By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media

It's been a infuriating month for PATH riders, who have had to deal with even longer delays than usual and overcrowded platforms.

However, oficials say that they have implemented a software and hardware fix that should help ease the pain starting Monday.

The two fixes should solve the issue that has caused epic delays, said Michael Marino, PATH general manager. If successful, riders could notice a difference on Monday morning's commute, he said.

Riders might be tempted to roll their eyes, but the testing of Positive Train Control equipment on the tracks and trains is part of the reason for the delay spike, officials said. An outpouring of rider frustration on social media about commuting conditions was so great, even the NYC-centric Gothamist website noticed.

@GovMurphy and @StevenFulop, I just moved here to JC and this is now a daily occurrence on the @PATHTrain. Are there any public open forums or consultation sessions for feedback? Please help fix the situation! pic.twitter.com/S931jJoDWt — Nick Dagostino (@nick_dagostino) June 5, 2018

Delays increased because the trains had to stop so operators could manually switch between existing signals and PTC signals, Marino said.

PTC is a safety system the federal government mandated all railroads install by a Dec. 31, 2018, deadline. It uses computers and radios to stop a train if the operator doesn’t obey speed limits or signals.

The delays this month came on top of the usual ones caused by routine problems. Here's what happened that made for a frustrating experience for riders.

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(Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Old+new signals=delays

This month's problems occurred when pieces of the Positive Train Control system, similar to equipment in the photo, were put into operation on the Newark to World Trade Center Line, Marino said. In April, the PTC system was turned on between Newark and Kearny and in mid-May, between Kearny and west of Journal Square in Jersey City, without incident, he said.

Problems surfaced after PTC was turned on between the entire Journal Square complex and west of Grove Street station, Marino said.



Each World Trade Center bound train had to stop before entering Grove Street station so the operator could manually switch to the old signal system, before continuing, Marino said. That 40-second operation snowballed into longer delays because other trains stacked up, waiting between Journal Square and Grove Street, he said.

That led to what riders called dangerous crowding on platforms and overcrowded trains as delays cascaded.

“We’ll see if there are problems this weekend when we turn it on and run test trains,” Marino said.

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Time for a patch

Engineers are using a hardware patch and a software update in the trains, so new and old signal systems will switch automatically, Marino said. The hardware patch was installed Wednesday night and 228 trains with cab controls were being reprogrammed with completion expected by the end of Friday, Marino said.

“On Monday we should see the impact, delays will be eliminated and it will do the automatic transfer…by computer,” Marino said.

@PATHTrain this is the service I pay a monthly pass for. Every pm commute NWK bound on WTC. PTC delays or not. Conductor just had to force the doors closed to hold back a growing crowd at JSQ. #ExposePATH @fox5ny @nypost @CBSNewYork @CommutingLarry pic.twitter.com/jyjjzlacdp — Christopher De Gaeta (@cdegaeta) June 13, 2018

The hardware patch has already made a difference and steadily reduced some delays since Wednesday, he said. Delays would have been worse if the old signal system was in use between Newark and Grove Street, he said.

PATH, similar to other railroads, has to have PTC certified and running by Dec. 31.

“Our goal is to be the first trans-Hudson railroad to be made PTC compliant,” Marino said. “I think we’re ahead of everyone else.”

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Future delays or lessons learned?

The next major PTC test happens when the 33rd Street line is shut down on weekends from July 14 to October 29, closing all New York stations on that line, except on Labor Day weekend. During that time, PTC infrastructure will be tested by by running empty trains on that line, Marino said.

Testing the 33rd Street line on back-to-back weekends should avoid the problems PATH encountered on the Newark to World Trade center line, which was tested over non-consecutive weekends.

“It’s a full run of testing,” he said. “On the Newark to WTC we did it piecemeal.”

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What about the other causes of delays?

Other delays since April have been blamed on track conditions, car equipment problems, police activity, (other) signals and radio problems.

And this is just another excuse to put on the path wheel of misfortune. Time for excuses to end and action to take place. The signal system has been being upgraded for 9 years. #enough pic.twitter.com/7NIpIsSQb2 — John Brown (@john4brown) June 5, 2018

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Car equipment probelm

The wear is showing on PATH’s fleet of PA-5 rail cars that are eight years old and have run up hundreds of thousands of miles. Car equipment problems range from any mechanical issue that could take a car out-of-service for repair, from doors, air conditioning that doesn’t work, to wheels that have flat spots to computer problems.

Starting in July, PATH will start a three-year program to overhaul cars at the Kawasaki plant in Yonkers N.Y., where they’ll receive new components and return in like-new condition, Marino said. That program will take three years. PATH also has 50 new rail cars ordered, he said.

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Signal failure

The existing signal system is 50-years-old and Marino admits it has its problems. That signal system will be replaced with signals for PTC and Computer based Train Control systems.

The daily “signal” related delay tweet, unfortunately the norm for @PATHTrain . This and the resulting platform overcrowding is unacceptable and downright dangerous for commuters. Are you at all concerned about customer service and safety?!? @GovMurphy @StevenFulop @PathFail — jay (@Cosmic_Me) June 5, 2018

Once Federal Railroad Administration inspectors certify that PTC is ready for operation, the old signal system will be removed and replaced with CBTC, he said.

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Track conditions

Like a big bad pothole on a highway, broken rails, caused by age or poor water drainage in the roadbed that supports tracks, cause delays Marino said. Alerts have been added to tell riders when a delay is due to regular track maintenance is being done.

“We had three broken rails this spring,” Marino said, adding others were found and repaired before they broke and disrupted service.

The only work done during rush hours is emergency work, he said.

Currently waiting on the SIXTH @PATHTrain. Let us pray that I can get on this one.



Why aren’t you sending an empty train?! I’m THIS close to falling on the tracks. pic.twitter.com/stZXWlQoTm — 🤙🏽 𝔞𝔩𝔢𝔵𝔦𝔰 𝔟𝔢𝔩𝔬𝔫 (@alexisbelon) June 5, 2018

Rails in the tunnels between Exchange Place and World Trade Center that were submerged in salty flood waters from Hurricane Sandy are scheduled to be replaced, he said.

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Too many people

Besides PTC and other delays, a bigger looming issue is an influx of riders coming from new developments in Harrison, Jersey City and Hoboken, which is also causing crowded station platforms and trains.

The Hudson and Manhattan Railroad built the transit system that became PATH for a capacity of 250,000 in 1908. Ridership hit a peak of 310,000 people on Monday June 11, Marino said.

“The stations are 90-years old, we’re trying to figure out what is best and cost effective,” he said.

Running longer nine-car trains instead of eight cars is being studied, which could mitigate some crowding, Marino said. Once Computer Based Train Control signal systems are in operation, trains can be run closer together, meaning a few more trains can be run on each line, he said.

Although it won’t totally solve the problem, Marino said.

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Developers

Read a real estate ad for new residential buildings in Hudson County and the proximity to PATH may be used as selling point, depending on the city. But it's also creating problems for PATH and officials have met with developers about financing improvements to deal with overcrowding

PATH officials have been working with residential developers about contributing to expand the system to accommodate new riders, but those talks haven’t been successful.

“We have tried, but it has not been received well by developers or planning commissions,” Marino said. “We do believe developers should be taking some of the load from the Port Authority.”

Despite that, PATH has a team “engaged in conversations with Jersey City and developers to talk about ways to improve operations and the financial balance,” said Scott Ladd, a Port Authority spokesman.

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(Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Read More:

$300 million shopping spree for PATH includes new cars.

PATH's new rail cars introduced in Journal Square.

PATH wins federal grant to get flooding salt out of tunnels.

Overdevelopment straining PATH.

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Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.