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Fifty-six percent of signal equipment is more than 50 years old. Increasingly, this older equipment is breaking down and causing signal issues that trigger nearly one-third of major incidents. To reduce the rate at which signal equipment breaks down, we are creating dedicated teams to execute an expedited repair program that will fix 1,300 of the most problematic signals.

Over the last 12 months, power-related issues have caused tens of thousands of delays. The New York State Public Service Commission will announce a plan this week to improve the power signals throughout the system.

Water on the tracks erodes the infrastructure over time and is a root cause of track-related incidents that cause delays. We’re launching an emergency Water Management Initiative in which teams will seal leaks with chemical grouting, clean 40,000 street grates to ensure proper water diversion and eliminate debris clogging drains.

To accelerate the repair of potential track issues across the entire underground system, we’re dispatching 31 specialized teams to target locations with the highest rate of incidents. We’re also cleaning the entire underground subway system to remove debris and reduce fire hazards.

Rail joints on our aging tracks cause most rail breakdowns and lead to increased wear and tear on trains. To reduce the number of breakdowns and provide a smoother ride, we are tripling the installation rate of a continuous welded rail and increasing track welding capacity by 30 percent. In addition, 50,000 new friction pads being installed will increase resiliency of the rail and reduce incidents impacting service.