MTA New York City Transit (NYC Transit) in the US has increased speed limits at 24 subway locations under its ongoing Save Safe Seconds campaign.
The speed restrictions were relaxed following the approval of a safety committee, which authorised the increase of speed limits at 68 locations.
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Under the Save Safe Seconds campaign, the public transport agency aims to reduce travel time for subway passengers.
The process involves changing speed limits and improving platform management.
Last year, the SPEED Unit was formed to identify areas of the subway system where trains can travel faster without compromising passenger safety.
The unit conducted tests across the subway system to assess the robustness of specific track sections to withstand higher speeds.
Additionally, the SPEED Unit is responsible for testing the accuracy of speed-regulating signals, known as grade time signals.
The team has identified faults in 320 timer signals among the nearly 2,000 tested, of which NYC Transit has already recalibrated 59.
NYC Transit president Andy Byford said: “I have directed my team to identify and resolve every root cause of delay. In doing so, we can then implement the right fix, often for little or no cost.
“The SPEED Unit continues to examine hundreds of miles of track to find areas where we can safely increase speeds.”
The safety committee reviewing speed limits comprises members of NYC Transit’s Office of System Safety, as well as personnel from operations planning, service delivery, and track and signal maintenance.
