N (New York City Subway service)
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| Image:NYCS-bull-trans-N.svg | Broadway Express |
Image:NYCS map N.svg
dashed line shows late night service
The N Broadway Express is a service of the New York City Subway. It is colored yellow on the route sign (either on the front and/or side - depending on equipment used) and on station signs and the NYC Subway map, as it represents a service provided on the BMT Broadway Line through Manhattan.
The N operates from Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria, Queens, to Stillwell Avenue in Coney Island, Brooklyn. At all times except late nights, the N uses the Manhattan Bridge to travel between Manhattan and Brooklyn. During late nights, the N travels through Lower Manhattan and the Montague Street Tunnel, replacing the R service.
In Queens, the N operates as a local service at all times. In Manhattan, it operates as an express between 34th Street and Canal Street at all times except late nights and weekends. In Brooklyn, it operates as an express between DeKalb Avenue and 59th Street at all times except late nights.
The N fleet consists mostly of R160Bs, but does use R40s, R40Ms, R68s, R68As, and R160As as well.
The following lines are used by the N service:
| Line | Tracks | When |
|---|---|---|
| BMT Astoria Line (full line) | local | always |
| BMT Broadway Line north of 34th Street | local | always |
| BMT Broadway Line from 34th Street to Canal Street | express (local late nights and weekends) | always |
| BMT Broadway Line south of Prince Street | local | late nights only |
| Manhattan Bridge (full line) | N/A | all but late nights |
| BMT Fourth Avenue Line north of Pacific Street | N/A | late nights only |
| BMT Fourth Avenue Line from Pacific Street to 59th Street | express (local late nights) | always |
| BMT Sea Beach Line (full line) | local | always |
Contents |
[edit] Service history
Image:R68a N leaving QBP.jpeg
An R68A N train leaving the Queensboro Plaza station
Image:N train.jpg
Coney Island-bound N train of R160Bs at Fort Hamilton Parkway
The route that is now the N was originally BMT service 4, known as the Sea Beach Line or Sea Beach Express.
- On June 22, 1915, the current BMT Sea Beach Line opened, replacing a street level "el" that branched off of the Fifth Avenue El with the former BMT West End Line. Originally, it used the south tracks of the Manhattan Bridge, which at that time connected to the BMT Nassau Street Line.
- Beginning September 14, 1917, trains ran from 14th Street-Union Square to Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue, using the BMT Broadway Line and the newly opened northern tracks of the Manhattan Bridge to enter Brooklyn.
- On January 15, 1918, service was extended to Times Square-42nd Street.
- On May 2, 1957, service was extended north via the express tracks to 57th Street. When the BMT Southern Division routes were given letters in 1960, the 4 became the N, with a single letter because it ran express; it was given the color yellow (which it kept in the 1979 revisions).
- The light blue NX designation was used for a short-lived "super-express" service along the express tracks of the Sea Beach Line, beginning several stations east of Coney Island at Brighton Beach, and also ending at 57th Street. This service was only provided from November 27, 1967[1] to April 12, 1968 due to low ridership. Starting on Monday, April 15, 1968, the five NX trips instead ran as N trips.[2]
- On August 27, 1976, N service was extended north over the BMT 60th Street Tunnel Connection to 71st–Continental Avenue—Forest Hills, to replace the discontinued EE. Some local N trains went from Whitehall Street–South Ferry in Lower Manhattan to 71st Avenue, which had been the E route; others stayed with the Manhattan Bridge route and were simply extended to 71st Avenue.
- On April 26, 1986, the north tracks on the Manhattan Bridge were closed for rehabilitation, and services that had used the north tracks were moved to the south side. This caused N trains to be sent via Lower Manhattan and the Montague Street Tunnel, running fully local, though evening, night and weekend trains continued to use the bridge and express tracks, terminating at 57th Street.
- In May 1987, the N swapped northern terminals with the R. The N was switched to Ditmars Boulevard–Astoria, while the R went to 71st Avenue. This was done to give the R direct access to Jamaica Yard; previously, the R did not have direct access to either Jamaica Yard or Coney Island Yard, while the N had had direct access to both.
- In fall 1990, full service on Manhattan Bridge was briefly restored. Express service ran all times except nights (all service stopped at 49th Street due to heavy usage). This very short service was halted by the discovery of a cracked beam on the bridge.
- In 1994, the N switched back to express in Brooklyn only, from Atlantic Avenue–Pacific Street to 59th Street.
- From 1993 to 1995, the southern terminal of the N was 86th Street due to rehabilitation work at Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue. On November 3, 2001, it was cut back again for the final phase of the terminal's reconstruction project.
- From April to November 1995, the north side of the Manhattan Bridge was closed during midday and weekends. To allow B trains to lay up on the express tracks at Pacific Street, midday N express service in Brooklyn was discontinued.
- After the September 11, 2001 attacks, N service was suspended and replaced by the W in Manhattan and Queens and the M in Brooklyn. On October 28, service was restored, but Cortlandt Street remained closed until September 15, 2002.
- On September 8, 2002, the N service became a shuttle to Pacific Street on nights and weekends, running express on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line, as the W was extended since it was the only line serving Stillwell Avenue.
- On February 22, 2004, the Manhattan Bridge work was finally completed. Since then, the N has been restored to the bridge (via Fourth Avenue express and DeKalb Avenue bypass). On weekdays it runs express between 34th Street in Manhattan and 59th Street in Brooklyn, and local elsewhere. Weekends, it is still an express in Brooklyn, but it runs as a local in Manhattan. During late nights, it runs local along its entire length, via the Montague Street Tunnel.
[edit] Stations
For a more detailed station listing, see the articles on the lines listed above.
| Station service legend | |
|---|---|
| Image:NYCS-SSI-alltimes.svg | Stops all times |
| Image:NYCS-SSI-allexceptnights.svg | Stops all times except late nights |
| Image:NYCS-SSI-nightsonly.svg | Stops late nights only |
| Image:NYCS-SSI-nightsweekends.svg | Stops late nights and weekends only |
| Image:NYCS-SSI-weekdaysonly.svg | Stops weekdays only |
| Image:NYCS-SSI-rushonly.svg | Stops rush hours only |
| Image:NYCS-SSI-rushpeak.svg | Stops rush hours in the peak direction only |
| Image:NYCS-SSI-closed.svg | Station closed |
| Time period details | |
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.thejoekorner.com/scripted-ticket-display.shtm?http://www.thejoekorner.com/subway-sun/P008480.gif service notice], effective November 27, 1967
- ^ http://www.thejoekorner.com/scripted-ticket-display.shtm?http://www.thejoekorner.com/subway-sun/P008486.gif service notice], effective April 15, 1968
[edit] External links
Wikinews has related news:
New York City Subway N service to be restored to Coney Island May 29, via the Sea Beach Line
zh:紐約地鐵N線
