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The New York City subway system recently began testing GPS technology to track trains. The goal is to ensure that riders arrive at their destinations on a more prompt and regular schedule.

At the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Committee meeting in January, the MTA unveiled that a new tracking system would be used on the 7 line and having some rather positive results. According to Allen Stern of Center Networks, the MTA has been testing out the system since November and found that tracking the line is helping supervisors ensure trains stick to a more regimented schedule.

The technology helps to keep a watchful eye on when trains arrive and leave each station, as well as the distance between one train and another. With GPS systems in place, dispatchers can help to prevent an overlap of trains in one area while neglecting riders in other parts of the city.

In recent years, residents of New York City have been in an uproar over a host of problems with train inefficiencies. Stern went on to explain that many of the subway lines were known for running sluggishly or leaving riders waiting on platforms for much longer than they had in prior years.

The 7 line, which runs from Times Square to Main Street in Flushing, Queens, was chosen for the test New York GPS tracking program because it’s one of the most widely used train lines throughout the entire New York City subway system. The committee may opt to use similar New York GPS tracking technology on many of the other train lines after finding these positive results.

Article Written by Greg Minton