If you’ve hopped on the NYC subways recently, you’ve likely encountered your fair share of delays, underground halts and general stress over cancelled and rerouted trains. Unfortunately, it now seems to be par for course to go into your morning commute expecting trains so packed you have to wait until the next one.
Now, one of the trains most notorious for less-than-stellar service, the G train, also known as the “ghost train,” has teleported itself to — gasp — a top-ranking spot on the list of most reliable subway lines, based on new MTA data. Considering it’s one of the most despised trains in the Big Apple, that’s no small feat.
Ah Hoyt-Schmerhorn, that unmistakable scent of BO, urine, garbage, desperation, and just a hint of orange. #gtrain
— Mr. Sterling (@soundofsterling) May 30, 2017
My actual train this morning: #GTrain pic.twitter.com/F5Kz1cmxgg
— Corrie Hulse (@corrie_hulse) May 25, 2017
Apt hunting in #Greenpoint today. The #Gtrain is shut down, so this bar in front of the shuttle bus stop says: pic.twitter.com/VE09oQdotm
— Tzena Nicole (@TzenaNicole) May 14, 2017
The conductor got out of the train and went to make sure they didn’t run anyone over #GTrain #MTA happy friday pic.twitter.com/BavZa4AlbB
— Daniel, Son of Jim. (@CalitTheCoolest) May 12, 2017
Is that a diaper under my seat? Can’t tell if stepping in piss ?#mta #gtrain #nycsubway
— MJ (@wasabipunk) February 15, 2017
The MTA looked at data for on-time performance through March of 2017 and found that hardly any of the subway lines in the multiborough system run on-time. Surprisingly, though, they found that almost 76 percent of trains on the G line ran on time (75 percent is the MTA standard for “on-time” service).
Better for the MTA but worse for soon-to-be stranded Brooklynites: The L train boasted 92 percent of trains showing up on time this year, as it approaches an imminent shutdown. The three shuttle lines (Times Square, Franklin Avenue and Rockaway) all ran at over 90 percent on time as well. The worst trains of them all were the 2 line, the 4 line and the 5 line (which probably could have been guessed, for the latter two, by anybody who stands at the 86th and Lex platform during rush hour). The top three offenders only ran on time between 30 and 33 percent of the time.
Everything else? Not so encouraging. Only 63 percent of trains arrived on time this year. Guess it’s either time to move to a stop along the G line or grab a really, really good (and lengthy) book for the morning grind. Though maybe walking to work would be more efficient.
