The CBTC signalling system could be installed across the 27 lines of the metro network in New York in 10-15 years, according to New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) President Andy Byford. This estimate contradicts previous calculations which put the time it would take to resignal the entire network at 40 years. However, in order to achieve this in a short time, the project will require many weekend service shutdowns and billions more dollars for the MTA, Andy Byford said. The total cost of the investment would be between USD 8 billion and USD 15 billion – an amount that would prove a challenge for the MTA.
Only one metro line – the L line – already has the modern “communications-based train control” (CBTC) system, which allows subway trains to run closer together, increasing the number of trains per hour. The rest of the metro system uses a half-century-old “block-signalling system” in which the track is divided into sections that only one train can enter at a time. The MTA has been installing CBTC on the 7 line and hopes to have it up and running this summer – after seven years of work.
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