Why Can't SMART Run Six Trains At A Time?
Author: Lloyd Christmas
Date: 05-19-2017 - 10:47
SMART's new schedule put out this week shows they only will only be running four trains. The trains will leave the north end of the line on 1/2 hour headways starting at 4:49am. All four will do two roundtrips. Unfortunately four trains means there will be a 1.5 hour gap in service on the line before the first train of the morning can get back to the north end of the the line and head south. This 1.5 hour gap between trains falls right in the middle of the commute period.
If SMART was running six trains there would be no gap. Six trains are what you need for 1/2 hour headway commute service.
SMART published a draft schedule in November showing six trains in operation. Obviously, something has changed since then such that they can only run four trains.
Does anyone have an explanation?