[comp.dcom.telecom] N.Y. Metro North Commuter Railroad

Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) <cmoore@brl.mil> (06/05/91)

The New York MetroNorth commuter railroad has lines which run from
Manhattan (New York City) into the northern suburbs.

The New York MetroNorth commuter railroad has a toll-free number which
accepts input consisting of the first four letters of your
destination!  I ended up using that system on Sunday, May 5 of this
year.  I had originally planned to go from Tarrytown to Grand Central
Station, so I called 800-METRO-INFO (800-638-7646) and when asked for
the station I was going from, I punched in TARR (8277).  But then I
planned to check into a hotel in Chappaqua, and on my way up the Saw
Mill River Parkway enroute there, I saw a station I'd seen before, at
Chappaqua, so I was able to call 800-METRO-INFO again and this time
punch in CHAP (2427) and then go on the train from there.

Note: PORT (7678) requires further prompted input to distinguish
between Port Jervis and Port Chester.

Also, the toll-free number worked from Maryland when I was making the
original plan to go from Tarrytown.

pierpont@crboss.enet.dec.com (Howard Pierpont) (06/07/91)

In TELECOM Digest Volume 11 : Issue 430 Carl Moore <cmoore@brl.mil>
wrote: 
 
> The New York MetroNorth commuter railroad has lines which run from
> Manhattan (New York City) into the northern suburbs.
  
I have used this system am I am VERY impressed. The functionality that
it provides is amazing. The number of easy selections that you can
make are almost unbelievable.

Does anyone know who designed this system? I would like to nominate it
for a "Best in Class" award.


Howard Pierpont       Standard disclaimers apply
Digital Equipment Corp
77 Reed Road				49 Carter St
Hudson, MA 01749			Danielson, CT 06239-3500
508.568.6165				203.779.2570

Scott Horne <horne-scott@cs.yale.edu> (06/14/91)

In article <telecom11.430.7@eecs.nwu.edu>, is written:

> The New York MetroNorth commuter railroad has a toll-free number which
> accepts input consisting of the first four letters of your
> destination!

I don't like it.  Some sort of menu might be better.  (Then again,
there are twenty-seven stops between New Haven, CT, and Grand Central
Station, inclusive ...)  I once had some trouble getting information
on trains from New Haven to Grand Central: the input `NEWH' (6394) was
invalid.  It turned out that `UNIO' (8646), for Union Station in New
Haven, was expected.


Scott Horne                               ...!{harvard,cmcl2,decvax}!yale!horne
horne@cs.Yale.edu      SnailMail:  Box 7196 Yale Station, New Haven, CT   06520
203 624-9263               Summer residence:  25 High St, Apt 32, New Haven, CT