Reopen News: LIRR revamps app with social distancing, crowded train features

LONG ISLAND (WABC) -- The Long Island Rail Road rolled out a new LIRR TrainTime app, which provides riders with real-time information on train capacity to aid with social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.[br /][br /]LIRR President Phil Eng and Chief Innovation Officer Will Fischer demonstrated the app's features at Jamaica LIRR Station Tuesday.[br /][Ads /][br /]Eng and Fisher say the app provides real-time information so riders can adhere to social distancing rules and feel more comfortable while commuting.[br /][br /]Riders waiting at train stations can get real-time information on which train cars are full and which ones are less crowded, with the app leading the rider towards the less crowded car.[br /][br /][b]A color coded system provides details on capacity:[/b][br /]--]Green for cars with 0-35-percent of seats taken[br /]--Yellow for 35-50-percent of seats taken[br /]--Orange for 50-85-percent of seats taken[br /]--Red for cars with 85-percent or more of seats taken[br /][br /]The app also provides a detailed history of crowding on that train, so commuters can decide to take an earlier or later train to avoid overcrowding.[br /][br /]It can be used for any train in the electric fleet, which represents more than 90% of all LIRR train cars.[br /][br /]It is the first time that a railroad in North America has offered such a feature, which will prove especially helpful to customers navigating their return to LIRR in the wake of COVID-19. The app is translated to both Chinese and Spanish.[br /][br /]Customers that already have TrainTime installed, approximately 70,000 riders, will receive an automatic update so that they can use the new features. The revamped app is also available through the App Store and Google Play Store for immediate download and use.[br /][br /]An additional feature on the app provides customers with the ability to track the real-time location of their train in much the same way someone taking an Uber ride. Customers can easily share this location information with friends or family to help arrange pickups and arrival times.[br /][Ads /][br /]The app also provides customers with push notifications for track assignments at Penn Station, Atlantic Terminal, and Jamaica Station allowing riders to spread out throughout the station complexes rather than standing in immediate proximity to departure boards.[br /][br /]"The new app updates are incredibly intuitive and focused on the needs of our customers during these challenging times," Eng said. "This once-in-a-lifetime pandemic has changed the ways we live, work, and commute. It's our responsibility as a railroad to rise to this occasion and this app is evidence of how we're thinking outside-the-box to do just that."[br /][br /][url HREF="https://abc7ny.com/coronavirus/" TARGET="_blank" REL=""][h3]MORE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 COVERAGE[/h3][/url][br /][br /][b]abc7NY Phase Tracker: [/b][br /][iframe SRC="https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/2591289/embed" HEIGHTSMALL="300" HEIGHTMEDIUM="540" HEIGHTLARGE="720" /][br /][url HREF="https://abc7ny.com/feature/health/covid-19-help-information-and-resources/6118594/" TARGET="" REL=""][b]COVID-19 Help, Information. 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