Signaling of the New York City Subway
 CBTC: Communications-Based Train Control on YouTube (MTA) |
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Modernization of the L metro line in New York City on YouTube (Siemens) |
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) operates the New York City Subway, which is mostly manually operated. The subway system currently uses Automatic Block Signaling with fixed wayside signals and automatic train stops. Many portions of the signaling system were installed between the 1930s and 1960s. Because of the age of the subway system, some replacement parts must be custom built for the MTA, as they are otherwise unavailable from signaling suppliers. Additionally, some subway services have reached their train capacity limits and cannot operate extra trains with the current Automatic Block Signaling system.
There are two different schemes of signaling in the system. The most used scheme is found on all of the B Division and most of the A Division. An older system that was used on all of the A Division is still in use on the IRT Dyre Avenue Line, but this final section is being converted to the B Division scheme.
The MTA has plans to upgrade much of New York City Subway system with communications-based train control (CBTC) technology, which will control the speed and starting and stopping of subway trains. The CBTC system is mostly automated and uses a moving block system – which reduces headways between trains, increases train frequencies and capacities, and relays the trains' positions to a control room – rather than a fixed block system. This will require new to be built for the subway system, as only newer trains can use CBTC systems.
The New York City Subway system has, for the most part, used block signalling since its 1904 opening. As of May 2014[update], the system consists of about 14,850 signal blocks, 3,538 mainline switches, 183 major track junctions, 10,104 automatic train stops, and 339,191 signal relays. Trains used to be controlled by signal towers at interlockings, but this was eventually phased out in favor of master towers. Eventually, these master towers were replaced by a single rail control center: the New York City Transit Power Control Center in Midtown Manhattan.
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