Yard Distribution

Looking at the track connections between yards and mainlines, I've noticed that with the exception of the Canarsie, Fresh Pond, Lenox, and Rockaway Park yards, every yard has at a redundant connection to revenue tracks. I reckon yards play a more important role than many people realize, and that they're built with redundancy to get trains in and out fast as well as to protect against any single track failure. An inability to get trains out of the yard would be disastrous right before the start of AM rush hour as many of the yards serve multiple route or even lines.

Given the importance of yards, would it serve a subway system better to distribute smaller yards along more parts of the lines? For example, the full-length 2 Avenue line is planned to have 4 storage areas for trains along its length; one of them straddles the revenue tracks at East 14 Street, and the others are extensions of terminal tracks or stub tracks. Especially for lines with no redundancy, it would be advantageous to be able to pull a train into service in the middle of a line to fill in for service interruptions or to dump a train to ease bunching.

Optimally, such yards would be strategically placed near terminals, stations that regularly short-turn trains, and stations on the borders of the central business districts. The 137 Street yard on the is a good example as is City Hall's lower level. In Washington D.C., there's the Brentwood Yard.


This is all without considering the cost of real estate of course.