Submitted by James Mancuso, Dec 7, 2007 06:30

Rather than 24 individual railroads within a railroad, why not have the BMT, (Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit),Interborough Rapid Transit, and the IND (Independent) do the competing as if they were the three individual subway companies that they were before the City took them over. Each would be like an operating Region of the late great Pennsylvania Railroad, which was a highly decentralized operation for many years. Each of the 9 operating regions of the Pennsy functioned as a Railroad within a Railroad and had complete responsibility for its operations and their results in addition to reporting to headquarters periodically. Since the Subway system is essentially one big railroad, by having the BMT, IRT and IND divisions compete as well as operate as railroads within a railroad, one might be able to expect better service. 24 individual railroads? That could not possibly work as conceived. But as DIVISIONS within a railroad, that may be another story. The divisions within the railroad within a railroad could compete for the best service, best safety record and the like, just like they do on the Class One line haul railroads. The subway system is far too centralized for other than the three divisional structure. Just operate the three divisions competitively as a railroad within a railroad. On the Pennsy, even the Regions competed with each other on some things.

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