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Singer in subway, NYC, by zeyez

关于公交劳资纠纷。

12月30日，还是没有关于谈判进展的报道。倒是有MTA展示地铁新车的报道。

NYC Transit showed off its new R160 subway car at the Hoyt-Schermerhorn station in Brooklyn. The car has an electronic route sign, above, and a video screen that can also be used for advertising.

- Subway of the future, Metro, Nov 30, 2005

以上描述的是乘客进车厢后能够看到的主要不同。在我这个中国人看来，车厢某处可以显示所到达站点，似乎不是什么难事吧（估计，新车也该用可控制的标准英语录音报站了吧，虽然这连“科技”两个字也让人联想不起来）。那个屏幕，在有关MTA财政情况的报道里，从没见把这个新增加的独家广告媒体的收入计算进去。

The sign will scroll through station names as the train travels along its route. If the car switches lines, the map can change. “You’ll no longer see a C map in a car on the A line,” Follins said. “Basically it gives passengers the ability to know they’re on the right train at any given time, and it also gives the transit authority an opportunity to run any train out of any yard.”

- Subway of the future, Metro, Nov 30, 2005

这是不是说，以前（现在），显示为X车的列车，如果想救急改作Y车行驶，因为必须人工地去把每一节车厢的标志改过来，所以是不可行的？有了新车，哪条线缺车（误点），就近的车场就可以发车，不必顾忌车上的标志，因为它会自动对应线路改变。不过，轨道列车怎么会缺车（误点）呢？至少，缺车（误点）为什么会成为一种轨道公共交通工具必须经常面对的问题呢？我知道，几年前上海地铁误点的原因是因为列车不足，100年历史的纽约地铁也列车数量不足？MTA从没叹过这样的苦经嘛。

你几乎随时可以在纽约的地下知道外面是不是下雨。这倒不是说你在地下还会挨雨淋，你完全可以躲开；但雨可以引起电路故障，短路，燃烧，然后让某一路列车中断运行。听起来像在说上海待拆迁的棚户区。确实很像，夏天，地下站台上的金属扶手是烫的。

在这样的地下设施里，即将运行开到哪里都能自动显示车号、也能自动让调度知道自己确切位置的列车。

The $952 million contract for 660 R160 cars was originally awarded in 2002. After some initial problems with the order, NYC Transit has been testing a prototype since July. The model should be moving passengers by late next year.

- Subway of the future, Metro, Nov 30, 2005

没说改造除车辆之外其他设施的计划和资金。但是，当然要改造的咯，我这样的都想到了嘛，不必先说的。

其实，真正高科技的是，R160可以不用人来开。

Like the other new technology trains, the R160 can be run with the computer technology called Communication- Based Train Control [“CBTC"] …

The cab of the R160 has cabinets labeled “CBTC,” but for now those cabinets are empty. “We will not currently have CBTC on the train, but it is ready,” said Follins. “Eventually you will be able to put in the equipment.”

- Subway of the future, Metro, Nov 30, 2005

CBTC暂时不装，那么驾驶员就暂时不撤。但是MTA要撤列车员。