around 4 minutes, but I asked a selection of people to guess how much quicker it is, and most guessed around 10 minutes. Here in Melbourne we have many lines that use the technique you describe in Copenhagen around 10:00. The express trains almost always catch up to the local trains just before the end of the express section, so the last bit of the run can be very slow. It's not perfect, but way better than nothing. What is very funny, is on lines like the Hurstbridge line, some passengers will skip catching the local train because they want to catch the express afterwards - even though the express never overtakes the local, so the fastest option is always just to get whichever train comes first.
    You mention triple track as being a bad idea - we have two quite long sections in Melbourne (Burnley-Box Hill and Caulfield-Moorabbin) and.. Ok yes it is a pretty bad idea. However, it's still significantly better than double track, and when you're trying to implement additional capacity in an existing developed corridor (like we did here), adding one extra track can be significantly easier than adding two. The basic principal here is that you have the outer two tracks as the Up and Down line, then the centre track is bi-directional, and becomes the express track during peak hour, in peak direction only. So you can't have extensive counter-peak expresses, but peak direction expresses can overtake locals. This arrangement also means that if there is some kind of disruption during the off-peak, there is always an extra track available, so any one of the three can be temporarily not used as required. Freight trains also run on the Caulfield-Moorabbin section during the off-peak, and are usually routed via the track which is not currently in use, meaning when it reaches the end of the triple track it can be held awaiting a suitable path without holding anything else up. So as I say, it's obviously not as good as 4 tracks... But it's sure as hell a lot better than 2!

  • @Braamsery1992
    @Braamsery1992 2 года назад +2

    You can see that in Japan on more rural routes. Went to Kusatsu, which in many parts only has one track to operate on in both directions. But they still ran 3 types of service if i remember correctly.

  • @turbochargedtransit7241
    @turbochargedtransit7241 2 года назад +1

    If you like express trains, Metro North has some of the best out there in my opinion. All 3 East-of-Hudson lines operate in 2 sections, with a major yard at each city where the locals originate from. Basically, the terminus of each line has trains departing, running to that city as a local, turning into an express, and going non-stop to GCT. The locals run right behind the express as it leaves Stamford, North White Plains, or Croton-Harmon. It's a really fantastic system, and I hope to see a video on it!

  • @TMD3453
    @TMD3453 Год назад

    In Chicago we had skip stops for a long time. It makes sense with what you said about smaller stations close together. Though I miss it sometimes, I probably prefer more frequent trains at all stops, especially when it’s cold! Or when service is less frequent. Thanks for everything, love your channel.

  • @AaronSmith-sx4ez
    @AaronSmith-sx4ez 2 года назад +2

    Good video! I didn't know about overtakes and skip stops which I found interesting. One side advantage of quad track or tri track is does make maintenance easier which in turn can allow for extended or 24 hour service. A disadvantage of express services is they are more difficult to automate (no drivers) and they require more switches. Each switch is proverbial yield sign or an on-ramp that can significantly slow trains. I know this channel mostly focuses on metro rail, but regional rail often uses the concept of express routes. The new California high speed rail for example will have mostly serve the big cities, but they will have an occasional "milk run" that stops at smaller stations/cities. This is a good idea and a good compromise between service coverage and overall speed.

  • @philippkern9031
    @philippkern9031 Год назад

    I like the German "Stadtbahn / S-Bahn " system, the S-Bahn connects the suburbs to the downtown area. In the suburbs you have one stop, in downtown area there are stops at the major hubs in the city. While the Stadtbahn is a LRT (which dosen't suck) it is tram in the less dense areas and a metro in the center, which is the local connector.

  • @sideshowbob
    @sideshowbob 2 года назад +2

    As many other commentors have pointed out, you missed the type of express service typical on commuter rail in the NYC area, on fairly long lines with up to 2 hr total trip length to the very end. There is typically a major intermediate stop about halfway on the line with 2 or more platforms serving 4 or more tracks. Half the trains are locals which run local to this halfway point & terminate at the halfway point. The other half of trains run express from the downtown origin point to the major midpoint, then run local from there to the end. The 3 Metro-North lines north of NYC (Hudson, Harlem, & New Haven lines) are set up this way, as are some Long Island RR & NJ Transit lines. There is usually a major maintenance facility/storage yard at the midpoint major station as well as a smaller one at the end of the line.
    The New Haven Line has grown to the point where they are planning on splitting it into thirds. Right now, locals stop at all stops from Grand Central to Stamford. Express runs from Grand Central to Stamford express, then make all stops from Stamford to New Haven. There is a plan to build a new major station at Bridgeport, which is approx. halfway between Stamford & New Haven, with a storage yard & maint. facil. there (Stamford & New Haven already have this). Trains will then be split into making all stops between Stamford & Bridgeport, terminating in Bridgeport, & other trains stopping only in Stamford & Bridgeport, then making all local stops to New Haven. This is because they are adding new infill local stations, mainly at the outer end of the line (Fairfield Metro, West Haven added already, Orange & Derby planned for the future). There are now so many local stops at the end of the line it has added quite a bit of travel time. There has also been quite a bit of intra-line traffic growth (not just commuting in & out of NYC). Also, the 3 branches on the New Haven Line are growing & adding intra-line traffic, in addition to the Hartford & Shoreline lines, separate services that connect at New Haven.
    The downside of this scheme is that you have to change trains to make many intra-line trips) ie from a local stop on the outer line to a local stop on the inner line, you have to switch over at the major midway station), & if there's any disruption, you can easily miss your connection. This is frustrating at off peak times when train frequencies are low, ie, 1 hour.

  • @namenamename390
    @namenamename390 2 года назад +5

    This seems like an appropriate place to dump some of my knowledge of how railways in Germany work. There is this kind of hierarchy on networks. From top to bottom, it looks like this:
    ICE - High speed rail. If you're watching this channel, you know what ICE is already.
    IC - Long distance, limited stop service.
    RE - Regional Express, so short/medium distance, limited stop service.
    RB - Regionalbahn, so short/medium distance service that stops at every station on its way.
    S-Bahn - Metro-like service, serving the outlying areas of a city and coming together in the city itself to provide high capacity and frequency.
    U-Bahn - Subways. Sometimes very similar in customer service, but operated very differently and a focus on the city itself.
    Straßenbahn - Trams (or streetcars). Buses on rails with high capacity.
    That's the theory at least. There is always an exception to every rule. Most notably, there is a "Regio-S-Bahn" in Bremen, which is really confusing, and several cities have "Stadtbahnen", which are trams that sometimes act like proper subways (or are they subways that sometimes act like trams?).
    Most relevant for this video are the RB and RE. In rural areas, these are the main rail links to the outside world and they're basically local and express trains on shared sections of tracks. Germany also times these services in a way that they complement each other, so if both services are hourly, they run a shared section half an hour apart to effectively offer half hourly service there (another exception to that: There is such a service in and around Siegen, but with an RE and an IC, making the IC incredibly slow. It's meant to only stop at major stations and travel long distance, but here it's forced to stop at every station the RE stops at). In Urban areas, an RB can be used as an express service to S-Bahn services, and then RE can serve as an express to the express. This is not that common, but not unique to one area.

    • @davidreichert9392
      @davidreichert9392 2 года назад

      I've been playing Train Sim 2 for a while now and my favourite route is Koln. You get to drive both ICE and (I believe) RE/RB. I very much admire rail n Germany, living in Toronto I can only dream of such services. Our trains still run on diesel!

    • @namenamename390
      @namenamename390 2 года назад

      @@davidreichert9392 we have a lot of diesel services as well, especially outside of metro areas, in case you were wondering

  • @haweater1555
    @haweater1555 2 года назад +1

    A daring way of offering express service on existing 2 tracks is to operate like a two lane highway. When a local train stops at a local station, the express train behind lurches by a crossover on to the opposite track, in a gap between opposing trains, and back on to right ahead of the local train. Such a scheme needs high quality track switches (to avoid slamming the riders around when taken at speed) and unparalleled accurate and safe dispatching, but is doable to maximum capacity of existing infrastructure.

  • @Hardtransport
    @Hardtransport 2 года назад +2

    Good video, here in Santiago metro, express services aren`t for going to point A to B in a faster way, is for descongestionate trains and stations for overcrowding

  • @aaravyadav3748
    @aaravyadav3748 2 года назад +6

    I think express services should be implemented in the "New" Metros (1970-90) Of United States of America like BART, DC Metro, MARTA, Miami Metrorail and Baltimore Subwaylink Metro which travel long regions. I know they already have few stops which makes them express but adding Infill Stations should always be a target to improve connectivity and ridership. Especially the Silver Line (DC Metro) in Virginia should be considering express services.

    • @RMTransit
      @RMTransit  2 года назад +4

      Yeah I think it’s reasonable approach wise, they usually have the spare capacity and frequency, local stations with overtakes could work

  • @snoofyair4744
    @snoofyair4744 2 года назад

    Here in Chicago we use to have Skip Stop A/B services but during 90s they made it simplified with color coded lines. Express service on trains isn’t something we really need here, as our trains run a decent speed and doesn’t take very long to get to where you want to go. That said we do have the Purple Line Express which runs from Belmont to Howard(Which is basically the borderline street between Evanston & Chicago) and the Red Line runs Skip Stop from Clyborn to Belmont.

  • @KEIO-qd1zx
    @KEIO-qd1zx 2 года назад +3

    I'm sometimes amazed how Tokyo rail lines have like 8 different types of service on only 2 tracks

    • @lars7935
      @lars7935 2 года назад

      Well the Keio line should be quad tracked though...

    • @KEIO-qd1zx
      @KEIO-qd1zx 2 года назад

      @@lars7935 Actually, the tracks are being put above the road, so no more RR crossings. In addition, they're adding extra tracks at Chitose-Karasuyama and Meidamae, the busiest stations during rush hour

    • @lars7935
      @lars7935 2 года назад

      @@KEIO-qd1zx Nice to hear that they are doign something. I was just earlier reading about some of the proposals but didn't know they were already implementing some of them.
      Will the extra tracks be just at the stations or all the way until Chofu? I knwo there were some proposals to either have a quad tracked elevated line or dedicated underground express tracks.

    • @KEIO-qd1zx
      @KEIO-qd1zx 2 года назад

      @@lars7935 The extra tracks will be laid only at the stations I mentioned. The elevated tracks will go only until Sengawa

  • @brucehharvey7251
    @brucehharvey7251 2 года назад

    Dr. Thomas Conway was a pioneer of scheduled three tiered express service on a two track railroad when he modernized the Norristown Highspeed line (then the Philadelphia and Western) in 1931 using 100mph Brill Bullet Cars. His schedule patterns were copied by many railroads in Japan and elsewhere.

  • @nanaokyere7141
    @nanaokyere7141 2 года назад

    Glad you mentioned "skip stop" during the end. When I went to Philadelphia to visit family I experienced this on the SEPTA network. During the peak hour times they would have the "A" and "B" trains on single tracks and it was interesting to witness this in motion. I found it quit easy to understand and immediately thought of how Toronto could do this for certain stations, so you don't have the dangerous overcrowding at major stops. Ofcourse Toronto is a much bigger city with a bigger population than Philly, but I still think this can work on the TTC. I strongly would like to suggest this somehow as a "pilot project" for the TTC sometime.

  • @jg-7780
    @jg-7780 2 года назад +1

    Fun fact: the Hudson Bergen Light Rail runs express trains in Bayonne using the “send a local right after the express” strategy

  • @conveyor2
    @conveyor2 2 года назад +1

    Skip stop in Santiago works well. Trains have red or green indicator lights; they stop at red or green stations.

    • @RMTransit
      @RMTransit  2 года назад

      Yeah, that’s a sensible approach. Color’s are more universal.

  • @anastrelde8572
    @anastrelde8572 2 года назад

    In Copenhagen the S-Train network does have express service integrated into the system.
    Ex. Line A and E both run on the North(West)/South(West)service.
    Line A is express North of Copenhagen, while line E is express in the southern suburbs.
    Since almost all lines run through Copenhagen Central Station, they all have express services on either side of the Central Station. So it's not an all dedicated express line, but two lines sharing tracks and being part time express, part time regular (all stops).

  • @syh30801
    @syh30801 2 года назад +2

    Here in Tokyo, Japan, there are various type of faster train like express service. Im showing some examples below 👇
    Express
    Semi Express
    Section Semi Express
    Rapid
    Limited Express
    Commuter Express
    The order of fastness is depends on each railway company. For example, Express is faster than Commuter Express in some railway, but Comuter Express is faster in other railway.

  • @oscarjohansson2167
    @oscarjohansson2167 2 года назад +1

    You should take a look on the swedish south mainline between Malmö and Lund. Here on a 2 track section in the rush hour there are 5 local trains doing a skip-stop pattern and there are also 7 regional expresses as well as 2 long distance trains.

  • @Skip6235
    @Skip6235 Год назад

    The BNSF Metra line in Chicago has bi-directional (although only a few trains per day in the off-peak direction) express trains on a triple-rail corridor that is also shared with freight and Amtrak trains.

  • @tomsmith5584
    @tomsmith5584 2 года назад

    Portugal has quite a bit of this on their main north-south line. You have Alfa Pendular (super express), Inter Ciudaes (express), regional and commuter services operating over several sections of double track, including on a 120 km stretch from Braga to Aviero around Porto and around Lisbon. They use a combination of timed overtakes and scheduling to pull it off. Porto also has express and local trains on the B line of its light rail system (yes, they call it a metro, but there's a ton of at-grade and street running for a metro).

  • @CopenhagenRailProductions
    @CopenhagenRailProductions 2 года назад +2

    10:07 KNEW IT! It didn’t surprise me that the S-trains would be mentioned here.
    The thing is, The Copenhagen S-trains does have some sort of skip-stopping. Line C, is (as of the current, yet very recently applied ‘S22’ timetable change) alternating between skipping ‘Vinge’ and ‘Kildedal’ stations, and stopping at them. Vinge is a new station from 2020, and Kildedal is the least used station on the network. They’re both on the branch out to Frederikssund, about 5 or 6 stations apart.
    We also have (or used to have…) a rule of thumb, that the express lines (E, Bx, C and A) aren’t “allowed” to switch to express services, before they meet Line F at a “city border station”. (At either Ny Ellebjerg, Danshøj, Flintholm, Ryparken or Hellerup). Though, this isn’t applied to Line C, according to the S22 timetable, as it does skip Peter Bang’s Vej and Langgade stations, which are within the “City limit”, for whatever reason.
    My favorite express line? Line E. I used to take this line every morning as a child, when going to pre-elementary school. I used to take it from Køge to Ishøj, and change there to Line A, to take that line to Brøndby Strand.
    Big greetings from Copenhagen!

  • @kevinlove4356
    @kevinlove4356 2 года назад

    I am looking forward to your express bus video. I live on Bathurst St., two blocks south of Finch. Whenever I can, I always take the Finch Express bus. My #1 destination is the Finch subway station, and I estimate that the Express bus cuts the travel time in half. This is because the "express" part of it is that the bus only stops at major streets.
    In Toronto, the surveyors arrived before the settlers. As a result, what were originally rural concession roads at a uniform spacing of 5/4 mile are now major Toronto streets at a spacing of 2 km. And these streets usually go all the way across Toronto. This provides a nice spacing for express bus stops.
    That is my favourite express service. My second favourite is the express GO trains. I note that express GO trains were not mentioned in the video.

  • @BruscoTheBoar
    @BruscoTheBoar 2 года назад

    S-Bahn Berlin has added Express services between Friedrichshagen and Ostbahnhof on the S3 line in 2019. Express trains run only during rush hour. The thing is that the Express trains are just going in between the regular trains. The train ahead is just far enough away that the Express service won't catch up to the regular service. The normal trains keep their regular schedule, so no capacity got taken away from the regular service. Overall this saves on the single line just a couple of minutes. But when you're a transfer passenger this can make you catch an earlier train on your transfer station. Pretty cool in my eyes^^

  • @jdmifsud14
    @jdmifsud14 2 года назад +1

    As a native New Yorker hopping on an express train from one of the outer boroughs into manhattan is a must especially if you live at the end of some lines like out in flushing on the 7 line. However I feel like NYC has many lines where express service isn't fully utilized for most of the day. This mainly in my experience is due to those lines having 3 track configuration this only allows for peak direction express service which sucks if you're traveling in a non peak direction for a long way. Another thing about NYC express service that isn't fully addressed is that often many express lines crossing under the river have to rejoin LOCAL service for portions of track crossing over a bridge or in a tunnel under the river. This is a MAJOR chokepoint and really defeats the purpose especially if multiple other lines use the same crossing (for example the Manhattan bridge carries local and Express services for both the Q and N as well as the D and B lines) 2 different sets of express and local services which have completely different trunk lines once they cross into manhattan from brooklyn and vice versa. These choke points need to be expanded for capacity purposes and 3 track sections must be expanded to 4 tracks.

  • @RealConstructor
    @RealConstructor 2 года назад

    In my country there are stations where there are three tracks between platforms in the station and only two tracks outside the station. In those stations the long platform is divided in two, like platform 3a (the front part of the platform) and 3b (the back part of the platform). So they are in line with each other with a two way track switch in between. So on platform 3a a commuter train stops (they stop at every station) and on platform 3b an intercity train stops (they only stop at major stations) right behind the commuter train, but before the track switch. The intercity train departs earlier than the commuter train and uses the switch to go from the third track to the second/middle track and bypass the commuters train. Outside the station the second/middle track merges with the third track. After the intercity train left the station, the commuter train leaves the station on the third track, the one it used to enter the station and stop at the platform. This method is used for stations where there is no room for four tracks in the station, mostly inner city stations. When the commuter train is late (it sometimes happens) and enters the station right after the intercity train, it uses the second/middle track to enter the station and the track switch (between platform 2a and 2b) to go to platform 2a on the the third track. One of these platforms can also be used as terminal station for commuter train and the other part of the platform for an ongoing commuter train. Or for two commuter trains or intercity trains that each split to another direction a little bit further outside the station. The second/middle track is also used at local stations where the intercity doesn’t stop. The intercity uses the second/middle track to go full speed through the station. If there isn’t a middle track and the intercity needs to go over a track next to a platform, the train driver must reduce speed, so no one is sucked on to the tracks.

  • @williamelder6788
    @williamelder6788 2 года назад

    One of the lines on southern California's commuter rail Metrolink network (the San Bernardino Line) uses schedule trickery to operate express service on a right of way that is majority *single* track!

  • @SimonS44
    @SimonS44 2 года назад +1

    The Karlsruhe tram-train system has crazy express and local services and it's quite confusing if you're unfamiliar with the system to understand how those express train work

  • @johndraughon7100
    @johndraughon7100 2 года назад +3

    I sometimes take the Metra in Chicago out to my parent's house in the suburbs. (UP-W Line) There is an express option there that just skips the first ~7 stops and then operates normally. It's not a ton faster but it is sort of nice. After watching this video I wonder how they do that...

    • @RMTransit
      @RMTransit  2 года назад

      It’s really interesting to think about how trains can bypass stations and other trains indeed, more service makes it hard!

  • @airbus7373
    @airbus7373 Год назад

    6:20 depending on how much capacity you need on your system, you don’t even have to have separate platforms at combined stations. It wouldn’t hurt express speed as those trains will already be stopping at the station anyways, and it keeps thing standard across the system. It could also enable easier cross-platform transfers at some stations.

  • @IIAOPSW
    @IIAOPSW Год назад

    The one scheduling trick that you mentioned in Copenhagen, surprise, its also used in New York. Namely Metro North. The trains on the Harlem line come in 3 varieties. The first makes all stops from White Plains to GCT. The next one makes local stops from South East to White Plains, then express to GCT. The last one, I forget the terminal, but its all stops to South East and then express for the remaining 2/3rds. Obviously the departure times are scheduled so that the train skipping stops never gets stuck behind the all stop service for that 3rd of the route.

  • @fabswisss
    @fabswisss 2 года назад

    I think you may make a video on the Swiss timetable. It generaly allows you to change trains in less than 10 minutes when making connections. It would also be interesting to talk about the high level of integration of the different types of public transport (train, bus, boat, tram, cable car, etc). It could be interresting

  • @jpfitzgibbon1
    @jpfitzgibbon1 2 года назад

    At BART, with the Oakland Wye and the Transbay Tube, skip stop express service on the Yellow Line would run into slotting issues at those two constraints. That said, I may try to build something for fun to see if it can be done. We often hear from our riders to build some express trips into the timetable.

  • @rockoutdave411
    @rockoutdave411 2 года назад

    I have this vague memory that maybe you mentioned quad track express corridor design is great for implementing 24 hour service as well. To bypass areas requiring repairs. This definitely is the reality in NYC.
    I enjoyed hopping on thameslink in London and paying the zoned tube fare to get to destinations faster. It is a less frequent service than the tube but worked well enough. Crossrail will have a high enough frequency it will likely feel like waiting for an American metro line or better!

  • @SweatySockGaming
    @SweatySockGaming 2 года назад

    Lol i remember I asked on rmtransit's discord server this and a bunch of people said Toronto needed 4 tracks for express service and were arguing with me, and it always felt like the wrong answer. Finally reese comes and explains why they are wrong. Great video

  • @CoolAsFreya
    @CoolAsFreya 2 года назад

    Can't wait for the triple-track diss video! The Frankston line in Melbourne is triple track for part of its length, double track the rest. This allows peak-hour express services more track length (and therefore time window) to pass the local service. However if the express departs late then the local often has to wait at Moorabbin (where 3 tracks becomes 2) for the express to pass. Also it causes some confusion since the 3 tracks and platforms are used so that 2 are running the peak direction (towards the city in the morning and away in the afternoon) so trains don't always depart from the same platforms.

  • @Fan652w
    @Fan652w 2 года назад

    In just under four hours this superb video has attracted a huge amount of comment from Europeans (like me). It is apparent that there are many examples of what Reece is talking about all over western Europe. Lyon tram route T3 is a clever example of 'overtaking stations', but on a tramway system! Malmo (population about 300,000) to Lund (about 100,000 people and an ancient university) is about 20 kms, and has huge problems with public transport capacity. There are fast trains, skip-stop trains and numerous both fast and stopping bus services! And now the main line railway is being four-tracked. (NB Malmo is only about 30 kms from Copenhagen!)

  • @cbltrains1368
    @cbltrains1368 2 года назад +1

    Darmstadt even has express TRAMS that bypass stops. Line 6 is exactly the same as line 8 but it bypass like 9-10 stops at 60 kmh

  • @SmthPositive_
    @SmthPositive_ 2 года назад +1

    Timing is so essential for running different services on the same 2 tracks that’s why we got so many network wide delays on different services if there’s one problem on a single route thank god we have projects like the rrx who are hopefully are going to counter measure that a little bit

  • @ironlynx9512
    @ironlynx9512 2 года назад

    Another example in line with your Copenhagen example:
    Blauwnet, Zwolle-Enschede, serves twice an hour stopping, once an hour express, in each direction.
    And some of that line is single track.
    At Enschede, the express departs a little before the stopping service, skipping minor stations (Enschede Kennispark, Borne, Almelo De Riet) and then running through Wierden onto the single-track branch line. It stops in Nijverdal and Raalte and gently goes through Heino, before terminating at Zwolle, on a different platform. As it arrives, a stopping service leaves back towards Enschede. Travel time: About 50 minutes, compared to 65 for the stopping.
    In the opposite direction, the train departs halfway between two stopping trains, and skips the same stops, arriving just after the previous stopping service.

  • @andykillsu
    @andykillsu 2 года назад +1

    Chicago Metra rail has some good express routes in peak times and yet they don't have a lot of quad or even double track.

  • @burdizdawurd1516Official
    @burdizdawurd1516Official 2 года назад

    I really enjoy the "regional rail" peak period operations on the MBTA Worcester line. For a hub and spoke model, they figured out how to incorporate express trains on a double track main with some scheduling trickery.
    Every hour throughout the day trains run all stop from Boston to Worcester. During peak periods, these trains skip local drop-off stops after exiting Boston proper and then run local past Framingham. During peak travel, spaced a half hour between trains all the way to Worcester, local trains serve stations up to Framingham and then run past CP 22 and change ends to run back to Boston for reverse commuters and because there's no layover facilities in Framingham. And, because 3 local stations just outside Boston are on the south track, peak period trains are left-hand running out to Framingham which confuses so many passengers that I see trying to cross the tracks before the train leaves.
    Peak trains running Express from Worcester save 6 minutes on their journey because those single side platform stations are served by a shuttle bus off peak. Is it worth it? It probably is, because each train (before the pandemic) was pretty full, and running longer trains won't work because a 12 car train is too long to be platformed completely. Having one train stop at every station during peak periods would take probably 20 minutes longer because of added dwell time for passengers to move to coaches being spotted on the platform and also increased acceleration and braking times.

  • @bobwalsh3751
    @bobwalsh3751 2 года назад +1

    I'm excited for the express bus vid!

  • @urbanfile3861
    @urbanfile3861 2 года назад

    Here in Milan there are not express services on the metro, but there are on the railways.
    There are two levels of service for local transit, Suburban Lines (or S lines) which are kinda shaped like s-bahn sevices in Germany, and Regional Lines (or R lines). The stations which provide S lines service have an 'S' logo to identify suburban services calling at em while the ones which provide regional services have an 'R' logo. If both S lines and R lines call at the station both logos are present, obviously :)
    There are railway axis which got four tracks to provide the different levels of service but unfortunately some are still two tracks only (even if the goal is to build two additional tracks in the future).
    In the past, when Milan used to have many long suburban tramway lines, there were even express tram services. On some very long current tram lines to reintroduce this kind of service could be useful

  • @SimonS44
    @SimonS44 2 года назад

    On the Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn, express services were recently introduced, by splitting 20 minute headway lines to a 30 minute headway local and an hourly or half-hourly express. I'm not really a fan, since the time saved is quite small, but a number of stations have less service than before

  • @Squaretable22
    @Squaretable22 2 года назад

    Probably the best thing about having rail service and it all being tangled together - rather than tube service - in south London is the fact that there are so many express services from major stations such as Wimbledon, Sutton and East Croydon. If you're lucky enough to get an express train to London Bridge, you get access to Thameslink via an easy transfer of down an escalator, walk 20 metres, up another escalator. Its something you just don't get to the same level North of the River.

  • @DanielBrotherston
    @DanielBrotherston 2 года назад +2

    *raises hand*...I'm still watching.

  • @mihalysuba9432
    @mihalysuba9432 2 года назад

    Great work!
    Still would love a video about Budapest's new rail strategy

  • @caleb1016
    @caleb1016 2 года назад

    Melbourne doesn’t have a metro but a pretty ok metropolitan train network. There are express services on almost every line, mostly done by overtakes, tripple tracks (Frankston, Alamein, Lilydale, and belgrave lines), and quad tracks, (Sunbury, Pakenham, Cranbourne, Werribee, Lilydale, and Belgrave lines.). Since the Sandringham, Upfeild, and Craigeburn lines are anywhere between 100 - 130 years old, and the infrastructure is really old where there’s no space to add an additional track, there are no express services on them.

  • @mvcrailphotos
    @mvcrailphotos 2 года назад

    NYC has nearly all of these express methods! SIR express trains depart the terminal just ahead of the locals. J/Z trains still run skip-stop too. I think it's just the concept with local trains diverging for local stations that we don't use.
    Interestingly, I learned recently that CTA in Chicago used to run overtaking express service on two-track lines, with the expresses overtaking on the oncoming track! 🤯

  • @monica012077
    @monica012077 2 года назад

    Actually in NYC our skip stop services were provided by separate trains. The 1 and 9 and the J and Z. The 9 unfortunately got discontinued. The A and B stops are a Philly thing.

    • @RMTransit
      @RMTransit  2 года назад

      Yes, I’m just providing a generalized example

  • @jacekwesoowski1484
    @jacekwesoowski1484 2 года назад

    In Warsaw we don't have busways, but we do have "bus lanes on regular roads" and also express bus lines as in "lines that bypass stops". They work quite well, although part of that is that there's different logic to "fast" and "regular" buses. The former basically take the shortest available route between the major traffic nodes they serve, while the latter tend to take a trip around a neighbourhood in order to collect/deliver passengers from/to near their homes.
    (this pretty much is the only kind of local express service we have)
    I think one thing to consider is what happens to your express service ambitions when you're not rich. In order to get an express metro service, for example, you need to build stations with that service already in mind. When you're on a bugdet, you're probably going to stick with what you need right now, i.e. the basic service, and then it's hard to basically tear down entire stations and rebuild them e.g. to make bypassing possible.

  • @edwardmiessner6502
    @edwardmiessner6502 2 года назад

    In Boston there are no express tracks on the "T" metro system except for an unused rush hour express track on the Orange Line through Charlestown.
    But the Red Line congestion frequently bunches up the trains so occasionally you'll have trains doing impromptu outbound express trips from Park Street or Downtown Crossing or South Station to the nearest major subway stop. These trips are always announced at the last second, such as: "This train will express to Harvard. This train will express to Harvard." Which can be super annoying!

  • @samuelalexandrovich6330
    @samuelalexandrovich6330 2 года назад +1

    in NYC express and local service is a very common thing

  • @hamanakohamaneko7028
    @hamanakohamaneko7028 2 года назад +1

    In Japan we call these "Rapid trains" because express trains need an extra fee, rapid trains don't. Here's a meme I made:
    Nagoya Rapid train: This is my neighbor, Osaka rapid. He is pain in my assholes. I run at 120kph, he runs at 130kph. I run on double tracks, he runs on quadruple tracks. My average speed is over 80kph, he is not. Great success!

  • @rockoutdave411
    @rockoutdave411 2 года назад

    Even though NYC has express subways, they still have transit apartheid where the commuter rail services cost more than subways for the faster service between city stops. (I.e. marble hill to grand central costs a lot more than taking the equivalent, slower subway route)