The New York City Subway system has been implementing the upgrade of motormen controls with the special NuShield screen protector films to help reduce glare and provide protection against vandalism. Over the past two years subway cars have been outfitted with a special thicker NuShield film that still provides touch control, but also protects the display from damage from hits with objects other than fingers.
As you know, in large cities you’ll find mass transportation systems that move millions of people either underground, above ground or both. Motormen control car movement using electronic touch screen instrument displays. Gone are the days of hand controls and manual brakes.
The New York City subway system is one of the oldest, over 100 years old, and largest public transportation systems in the world, based on the number of stations. On a given weekday it transports over 5.7 million riders to their destination, and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Although most of the trains travel underground, there are several routes that are both underground and then exit to an elevated route to the outside boroughs. A good example is the number seven train that starts out underground in Manhattan and surfaces in Queens for the rest of the trip. Above ground the glare coming in through the window can distract the motorman and wash out the display.
Instead of the regular anti-glare films, NuShield is providing a thicker non-adhesive film that has tape around the edge that adheres to the display under the metal casing. This also makes it easy to remove if repair is needed and reused when the unit is reinstalled.
In total, NuShield is equipping over 2,000 subway cars as part of a long-term project to keep these cars safe. So next time you are in NYC and ride the subway, you might be on a train that is equipped with a NuShield screen protector.