Amtrak

New Digital Status Board at 30th Street Station Being Tested, May Be Up Thursday

Amtrak's new digital display board could be up and running as early as Thursday morning.

The replacement for 30th Street Station's clickety-clack sign is almost ready.

Amtrak has installed a digital “Passenger Information Display System” to replace the previous split-flap arrivals and departures board.

After failed testing Tuesday night, Amtrak decided that the sign needed additional tweaks that will be performed Wednesday night.

If that testing is successful, the new display board could be up and running Thursday morning.

The previous flip board was famous for creating a “clickety clack” noise when new arrivals and departures shuffled across the board. It had been a symbol of the station since the early 1970s.

Amtrak took down the board because it was working off of Windows 95 software and didn't meet disability standards set by the ADA.

Its removal in late January made some passengers nostalgic, missing the familiar sound that they had heard for decades.

The new status board will work more efficiently and improve the overall customer experience, according to Amtrak’s vice president for stations, facilities, properties and accessibility, David Handera.

But all hope of seeing the old board again isn’t lost.

Fans of the old board may still have an opportunity to see the relic on display as a historical artifact after renovations to station are complete, said Amtrak.

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