The New York City Subway is a heavy-rail public transit system serving four of the five boroughs of New York City. The present New York City Subway system inherited the systems of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT), Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT), and the Independent Subway System (IND). New York City has owned the IND since its inception; the BMT and IRT were taken over by the city in 1940. The former IRT system is now known as the A Division, while the B Division is the combined former BMT and IND systems.
In the New York City Subway nomenclature, a "line" refers to the physical trackage used by trains that are used by numbered or lettered "services"; the services that run on certain lines change periodically. Today, the division or company names are not used publicly, while the line names may occasionally be used.
See main article: New York City Subway nomenclature. In the nomenclature of the subway, the terms "line" and "service" are not interchangeable with each other. While in popular usage the word "line" is often used synonymously with "service" (even sometimes on the website of the MTA[1]), this list will use the formal usage of the term "line."
A line is the physical structure and tracks that trains run over. Each section of the system is assigned a unique line name that begins with a division (IRT, BMT or IND), which is its pre-unification division when applicable. For example, the line under Eighth Avenue is the IND Eighth Avenue Line. Some lines have changed names (and even divisions), but this happens relatively infrequently.
By contrast, a service refers to the route that a train takes across the various lines. A service can operate along several lines and even along different divisions. For example, the service operates along the IND Queens Boulevard Line as well as the BMT Broadway Line and the BMT Fourth Avenue Line.
Each service is assigned a color. Since 1979, each service's color corresponds to the line it primarily uses in Midtown Manhattan—defined as the trunk line. There are three exceptions: the IND Crosstown Line, which does not carry services to Manhattan, is colored ; the BMT Nassau Street Line, which runs only through Lower Manhattan, is colored ; and all shuttles are colored .[2] The list of trunk lines and colors is shown in the table below.
There are currently rail lines. The Archer Avenue Lines and the 63rd Street Lines are each classified as two separate lines due to their structure: both lines have a distinct sections that are chained as BMT and the IND lines.
In the list below, lines with colors next to them indicate trunk lines, which determine the colors that are used for services' route bullets and diamonds, as well as shuttle service lines. The opening date refers to the opening of the first section of track for the line. In the "division" column, the current division is followed by the original division in parentheses.
| Division | Line | Opened | Structure | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B (IND) | [3] | underground | ||||
| B (BMT) | [4] | underground | ||||
| B (IND) | [5] | underground | ||||
| B (IND) | [6] | underground | ||||
| A (IRT) | [7] | underground | ||||
| B (BMT) | underground | |||||
| B (IND) | underground | |||||
| B (BMT) | underground | |||||
| B (IND) | underground | |||||
| B (BMT) | [8] | elevated | ||||
| B (BMT) | [9] | underground, open cut, at-grade, embankment, elevated | ||||
| B (BMT) | underground | |||||
| A (IRT) | elevated, embankment, underground | |||||
| B (BMT) | [10] | underground, elevated, at-grade | ||||
| B (IND) | underground | |||||
| B (IND) | underground | |||||
| B (IND) | underground, elevated | |||||
| A (IRT) | elevated, embankment, open-cut, underground | |||||
| A (IRT) | underground | |||||
| A (IRT) | underground, elevated | |||||
| B (BMT) | elevated, embankment, open cut | |||||
| B (IND) | underground, elevated | |||||
| B (BMT) | elevated | |||||
| A (IRT) | elevated, underground | |||||
| A (IRT) | at-grade, underground | |||||
| A (IRT) | underground | |||||
| B (BMT) | elevated, embankment, at-grade | |||||
| B (BMT) | underground | |||||
| A (IRT) | elevated | |||||
| A (IRT) | underground | |||||
| A (IRT) | underground, elevated | |||||
| B (IND) | Queens Manhattan | underground | ||||
| B (IND) | at-grade, embankment, elevated | |||||
| B (BMT) | open cut, elevated | |||||
| B (BMT) | open-cut, elevated | |||||
| A (IRT) | elevated, underground |
The following list shows the connections between the different divisions of the New York City Subway.[11]
These connections can be used by trains in revenue service:
This connection is not for revenue service due to the differing widths of the trains:
These connections are located within the subway's rail yards and are not intended for revenue service.
In some places, there are track connections within the same division that are unused in regular service.[12]
Many of the New York City Subway's lines have express tracks, unused in revenue service and generally only used for re-routes.[13]
Single center track between 149th Street–Grand Concourse and Woodlawn. Some northbound trains in the morning and afternoon rush hours operate express from 167th Street until Burnside Avenue, where they short-turn.
Single center track between East 180th Street and Wakefield–241st Street.
Combinations of track and right of way between the flyover and Dyre Avenue.
Single center track between Parkchester and Pelham Bay Park.
Single center track between Dyckman Street and 242nd Street.
One center track between 86th Street and Eighth Avenue. These were originally a pair of tracks which were briefly used by the service in 1967–1968; in 1999, one of the tracks was rehabilitated and the other was disconnected from the line leaving it unusable. The track is used occasionally for reroutes in either direction and possibly equipment testing. In the past, these tracks have been used to store rolling stock that are about to be scrapped.
Single center track between Ninth Avenue and Bay 50th Street. Occasionally used for reroutes in either direction.
Two center tracks between Brighton Beach and Ocean Parkway. These are used for layups and for terminating/turning trains but are listed here since they are a continuation of the express tracks from the Brighton line, and exist through Ocean Parkway station.
Single center track between Church Avenue and Avenue X.
Single center track between Myrtle Avenue and Broadway Junction.
Single center track between 96th Street and 145th Street.
Single center track at 135th Street.
Single center track between 39th Avenue and Astoria –Ditmars Boulevard. This track was last used for trains in the peak direction, and being unpopular with residents, was discontinued on January 15, 2002.
A majority of the New York City Subway is underground, but the following segments are located above ground level.[14]
At minimum, in normal revenue service, all lines have two tracks, with one exception: the BMT Franklin Avenue Line has a single track between Franklin Avenue and Park Place.
The New York City Subway has fewer triple track sections than it has quadruple track sections. These sections are listed below. The third track, when in use, is generally for peak-direction express service or reroutes, with exceptions noted below.
Additionally, there are several pocket tracks in the subway where the line temporarily widens from two to three tracks, such as east of Eighth Avenue on the BMT Canarsie Line, and south of Court Square on the IND Crosstown Line.
Quadruple-tracked portions of track are fairly common in the subway system. This makes it unique among most metro systems in the world, as most others only have two tracks per line. Generally, these portions are a pair of express and a pair of local tracks unless otherwise noted.
Manhattan branches:
Queens branches:
Brooklyn branches:
The Bronx has no four-tracked lines. Pocket tracks are not included.
The following New York City Subway lines are either entirely defunct or have major portions no longer in service. Defunct spur lines with one station, such as the South Ferry loops, are not included in this list, nor are surface transit lines.
| Division | Line | Borough(s) | Opened | Closed | Structure | Status | |||||||
| A (IRT) | March 1, 1880 | June 13, 1942 | elevated | Entirely demolished | |||||||||
| A (IRT) | Third Avenue Line | Manhattan | August 26, 1878 | May 12, 1955 | elevated | Entirely demolished | |||||||
| Bronx | April 28, 1973 | Entirely demolished; had been replaced for a time by the Bx55 and then Bx15 Limited buses. | |||||||||||
| B (BMT) | October 1, 1893 | May 31, 1940 | elevated | Entirely demolished | |||||||||
| B (BMT) | 1888–1890 | May 31, 1940 | elevated | Entirely demolished | |||||||||
| A (IRT) | 1878 | December 4, 1938 | elevated | Entirely demolished | |||||||||
| A (IRT) | Ninth Avenue Line | Manhattan | July 1, 1868 | June 11, 1940 | elevated | Entirely demolished | |||||||
| Bronx | August 31, 1958 | Entirely demolished, except for the two underground stations at Sedgwick Avenue and Anderson–Jerome Avenues in the Bronx | |||||||||||
| B (BMT) | 1865 | November 21, 1942 | at-grade | Line from Canarsie–Rockaway Parkway to Canarsie Pier replaced with a streetcar line, which itself was replaced by the B42 bus. | |||||||||
| B (BMT) | Culver Line | Brooklyn | 1875 | elevated | Line from Ditmas Avenue to Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue taken over by the IND in 1954 | ||||||||
| May 11, 1975 | Remainder of line to Ninth Avenue abandoned, then demolished in 1985. | ||||||||||||
| B (BMT) | Fulton Street Line | Brooklyn | 1888–1894 | a) May 31, 1940 b) April 26, 1956 | elevated | a) Line demolished west of Rockaway Avenue. b) Remainder of line in Brooklyn demolished. | |||||||
| Queens | September 25, 1915 | Line taken over by the IND in 1956, with the western two-block section rebuilt to connect with Grant Avenue. | |||||||||||
| A (IRT) | 1904 | underground | Separated into the Broadway–Seventh Avenue, Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street Shuttle lines | ||||||||||
| B (BMT) | May 13, 1885 | 1889–1950 | elevated | Line west of Gates Avenue demolished | |||||||||
| B (BMT) | Jamaica Line | Brooklyn | 1885–1888 | July 3, 1916 | elevated | Line west of Marcy Avenue demolished | |||||||
| Queens | 1918 | a) September 10, 1977 b) April 15, 1985 | a) Line east of Queens Boulevard demolished. b) Line east of 121st Street demolished. Both segments were replaced with Q49 bus service, which itself was replaced in 1988 by the BMT Archer Avenue Line. | ||||||||||
| B (BMT) | 1888–1889 | 1944–1969 | elevated | Line west of Central Avenue through Broadway to Lewis Avenue abandoned. Remainder of line west of Lewis Avenue demolished. | |||||||||
| B (IND) | 1939 | 1940 | at-grade | Entirely demolished. |
Just north of the Third Avenue–149th Street station, exiting the tunnel portal, one can see the initial framework of the IRT Third Avenue Line. There used to be a connection from the White Plains Road line to the Third Avenue El, which ran south across the Harlem River to Manhattan.
North of the 161st Street–Yankee Stadium station is the framework for the connection from the IRT Ninth Avenue Line.
The Dyre Avenue Line was part of the New York, Westchester, and Boston Railway; it continued north beyond Eastchester–Dyre Avenue to White Plains and Port Chester; and south of the present connection to the White Plains Road line at East 180th Street, to 133rd Street where it ran alongside the New Haven Railroad. The platforms of the NYW&B station are still visible at East 180th Street station and are sometimes used to store trains. The structure south of East 180th Street ends abruptly at the Lebanon Street.
Part of the trackway from the Queensboro Bridge and the IRT Second Avenue Line is still visible at the east end of Queensboro Plaza.
Trackways are still visible at BMT Canarsie Line stations at Broadway Junction and Atlantic Avenue. Framework for the el was up until early 1998, visible at the Franklin Avenue Shuttle station at Franklin Avenue–Fulton Street. The structure served as a pedestrian walkway and was demolished in 1998 when the station and the Franklin Avenue Line was rebuilt as a single-tracked line.
On the IND Fulton Street Line heading westbound from 80th Street, one can see the stub end of the old BMT Fulton Street Line continuing straight ahead while the IND Fulton Street Line curves into Grant Avenue, an underground station.
West of Gates Avenue, one can see where the structure turned onto Lexington Avenue to head toward the Brooklyn Bridge. The structure is only visible from street level.