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Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Redirect Template:Infobox NYCS service

The W Broadway Local[1] is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway's B Division. Its route emblem, or "bullet", is colored Template:NYCS const since it uses the BMT Broadway Line in Manhattan.[2]

The W operates weekdays only except late nights between Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria, Queens and Whitehall Street in Lower Manhattan, making local stops along its entire route; limited rush hour service is extended beyond Whitehall Street to and from 86th Street in Gravesend, Brooklyn, making local stops in Brooklyn.[3] The W is internally staffed and scheduled as part of the N.[4][5]

Introduced on July 22, 2001, the W originally ran at all times on the BMT West End Line and BMT Fourth Avenue Line in Brooklyn to Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue across the Manhattan Bridge, running express on the Broadway Line. It was truncated in 2004 to its current service pattern, running local on the Broadway Line to Whitehall Street until June 25, 2010, when it was eliminated due to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s financial crisis. The route was later restored on November 7, 2016, using its original emblem and 2004–2010 routing, as part of the updated service pattern related to the opening of the Second Avenue Subway.[5][6][7][8][9]

Service history[]

Context[]

File:MTA NYC Subway W train leaving 39th Ave.jpg

A W train of R68s leaving 39th Avenue

File:R68A W train (Car No. 5078).jpg

A W train of R68As leaving Broadway

The W was originally conceived as an extra Broadway Line local service running on the Astoria and Broadway lines to Whitehall Street in Manhattan. This service was essentially a variant of the N route, which in the 1970s and 1980s ran express on the Broadway Line between Forest Hills–71st Avenue in Queens and Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue in Brooklyn. At the time, some N trains (until 1976 designated EE) were designated with a diamond N bullet, ran local on Broadway, and traveled only between Forest Hills and Whitehall Street. However, reconstruction of the Manhattan Bridge's subway tracks between 1986 and 2004 forced the N, which normally ran express on the Broadway Line and via the bridge, to run local via the Montague Street Tunnel. This service change precluded W local service from running as envisioned. The W bullet appeared on older roll signs as a yellow diamond bullet, while newer roll signs featured the modern round bullet. The W also appeared on the digital signs of the R44s and R46s with any route and destination combination that could be used for the Broadway Line.[10]

The W label was first used in 2001, when the two tracks on the Manhattan Bridge's northern side, which connected to the IND Sixth Avenue Line, were closed for repairs. This required the suspension of Sixth Avenue B service south of 34th Street–Herald Square as it used those tracks to travel to and from Brooklyn.[11] The W service replaced the B on the BMT West End Line and BMT Fourth Avenue Line in Brooklyn, ran on the BMT Broadway Line in Manhattan and BMT Astoria Line in Queens. It replicated the route of the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT)'s old 3 route, later named the T, that operated from 1916 until 1967, when the B replaced it. The W also replicated the split in B service from 1986 to 1988, when the bridge's north tracks were first closed, although both halves of the route were labeled B.[12][13][14]

2001–2004[]

W service began July 22, 2001 in conjunction with the reopening of the south tracks of the Manhattan Bridge and the closure of the bridge's north tracks. Service began operating between Coney Island and Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard, Queens via the West End Local and Fourth Avenue Express in Brooklyn; the Manhattan Bridge south tracks; Broadway Express (switching to the local tracks to serve 49th Street) in Manhattan; and the 60th Street Tunnel and BMT Astoria Line in Queens. The W ran express on the Astoria Line during rush hours in the peak direction between 6Template:Nbspa.m. and 9Template:Nbspp.m., and local at all other times. Trains ran express to Manhattan between 6Template:Nbspa.m. and 1Template:Nbspp.m., and to Astoria from 1Template:Nbspp.m. to 9Template:Nbspp.m.[15] Evening service terminated at 57th Street–Seventh Avenue in Manhattan (using the express tracks and bypassing 49th Street), while late night and weekend evening service operated as a shuttle within Brooklyn only, terminating at 36th Street during late nights and Atlantic Avenue–Pacific Street on weekends.[16]

After September 11, 2001, all Broadway Line service in Lower Manhattan was suspended due to extensive damage caused by the collapse of the World Trade Center. As a result, the entire N route was suspended, and W trains ran at all times between Ditmars Boulevard and Coney Island. It made all stops except in Brooklyn north of 36th Street. During late nights, it ran in two sections: between Ditmars Boulevard and 34th Street, skipping 49th Street in the northbound direction, and in Brooklyn between 36th Street and Coney Island. Normal service on both routes resumed on October 28, 2001.[17]

The Astoria express service was discontinued on January 15, 2002 because it was unpopular among Astoria residents. This change was approved by the MTA Board in December 2001. Express service was implemented on the Astoria Line in order to improve operations at the Ditmars Boulevard terminal, and because 43% of the line's riders boarded at express stations. Instead, the change yielded no operational benefits, and made local N trains overcrowded, and express W trains underutilized. N trains carried 1.9 times as many passengers as W trains in the morning, and 2.6 times as many in the evening. W express service had been suspended after the September 11 attacks to replace N service. Even after normal service resumed in October 2001, local W service was kept until November 19 on a trial basis. Analysis of the operating pattern found that the terminal could handle the all-local service pattern and that the ridership split between the N and W was more balanced.[18]

Around that time, evening service was extended from 57th Street to Astoria.[19]

On September 8, 2002, W service was extended to Astoria during late nights and weekends, running fully local via the Fourth Avenue and Broadway Lines and Montague Street Tunnel. This was because ongoing reconstruction of the Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue terminal left the W as the only train serving it.[10][20][21] This change also gave the West End Line late-night service to Manhattan for the first time.

2004–2010[]

When the Manhattan Bridge's north tracks were restored to service on February 22, 2004, the W was curtailed to its current service pattern, running weekdays only from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. as an entirely local service between Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard and Whitehall Street–South Ferry, Lower Manhattan. The Brooklyn portion was replaced by the D, which was extended over the north side of the bridge and down the West End Line.[10][22][23][24][25][26] W service between Manhattan and Queens remained, because of increasing ridership on the BMT Astoria Line.[27] The first three W trains of the day entered service at 86th Street in Gravesend, Brooklyn and the last three trains of the night continued in service to Kings Highway. These trips ran local in Brooklyn via the Montague Street Tunnel, BMT Fourth Avenue and BMT Sea Beach lines.[28] On July 27, 2008, the W was extended to run until 11:00 p.m. in response to growth in the subway system's ridership.[29][30][31]

On March 24, 2010, the MTA announced the elimination of the W due to financial shortfalls. In its place, on weekdays, the N train ran local north of Canal Street while the Q train was extended from 57th Street–Seventh Avenue to Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard, running local north of 34th Street–Herald Square. The W ceased operation on Friday, June 25, 2010 with the last train bound for Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard leaving Whitehall Street–South Ferry at 10:50 p.m.[10][32]

2016–present[]

In July 2015, the MTA announced it was considering restoring the W with its 2004–2010 service pattern once the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway opened, which would reroute the Q from the Astoria Line to 96th Street on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The W would replace the Q on the Astoria Line to maintain two services on the line weekdays.[33]

On May 23, 2016, the MTA announced it would restore the W.[34] Service was restored on November 7, 2016, running between 7:00Template:Nbspa.m. and 11:00Template:Nbspp.m.[5] The Q was temporarily cut back to 57th Street–Seventh Avenue, allowing for a seamless extension to the Second Avenue Line, which opened on January 1, 2017.[35][6][7][8] Additionally, the N train again ran express in Manhattan on weekdays from 34th Street–Herald Square to Canal Street. The W's restoration meant there would be 20 fewer trips to and from Astoria per weekday as the W ran for a shorter time span each day than the Q did.[36] In June 2018, the MTA added service between 6:00Template:Nbspa.m. and 7:00Template:Nbspa.m., and between 11:00Template:Nbspp.m. and midnight in response to overcrowded N trains during those hours.[37] As the N and W share the same fleet from the Coney Island Yard, a small number of W trains originate or terminate at 86th Street throughout the day.[38][39] These trains operate via the Montague Street Tunnel and local along the BMT Fourth Avenue Line and BMT Sea Beach Line as they did prior to 2010.

In March 2020, the W was temporarily suspended due to lack of ridership and train crew availability caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,[40][41] though full service was restored in June.[42][43] On December 29, 2021, W service was again suspended due to a shortage of crew members exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic;[44] service was again restored on January 24, 2022.[45][46]

Route[]

Service pattern[]

The following table shows the lines used by the W, with shaded boxes indicating the route at the specified times:[47]

Line From To Tracks Times
Week­days Rush hours
BMT Astoria Line (full line) Astoria–Ditmars Blvd Queensboro Plaza local    
60th Street Tunnel all
BMT Broadway Line (full line) Lexington Avenue/59th Street Canal Street local
City Hall Whitehall Street–South Ferry all
Montague Street Tunnel all   Limited service
BMT Fourth Avenue Line Court Street Jay Street–MetroTech all
DeKalb Avenue 59th Street/Fourth Avenue local
BMT Sea Beach Line Eighth Avenue 86th Street

Stations[]

For a more detailed station listing, see the articles on the lines listed above.[1]

Station service legend
Black dot Stops all times
Period dot Stops all times except late nights
Circle dot Stops weekdays only
Half diamond Stops rush hours in the peak direction only
Gray dot Station closed
File:Rushonly Stops rush hours only (limited service not noted on map)
W service Stations Handicapped/disabled access Subway transfers Connections and notes
Queens
Astoria Line
Stops weekdays only Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard N W

 

Stops weekdays only Astoria Boulevard Handicapped/disabled access N W

 

M60 Select Bus Service to LaGuardia Airport
Stops weekdays only 30th Avenue N W

 

Stops weekdays only Broadway N W

 

Stops weekdays only 36th Avenue N W

 

Stops weekdays only 39th Avenue N W

 

Stops weekdays only Queensboro Plaza N W

 
7 <7>    (IRT Flushing Line)

Manhattan
Broadway Line
Stops weekdays only Lexington Avenue/59th Street N R (1234) W (123a)
4 5

  6 <6>   (IRT Lexington Avenue Line at 59th Street)
Out-of-system transfer with MetroCard/OMNY:
F (63rd Street Lines at Lexington Avenue–63rd Street)

Roosevelt Island Tramway
Stops weekdays only Fifth Avenue–59th Street N R (1234) W (123a)
Stops weekdays only 57th Street–Seventh Avenue Handicapped/disabled access N Q R

  W  

Stops weekdays only 49th Street Handicapped/disabled access ↑ N R (1234) W (123a) Station is accessible in the northbound direction only.
Stops weekdays only Times Square–42nd Street Handicapped/disabled access N Q R

  W  
1 2 3   (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)
7 <7>    (IRT Flushing Line)
A C    E (IND Eighth Avenue Line at 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal)
S   (42nd Street Shuttle)
B   D F ''M   (IND Sixth Avenue Line at 42nd Street–Bryant Park, daytime only)

Port Authority Bus Terminal
M34A Select Bus Service
Stops weekdays only 34th Street–Herald Square Handicapped/disabled access N Q R

  W  
B   D F ''M   (IND Sixth Avenue Line)

M34 / M34A Select Bus Service
PATH at 33rd Street
Amtrak, LIRR, NJ Transit at Pennsylvania Station
Stops weekdays only 28th Street Template:NYCS Broadway center local weekday
Stops weekdays only 23rd Street Template:NYCS Broadway center local weekday M23 Select Bus Service
Stops weekdays only 14th Street–Union Square Handicapped/disabled access N Q R

  W  
L (BMT Canarsie Line)
4 5   6 <6>   (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)

M14A / M14D Select Bus Service
Stops weekdays only Eighth Street–New York University Template:NYCS Broadway center local weekday
Stops weekdays only Prince Street Template:NYCS Broadway center local weekday
Stops weekdays only Canal Street File:Aiga elevator.svg N Q R

  W  
4   6 <6>   (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)
J M   Z   (BMT Nassau Street Line)

Some northbound rush hour trips begin at this station.
Stops weekdays only City Hall Template:NYCS Broadway south day
Stops weekdays only Cortlandt Street Handicapped/disabled access Template:NYCS Broadway south day
2 3 (1234) (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line at Park Place)
A C

  (IND Eighth Avenue Line at Chambers Street)
E (IND Eighth Avenue Line at World Trade Center)

PATH at World Trade Center
Stops weekdays only Rector Street Template:NYCS Broadway south day
Stops weekdays only Whitehall Street–South Ferry File:Aiga elevator.svg Template:NYCS Fourth Montague day
Template:NYCS Broadway-Seventh South Ferry weekday (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line at South Ferry)
M15 Select Bus Service
Staten Island Ferry at Whitehall Terminal
Brooklyn
Montague Street Branch (Limited rush hour service)
  Court Street File:Aiga elevator.svg Template:NYCS Fourth Montague day
2 3 (1234) (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line at Borough Hall)
4 5

  (IRT Eastern Parkway Line at Borough Hall)

  Jay Street–MetroTech Handicapped/disabled access Template:NYCS Fourth Montague day
A C

  F (IND Fulton Street and Culver Lines)

  DeKalb Avenue Handicapped/disabled access Template:NYCS DeKalb day
Fourth Avenue Line
  Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center Handicapped/disabled access D M

  N R  
B   Q (BMT Brighton Line)
2 3   4 5   (IRT Eastern Parkway Line)

LIRR Atlantic Branch at Atlantic Terminal
  Union Street Template:NYCS Fourth center local day
  Ninth Street Template:NYCS Fourth center local day
Template:NYCS Culver IND north local (IND Culver Line at Fourth Avenue)
  Prospect Avenue Template:NYCS Fourth center local day
  25th Street Template:NYCS Fourth center local day
  36th Street D M

  N R

  45th Street Template:NYCS Fourth south local day
  53rd Street Template:NYCS Fourth south local day
  59th Street/Fourth Avenue Handicapped/disabled access N R
Sea Beach Line
  Eighth Avenue Handicapped/disabled access ↑ Template:NYCS Sea Beach Station is ADA-accessible in the northbound direction only.
  Fort Hamilton Parkway Template:NYCS Sea Beach
  New Utrecht Avenue Handicapped/disabled access Template:NYCS Sea Beach
Template:NYCS West End north (BMT West End Line at 62nd Street)
  18th Avenue Template:NYCS Sea Beach
  20th Avenue Template:NYCS Sea Beach
  Bay Parkway Template:NYCS Sea Beach
  Kings Highway Template:NYCS Sea Beach B82 Select Bus Service
  Avenue U Template:NYCS Sea Beach
  Gravesend–86th Street Template:NYCS Sea Beach

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Template:NYCS const
  2. Grynbaum, Michael M.. "Take the Tomato 2 Stops to the Sunflower", May 10, 2010.
  3. Spivack, Caroline. "W-w-what!? W trains mysteriously appearing in Brooklyn", January 10, 2017.
  4. BMT-IND Car Assignments - Nov 6, 2016.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 GENERAL DISTRIBUTION - SUB-DIVISION B - TRAIN OPERATOR/CONDUCTOR - ROAD & NON-ROAD WORK PROGRAMS. New York City Transit Authority (July 29, 2016).
  6. 6.0 6.1 * MTA | Press Release | NYC Transit | MTA Advances Work On Second Avenue Subway Service. Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Kabak, Benjamin (February 19, 2016). Ahead of 2nd Ave. Subway opening, MTA officially set to restore W service to Astoria.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Martinez, Jose (February 19, 2016). MTA Confirms W Train is Coming Back.
  9. Lam, Katherine (October 23, 2016). MTA flyers spotted for W train's return in November. PIX11.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Bolden, Eric. NYCT Line by Line History. erictb.info.
  11. "New Subway Routes Take Effect Today", July 22, 2001.
  12. If You Ride These Subway Lines, You Know Something Drastic Has To Be Done.. New York City Transit Authority (1986).
  13. System-Wide Changes In Subway Service Effective Sunday, December 11, 1988. New York City Transit Authority (1988).
  14. Johnson, Kirk. "Big Changes For Subways Are to Begin", December 9, 1988.
  15. NYC Transit Subway Schedules. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (November 11, 2001).
  16. Manhattan Bridge Service Changes B D Q Q W July 22, 2001 until 2004. New York City Transit (2001).
  17. Korman, Joseph D.. Subway Line Names World Trade Center Terror - 9-11-2001.
  18. W Line Service Information. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (July 28, 2002).
  19. F N W Q Changes Sun, Sept 8, 2002 to Spring 2004 Reconstruction of Stillwell Avenue Terminal changes service in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. New York City Transit (July 2002).
  20. W Train Timetable. New York City Transit (Fall 2003).
  21. February 2004 Subway Map. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (February 2004).
  22. More Service on the Manhattan Bridge B D M N Q R W New Subway Service! February 22, 2004. New York City Transit (2003).
  23. B D M N Q R W Weekday Service Manhattan Bridge Map. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (February 2004).
  24. MTA NYC Transit Manhattan Bridge Information. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (February 5, 2004).
  25. Expanded Subway Service Starts Sunday Four-Track Manhattan Bridge Service Returns Bringing Route Changes, Increased Service. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (February 20, 2004).
  26. A Subway Map Remade, in Hopes of Matching Routes and Riders. The New York Times (February 20, 2004).
  27. A search using the MTA's trip planner using "Whitehall Street" and "Kings Highway" as stations and setting the time to the appropriate hour (6 am into Manhattan; 9 pm out of Manhattan) turned out results that showed the W as a possible travel option. Clicking the departure time also showed two additional times.
  28. W Train Timetable. New York City Transit (November 25, 2009).
  29. Compare:
    • New York City Subway Map. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (April 2008). (W service ends at 9 PM)
    • (W service ends at 11 PM)
  30. MTA | Press Release | NYC Transit | Service Adjustments on BMW Lines. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (July 24, 2008).
  31. MTA | Press Release | NYC Transit | Major Subway Changes Set for Monday. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (June 24, 2010).
  32. MTA considers bringing back W train from Astoria to lower Manhattan. amNewYork (July 12, 2015).
  33. Venugopal, Nikhita (May 25, 2016). W Train's Return Is Now Official With Approval From MTA Board.
  34. "Opening of Second Avenue Subway: Updates", January 1, 2017.
  35. W Train Rollout Will Mean Fewer Trains Per Day in Astoria, MTA Says.
  36. MTA to Increase Weekend Service on 7 train Starting June 2018 to Meet Increased Demand. Sunnyside Post (November 16, 2017).
  37. W Line Returns to Queens.
  38. Spivack, Caroline. "W-w-what!? W trains mysteriously appearing in Brooklyn", January 10, 2017.
  39. Guse, Clayton (March 24, 2020). Coronavirus forces MTA to implement big cuts to NYC's mass transit.
  40. Martinez, Jose. "Subway Service Slowly Gets Back On Track As Transit Workers Return", The City, April 28, 2020.
  41. Bascome, Erik (June 2, 2020). Full service on MTA buses, subways set to return by June 8.
  42. Siff, Andrew (June 5, 2020). MTA Resumes Regular Weekday Service; Overnight 4-Hour Closure Stays.
  43. Pozarycki, Robert (December 29, 2021). W train suspended as MTA grapples with worker shortages related to COVID-19 spike.
  44. MTA Restoring W Train Service on Monday, Bringing All Lines Back From COVID Shutdowns (January 23, 2022).
  45. Duggan, Kevin (January 23, 2022). W trains are back for the first time in 2022 starting Monday.
  46. Template:NYCS const

External links[]

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