Out with the old, in with the new! According to Curbed NY, Amtrak is finally swapping out the old-school departure board in Penn Station for LCD video displays.
We don't know why this kind of makes us a little sad... maybe we are bigger old-timey railway nerds than we thought. Must be all that Thomas the Tank Engine we watched as kids.
Nostalgia-be-damned, Amtrak crews started disassembling the 10-foot-high overhead board last week, as the final step of the installation of Amtrak's Passenger Information Display System which began October 2016.
In its place, 40 LCD video displays will be placed throughout the concourse, in hopes of improving traffic flow and making departure times more accessible to passengers with disabilities.
So, what we're gathering is that these new signs will be more convenient, and easier to read, what's the downside?
Well, speaking of nostalgia, the change would put an end to the time-honored commuter tradition of huddling under the board, waiting for the departing train's track number to be announced, then pushing past other passengers in a fight-to-the-death Hunger Games-esque mad dash for a seat?
[anad]
Ah, so many memories.
Okay...maybe we're not that sad. RIP Amtrak Departure Board.