All aboard for a smooth sailing on the tracks! The Q train was crowned the most relaxing train ride in NYC, according to a surprising source.
A new report from CPAP.com, a major retailer of sleep apnea equipment, shows the Q train as the most relaxing train ride in the Big Apple.
Using available data, CPAP.com researchers analyzed 23 train routes in NYC to uncover the best lines, looking at various metrics including air conditioning on trains and stations, number of stations, amount of on-train seating, operating hours, on-time service operation, lines with the highest annual ridership, customer satisfaction, bathrooms at the station, cleanliness, elevator accessibility and other creature comforts.
Although straphangers can get a $50 fine if they lay down or place their feet on the seat of a train — also known as seat obstruction — the Q lends itself to being “sleep friendly,” per the CPAP report.
“Though New York is aptly named the city that never sleeps, many commuters and travelers may find themselves nodding off while getting from point A to point B,” a CPAP.com spokesperson said. “When conducting our study, we found the Q train, servicing New Yorkers from South Harlem to Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach, has cemented itself as the most sleep-friendly NYC subway line.”
According to the report, passengers on the Q train enjoy air conditioning, a 96.1% on-time operation, and 60 seats per car, slightly more than the average of 42, depending on car model.
The runners up
Other public transit lines did pretty well in the analysis, too. The shuttles (42nd Street, Franklin Avenue and Rockaway Park) and the 1 train cracked the top three lines just below the Q.
Though the shuttle trains only service 11 stations across the city that never sleeps, it ranked as the second most relaxing subway line in the report.
Sliding into third place is the 1 train, which services 38 stations. Although the train only has a 44-seat capacity in each car, it has air conditioning and bathroom access at several stations. According to the report, some stations on the 1 train even have air conditioning.
The city’s G train came in at the very end of the list for its lack of features. Although all the trains have air conditioning, none of stations have air conditioning or bathroom access.
But in brighter news for the G, the report shows that this Brooklyn-Queens commute has an on-time operation of nearly 100%, the best of all the lines that were analyzed.
CPAP.com also used existing data to analyze 65 metro stations worldwide to determine which was the most relaxing. NYC trains came in at 14th place, while Australia’s Sydney Metro came out on top.
