IRT Lenox Avenue Line

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
IRT Lenox Avenue Line
NYCS-line-black-LenoxAve.svg
The 2 train serves the IRT Lenox Avenue Line south of 145th Street. The 3 train serves the entire line at all times.
Overview
Type Rapid transit
System New York City Subway
Termini Harlem – 148th Street
Central Park North – 110th Street
Stations 6
Daily ridership 126,471[1]
Operation
Opened 1904-1968
Owner City of New York
Operator(s) New York City Transit Authority
Character Underground (Except for Harlem – 148th Street)
At-grade (Harlem – 148th Street)
Technical
No. of tracks 2-3
Track gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification 600V DC third rail
IRT Lenox Avenue Line
Harlem – 148th Street
145th Street
First 5 cars only
135th Street
125th Street
116th Street
Central Park North – 110th Street
This is a map of the Lenox Avenue Line from 1906

The Lenox Avenue Line is one of the IRT lines in the New York City Subway, mostly built as part of the first subway line. It is a rather short line, only serving upper Manhattan.

Extent and service

The following services use part or all of the Lenox Avenue Line:

  Time period Section of line
2 all times south of 145th Street
3 all times full line

The Lenox Avenue Line begins at the Harlem – 148th Street (formerly known as 148th Street–Lenox Terminal). After the terminal, a track merges from the Lenox Yard, and the line heads south under Lenox Avenue. At 142nd Street Junction, the IRT White Plains Road Line merges (with an at-grade crossing between the northbound Lenox track and the southbound White Plains track), carrying through service from the Bronx.

At the north border of Central Park is the final stop on the line, Central Park North – 110th Street. From there the line curves southwest under Central Park (one of three lines to do so, the other two being the IND 63rd Street Line and the BMT 63rd Street Line), and heads west under 104th Street. The line turns southwest and south to run underneath the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line, passing under part of the northbound platform at 103rd Street. After the center express track on the Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line ends by connecting to the two local tracks, the Lenox Avenue Line rises to become the two express tracks, with double crossovers to each local direction. The four-track Broadway – Seventh Avenue line then continues south through 96th Street, an express station and transfer point.

History

The line opened south of 145th Street just after midnight on November 23, 1904, as part of the IRT's original system. It was known as the East Side Subway or East Side Branch at the time, as it was the spur of the main line to the east side.[2] The first train ran from the line onto the IRT White Plains Road Line (known as the West Farms Branch or the West Farms Extension) just after midnight on July 10, 1905.[3] Soon after the line opened, it was speculated that it would bring prosperity to Harlem.[4]

The Harlem – 148th Street station was opened on May 13, 1968 on land that had been part of the Lenox Yard; the station was originally called Lenox Terminal–148th Street.[5]

The line has always carried trains of two service patterns, currently designated 2 and 3; see those articles for details. Prior to the 1950s, 1 locals used this line switching to the local at 96th Street.

From March to October 1998, the tunnel that carried the 2 and 3 services had very limited service, and was reconstructed along with the cracked invert (tunnel floor) repaired, correcting a major water problem that existed in this area for many years due to many underground streams located around the Lenox Avenue area that caused extensive water damage, and water seepage problems, causing many extensive and severe delays due to constant track and roadbed flooding. Many 2 trains were rerouted via the IRT Lexington Avenue Line, while the 3 trains were rerouted to the 137th Street on the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line. Supplemental shuttle bus service connecting to other lines in the area were provided at this time. [6][7]

From 1995 until 2008, the line's two northernmost stations, Harlem – 148th Street and 145th Street, were served by shuttle buses during the late-night hours. Full-time service was restored on July 27, 2008.[8]

Station listing

The entire line is approximately in Harlem.

Station service legend
Stops all times Stops all times
Time period details
Handicapped/disabled access Station Services Opened Notes
Harlem – 148th Street 3 all times May 13, 1968 Formerly 148th Street–Lenox Terminal
connecting track to Lenox Yard
145th Street 3 all times November 23, 1904 Only first 5 cars platform
No northbound entrance
Merge from IRT White Plains Road Line at 142nd Street Junction (2 all times)
Handicapped/disabled access 135th Street 2 all times 3 all times November 23, 1904
125th Street 2 all times 3 all times November 23, 1904 M60 Select Bus Service to LaGuardia Airport
116th Street 2 all times 3 all times November 23, 1904
Central Park North – 110th Street 2 all times 3 all times November 23, 1904
Tracks continue as the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line express tracks (2 all times 3 all times)

References

  1. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. http://www.harlemheritage.com/history-of-harlem/
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. Lenox Avenue Rehabilitation Brochure
  8. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Script error: No such module "Attached KML".