A Rare Glimpse of the Ancient Infrastructure That Controls NYC’s Subway

New York City ’s underpass system is a wonder of engineering — but lamentably , that technology is so former that it ’s not even manufactured anymore , do vast problems for the people who work it andanyone attempt to use it . That mean the MTA has built a whole shop up around seek to assert its aging engineering , and now they ’re hand us a looking at at this undercover industry .

The MTA is currently trying to update its 100 - year - old system with something called Communications - Based Train Control , which would pull it out of its current , quite dated process of controlling trains . To demonstrate just how bad it is , a video takes us deep into the system as they support now . At the West 4th street tower , we see all the original electromechanical equipment that ’s used to control the organization — including mechanical levers , a promiscuous - up control board , and ton of cloth cabling .

Wonder why there are so many signaling problems on your train line , which according to WNYC causeup to a third of the delays ? As Wynton Habersham , the VP and Chief Officer of Service Delivery , explains , the equipment used at the West fourth street tower — where operators route railroad train — is no longer even made by the industry . “ We are fully ego - sufficient and ego - sustaining ; we have a signal shop that can substitute the part and rebuild these relay , ” he says . “ And when any modernization goes on , we ensure we scavenge to keep back the parts so we can provide replacements for those that remain in Robert William Service . ”

And how about fervor ? It twist out that the cabling here is all original , cloth - treat cable length . “ It work , but it ’s an antediluvian manner to run a underground , “ Habersham conclude . Check out the telecasting below for more about the modernization labor above .

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