Please note that this video is very dramatic and could be considered frightening.

There have been many mashups that created something similar in the past but now the subway lines are displayed directly on the map. So far I haven’t been able to find any errors in the lines and/or stations. I am sure my fellow railfans will find any errors this weekend.

The new subway map lines also work on the mobile version of Google Maps. Google notes that they provide transit directions for 436 transit agencies around the world.

While the subway lines on the map are nice, nothing beats the Swiss Rail mashup that shows the trains in real-time and they actually move on the map!

Ewan also reports that the subway layer works in London as well. He calls it a mess and notes how wonderful the Harry Beck London Tube map still is today.

Atlanta MARTA bus passenger Christopher James was one of the passengers on a bus that was asked to pray before exiting the bus. James said the bus driver asked him and three other passengers to join hands in prayer. James said the driver prayed with the group for about four minutes.

WSB TV has more on the story and notes, “A MARTA representative told Channel 2 Action News reporter Tom Jones that the transit agency suspended the bus driver, identified as Leroy Matthews, for five days and told him not to proselytize to passengers. Matthews has been with MARTA for six years.”

Aah, I miss the fun days of taking MARTA to work – it was always a fun adventure! I typically would pray before getting onboard to hope that I get to my destination in one piece and on-time. If you are new to MARTA, check out our Atlanta transit guides.

Some passengers will now need to switch trains but yet still ride on the same line – pretty interesting. Also, the TFL notes that this should help smooth out the line and reduce delays.

Check out all of the changes coming to the Circle Line by 2016 including air-conditioning! The images and videos of the new tube carriages look a lot like the new cars on the Berlin bahn.

As a railfan, I wish I could be in London for the first ride to Hammersmith!

The bus locator service is available via the addition of GPS transmission devices placed on their buses. Currently you need to call NY Waterway to find out when the next bus will arrive although the company says that mobile apps are coming soon. Not sure why you would launch without a way to get the information automatically via your computer or mobile device.

Earlier this year the NYC MTA launched a test of a bus locator service on several crosstown bus routes. Many other cities already have displays with a list of times until the next bus arrives. While I am not a fan of this functionality underground (there is never a long wait), I am a big fan of this technology for the bus fleet. The countdown timers can give you a quick indication if you should walk or take a cab.

Good luck! May the Chambers St. be with you! Now if they put together a Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens or Staten Island quiz – those would be MUCH harder!

I can’t decide if I am a fan of off-peak pricing. While some I spoke with today believe it will increase usage which will make up for the lower price overall, I am not sure that more people will use the system. If you need to use transit, you do. If you don’t, you won’t. A 25 or 50 cent discount is not going ot make people run out and take transit when they have no reason to be going somewhere.

If they increased service on buses and trains on the weekend, then we would have something to talk about.

More on 1010Wins.

From the AFP: Tripathi said initial reports suggested the Mewar Express was at a standstill because a passenger had pulled the emergency chain and the driver of the Goa express had overlooked a signal requesting him to stop.”

“R.D. Vajpayee, chief spokesman for northern railways, said that the company would pay 500,000 rupees (10,800 dollars) to the families of the dead.”

Nearly 18.5 million people ride the trains in the state-run transit system in India. There are 3oo train crashes a year in India.

Only one problem… when the doors closed, his pants were caught in the doors and as the train started to move, he was dragged along the platform with his pants down around his ankles. A passenger pulled the emergency brake which probably saved the man’s life.

From Reuters, “The man — unharmed except for cuts and bruises — now faces charges of dangerous interference in rail transport, insulting the train staff, and may face sizeable a compensation claim for the delays he caused, police said.”

“He was full of remorse when I talked to him,” the spokesman said. “And he advised others not to try the same thing.”

What’s the lesson we learned from this? Don’t moon the transit staff!

“We believe that the racks will be a great amenity, making things more comfortable for our customers and even helping our bus operators speed their trips. We are going to have our managers out monitoring these buses, asking our customers and bus operators if they are seeing an improvement,” said Joseph Smith, Senior Vice President in the Department of Buses. “If the results are positive, we will expand the installation of the racks to other buses on these routes.”

The issues I see with the luggage rack location are:

• security – placing the racks right next to the rear door allows a criminal to easily exit with your bag
• you must drag the bag from the front of the bus to the rear – my guess is many passengers will just continue standing towards the front with their bag

In any case, good for the MTA for testing out a feature that many other cities already offer on their airport-bound buses. I’d rather see larger and wider buses running on the airport routes rather than the low-floor tiny buses.