The Pelham Parkway station is a station on the

IRT Dyre Avenue Line The IRT Dyre Avenue Line (formerly the IND Dyre Avenue–East 174th Street Line) is a New York City Subway rapid transit line, part of the A Division. It is a branch of the IRT White Plains Road Line in the northeastern section of the Bronx, n ...

of the

New York City Subway The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, an affiliate agency of the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Opened on October 2 ...

. Located at the intersection of Pelham Parkway North and the

Esplanade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...

(erroneously signed as "Esplanade Avenue" in the station) in

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

, it is served by the 5 train at all times. This station was built as part of the

New York, Westchester and Boston Railway The New York, Westchester and Boston Railway Company (NYW&B, also known to its riders as "the Westchester" and colloquially as the "Boston-Westchester"), was an electric commuter railroad in the Bronx and Westchester County, New York from 1912 t ...

(NYW&B), and opened in 1912. This station closed in 1937 with the NYW&B, but reopened in 1941 as a subway station after the portion of the line in the Bronx was purchased by New York City.

History

Early history

Pelham Pkwy; NYW&B To-From City Lighted Sign

Pelham Parkway station opened on May 29, 1912 as an express station of the

(NYW&B). This station was closed on December 12, 1937 when the NYW&B went bankrupt. The

New York City Board of Transportation The New York City Board of Transportation or the Board of Transportation of the City of New York (NYCBOT or BOT) was a city transit commission and operator in New York City, consisting of three members appointed by the mayor. It was created in ...

(BOT) bought the NYW&B within

north of East 180th Street in April 1940 for $1.8 million and rehabilitated the line. On May 15, 1941, a shuttle service was implemented between Dyre Avenue and East 180th Street using IRT gate cars. The Dyre Avenue Line was connected directly to the White Plains Road Line north of East 180th Street for $3 million and through service began on May 6, 1957. On February 27, 1962, the New York City Transit Authority announced a $700,000 modernization plan of the Dyre Avenue Line. The plan included the reconstruction of the Dyre Avenue station, and the extension of the platforms of the other four stations on the line, including Pelham Parkway, to to accommodate ten-car trains. At the time, the line was served by 9-car trains during the day, and 3-car shuttles overnight. Between 1954 and 1961, ridership on the line increased by 100 percent, owing to the development of the northeast Bronx. On April 18, 1965,

IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line The IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line (also known as the IRT Seventh Avenue Line or the IRT West Side Line) is a New York City Subway line. It is one of several lines that serves the A Division, stretching from South Ferry in Lower Manhatta ...

trains and

IRT Lexington Avenue Line The IRT Lexington Avenue Line (also known as the IRT East Side Line and the IRT Lexington–Fourth Avenue Line) is one of the lines of the A Division of the New York City Subway, stretching from Lower Manhattan north to 125th Street in East H ...

trains swapped their northern routings, with Broadway–Seventh Avenue 2 trains running via the

IRT White Plains Road Line The White Plains Road Line is a rapid transit line of the A Division of the New York City Subway serving the central Bronx. It is mostly elevated and served both subway and elevated trains until 1952. The original part of the line, the part o ...

to 241st Street, and Lexington Avenue 5 trains running via the Dyre Avenue Line to Dyre Avenue.

Later years

In 1981, the

Metropolitan Transportation Authority The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the New York City metropolitan area of the U.S. state of New York. The MTA is the largest public transit authority in th ...

(MTA) listed the station among the 69 most deteriorated stations in the subway system. Under the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Program, this station, along with thirty other New York City Subway stations, was slated to undergo a complete overhaul and would be entirely closed for up to six months. Updates would have included cellular service, Wi-Fi, charging stations, improved signage, and improved station lighting. However, these renovations were deferred until the 2020–2024 Capital Program due to a lack of funding.

Station layout

This station was originally an express station of the

, with two

island platform An island platform (also center platform, centre platform) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange. Island platforms are popular on ...

s and four tracks. An original NYW&B-era train indicator can still be found inside the station. Today, the two local tracks remain in revenue service, and the southbound express track remains in use as a test track. The northbound express track ends about halfway between the north end of the station and the northern tunnel portal, however, it used to end at a bumper block just south of the station. The station is designed with two island platforms; however it is not considered an express station. The northbound express track had been restored at this station in October 2014. The purpose of the restoration was to serve work trains for the Dyre Avenue Line signal modernization project. the express tracks are also being used to develop a pilot program for

platform screen doors Platform screen doors (PSDs), also known as platform edge doors (PEDs), are used at some train, rapid transit and people mover stations to separate the platform from train tracks, as well as on some bus rapid transit, tram and light rail syste ...

technology. Pelham Parkway is the only completely underground station on the Dyre Avenue Line and the only underground station in the system not originally built for subway use. It is also the northernmost underground IRT station, and the only four-track underground station in the Bronx.

Exit

The station's only entrance and exit is a

head house A head house or headhouse may be an enclosed building attached to an open-sided shed, or the aboveground part of a subway station. Markets In the 18th and early 19th centuries, head houses were often civic buildings such as town halls or courth ...

in the median of the Esplanade north of Pelham Parkway North.

References

External links

* * Station Reporter �
5 Train
* The Subway Nut �

* New York Westchester and Boston Railway
Pelham Parkway Station

Entrance north of Pelham Parkway from Google Maps Street ViewPlatforms from Google Maps Street View
{{NYCS stations navbox by line, dyre=yes IRT Dyre Avenue Line stations New York City Subway stations in the Bronx New York City Subway stations located underground Railway stations in the United States opened in 1912 Railway stations in the United States opened in 1941 1912 establishments in New York City