Route W (New York City Subway)

The W Broadway Local 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 midtown Manhattan. Service runs local from Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard to Whitehall Street, and only from 06:00 to 21:50 on weekdays. Sporadic service is also provided to and from Gravesend–86th Street via the Sea Beach Line at the extreme ends of service hours, as trains enter and leave the Coney Island Complex.

Introduced in 2001, the W initially ran until 2010, when the MTA discontinued it due to budget issues. As part of the opening of the Second Avenue Subway, the MTA restored the route using its 2004-2010 service pattern.

The following lines were used by the W service:

Line	Tracks	When
BMT Astoria Line (full line)	local	rush hours, middays and evenings
60th Street Tunnel	N/A	rush hours, middays and evenings
BMT Broadway Line north of Whitehall Street	local	rush hours, middays and evenings

Service history

• The W service was introduced on July 22, 2001 when the north side of the Manhattan Bridge was closed for reconstruction. It was used as a replacement service in Brooklyn for the B train, which terminated at 34th Street–Herald Square. During midday and rush hours, it ran between Ditmars Boulevard–Astoria, Queens and Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue. During this time, it ran as a peak-direction express in Queens, express between 34th Street–Herald Square in Manhattan and 36th Street in Brooklyn, and local elsewhere. During weekday evenings, it ran as an express between 57th Street in Manhattan and 36th Street, and then local to Stillwell Avenue. On weekends, it ran between Pacific Street and Stillwell Avenue, running express between Pacific and 36th Streets and local between 36th Street and Stillwell Avenue. During late nights, it ran as a shuttle between 36th Street and Stillwell Avenue.

• After September 11, 2001, N service was suspended. W trains ran between Ditmars Boulevard and Stillwell Avenue at all times except late nights, running all local except express in Brooklyn north of 36th Street. During late nights, it ran in two sections; between Ditmars Boulevard and 34th Street–Herald Square, and between 36th Street and Stillwell Avenue. Trains skipped 49th Street northbound. On October 28, service returned to normal.

• On January 15, 2002, after numerous complaints, W trains started running local on the Astoria Line at all times.

• On September 8, 2002, Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue was closed for reconstruction with the exception of the BMT West End Line platform. The W service ran between Ditmars Boulevard and Stillwell Avenue at all times. On weekdays, it ran express between 34th Street–Herald Square and 36th Street, using the Manhattan Bridge to travel between the two boroughs. Late nights and weekends, it ran local along its entire route and used the Montague Street Tunnel to travel between Manhattan and Brooklyn, replacing N service, which terminated at Pacific Street during this time.

• On February 22, 2004, the north side of the Manhattan Bridge reopened. The W assumed its current service pattern, running as a local between Ditmars Boulevard and Whitehall Street on weekdays only. It was replaced by the D train in Brooklyn.

Station listing

For a more detailed station listing, see the articles on the lines listed above. The W runs rush hours, middays and evenings.

	Station	Services
Queens
	Ditmars Boulevard–Astoria	N W
	Astoria Boulevard	N W
	30th Avenue	N W
	Broadway	N W
	36th Avenue	N W
	39th Avenue	N W
	Queensboro Plaza	N W   7 <7>
Manhattan
	Lexington Avenue–59th Street	N R (1234) W (123a) 4 5   6 <6>   F (MetroCard transfer) Roosevelt Island Tramway
	Fifth Avenue–59th Street	N R (1234) W (123a)
	57th Street–Seventh Avenue	N Q R   W
	49th Street	N R   W
	Times Square–42nd Street	1 2 3    7 <7>    A C    E N Q R    S    W    Port Authority Bus Terminal
	34th Street–Herald Square	N Q R   W   B   D F ''M   PATH
	28th Street	N (45) R (1234) W (123a)
	23rd Street	N (45) R (1234) W (123a)
	14th Street–Union Square	N Q R   W   L 4 5   6 <6>
	Eighth Street	N (45) R (1234) W (123a)
	Prince Street	N (45) R (1234) W (123a)
	Canal Street	N (5) R (1234) W (123a) N   Q 4   6 <6>   J M   Z
	City Hall	N (5) R (1234) W (123a)
	Cortlandt Street (closed until early 2007)	N (5) R (1234) W (123a) PATH
	Rector Street	N (5) R (1234) W (123a)
	Whitehall Street–South Ferry	N (5) R (1234) W (123a) Staten Island Ferry

References

• Line By Line History

External links

• MTA NYC Transit - W Broadway Local
• MTA NYC Transit - W schedulePDF (100 KiB)