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The Q Second Avenue/Broadway Express/Brighton Local is a
rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...
service in the
B Division B Division, Division B, or variant may refer to: * ''B Division'' (New York City Subway) * ''B Division'' (Irish League), association football * ''Division B'' (Scottish Football League) * ''Divizia B'' (Romanian Football League) * Moldovan "B ...
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 ...
. Its route emblem, or "bullet", is colored since it uses the
BMT Broadway Line The BMT Broadway Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Manhattan. , it is served by four services, all colored : the on the express tracks and the on the local tracks during weekdays (the N and Q trains ...
in
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
. The Q operates at all times between 96th Street in the
Upper East Side The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 96th Street to the north, the East River to the east, 59th Street to the south, and Central Park/Fifth Avenue to the wes ...
of Manhattan and
Stillwell Avenue Stillwell Avenue is a major two-way north/south thoroughfare in southern Brooklyn and the central section of Coney Island. It is long and begins at a dead end at Riegelmann Boardwalk on Coney Island. The road goes north, leaving Coney Island, en ...
in
Coney Island Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, Manhattan Beach to its east, L ...
,
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, via the BMT Broadway Line, the
Manhattan Bridge The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan at Canal Street with Downtown Brooklyn at the Flatbush Avenue Extension. The main span is long, with the suspension cables be ...
and the
BMT Brighton Line The BMT Brighton Line, also known as the Brighton Beach Line, is a rapid transit line in the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Local service is provided at all times by the Q train, but is joined ...
. Daytime service makes express stops in Manhattan and local stops in Brooklyn; late night service makes local stops along its entire route. Limited rush hour service operates locally in Brooklyn via the
BMT Sea Beach Line The BMT Sea Beach Line is a rapid transit line of the BMT division of the New York City Subway, connecting the BMT Fourth Avenue Line at 59th Street via a four-track wide open cut to Coney Island in Brooklyn. It has at times hosted the fastes ...
and express via the
BMT Fourth Avenue Line The BMT Fourth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line of the New York City Subway, mainly running under Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn. The line is served by the D, N, and R at all times; the R typically runs local, while the D and N run express duri ...
, but only in the northbound direction. The Q was originally the
Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation The Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT) was an urban transit holding company, based in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, and incorporated in 1923. The system was sold to the city in 1940. Today, together with the IND subway s ...
(BMT)'s 1 service; beginning in 1920, it ran along the Brighton Line in Brooklyn and Broadway Line in Manhattan. In the past, the Q has run many different service patterns in Brooklyn, Manhattan and
Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
, both local and express, including QB service on the
Manhattan Bridge The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan at Canal Street with Downtown Brooklyn at the Flatbush Avenue Extension. The main span is long, with the suspension cables be ...
and QT service via the
Montague Street Tunnel The Montague Street Tunnel is a rail tunnel of the New York City Subway under the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn, connecting the BMT Broadway Line and BMT Fourth Avenue Line. The R uses the tunnel at all times, the N us ...
. From 1988 to 2001, Q service ran along the
IND Sixth Avenue Line The IND Sixth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in the United States. It runs mainly under Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, and continues south to Brooklyn. The B, D, F, and M trains, which use th ...
in Manhattan, with a bullet colored orange. The Q also ran in Queens at various points, including to Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard on the
BMT Astoria Line The BMT Astoria Line (formerly the IRT Astoria Line) is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, serving the Queens neighborhood of Astoria. It runs south from Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria to 39th Avenue in Long Is ...
from 2010 to 2016, Forest Hills–71st Avenue on the
IND Queens Boulevard Line The IND Queens Boulevard Line, sometimes abbreviated as QBL, is a line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Manhattan and Queens, New York City, United States. The line, which is underground throughout its entire route, contains 23 s ...
during temporary post-9/11 service reroutes, and 21st Street–Queensbridge on the IND 63rd Street Line until 2001. There was also a <Q> variant from 2001 to 2004, which ran express on the Brighton Line and terminated at
Brighton Beach Brighton Beach is a List of Brooklyn neighborhoods, neighborhood in the southern portion of the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn, within the greater Coney Island area along the Atlantic Ocean coastline. Brighton Beach i ...
. On January 1, 2017, the Q was rerouted along the
Second Avenue Subway The Second Avenue Subway (internally referred to as the IND Second Avenue Line by the MTA and abbreviated to SAS) is a New York City Subway line that runs under Second Avenue on the East Side of Manhattan. The first phase of this new line, ...
.


History


1878–1920: Original railroad

The predecessor to the subway service known as the Q today was the Brooklyn, Flatbush and Coney Island Railway. On July 2, 1878, this
steam railroad Various terms are used for passenger railway lines and equipment; the usage of these terms differs substantially between areas: Rapid transit A rapid transit system is an electric railway characterized by high speed (~) and rapid acceleratio ...
began operations on what would become the
BMT Brighton Line The BMT Brighton Line, also known as the Brighton Beach Line, is a rapid transit line in the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Local service is provided at all times by the Q train, but is joined ...
, from Prospect Park to the Brighton Beach Hotel in
Brighton Beach Brighton Beach is a List of Brooklyn neighborhoods, neighborhood in the southern portion of the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn, within the greater Coney Island area along the Atlantic Ocean coastline. Brighton Beach i ...
, which opened at the same time. The Brighton Beach Hotel was located on
Coney Island Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, Manhattan Beach to its east, L ...
by the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
at the foot of modern-day Coney Island Avenue. Passengers could make connections with the
horsecar A horsecar, horse-drawn tram, horse-drawn streetcar (U.S.), or horse-drawn railway (historical), is an animal-powered (usually horse) tram or streetcar. Summary The horse-drawn tram (horsecar) was an early form of public rail transport, wh ...
s of the
Brooklyn City Railroad The Brooklyn City Railroad (BCRR) was the oldest and one of the largest operators of streetcars (horsecars and later trolleys) in the City of Brooklyn, New York, continuing in that role when Brooklyn became a borough of New York City in 1898. I ...
at the Prospect Park terminal. On August 19, 1878, service was extended north from Prospect Park along what is today the
BMT Franklin Avenue Line The BMT Franklin Avenue Line (also known as the Brighton–Franklin Line) is a rapid transit line of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York, running between Franklin Avenue and Prospect Park. Service is full-time, and provided by the F ...
used by the
Franklin Avenue Shuttle The Franklin Avenue Shuttle is a New York City Subway shuttle service operating in Brooklyn. The shuttle service uses the BMT Franklin Avenue Line exclusively. The north terminus is Franklin Avenue, with a transfer available to the IND Fult ...
, to Atlantic Avenue west of Franklin Avenue, a location known as Bedford station on what is today the
Atlantic Branch The Atlantic Branch is an railway electrification, electrified Track (rail transport), rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is the only LIRR line with revenue passenger serv ...
of the
Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , often abbreviated as the LIRR, is a commuter rail system in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk Co ...
(LIRR). A physical connection existed between the Brighton, Flatbush and Coney Island Railway and the LIRR. By mutual agreement trains of the Brooklyn, Flatbush and Coney Island Railway ran on LIRR trackage west to its terminal at
Flatbush Avenue Flatbush Avenue is a major avenue in the New York City Borough of Brooklyn. It runs from the Manhattan Bridge south-southeastward to Jamaica Bay, where it joins the Marine Parkway–Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge, which connects Brooklyn to the Ro ...
and Atlantic Avenue, providing a connection to
Downtown Brooklyn Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City after Midtown Manhattan and Lower Manhattan), and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is known for its office and ...
and ferries to Manhattan. LIRR trains also operated to Brighton Beach from Flatbush Avenue and from its own terminal in
Long Island City Long Island City (LIC) is a residential and commercial neighborhood on the extreme western tip of Queens, a borough in New York City. It is bordered by Astoria to the north; the East River to the west; New Calvary Cemetery in Sunnyside to the ...
, with ferry access to
Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildin ...
. Initially, service operated during the summer season only. At the end of the 1882 summer season, the LIRR abrogated its agreement allowing Brighton Line trains to access its Flatbush Avenue terminal and beginning with the 1883 summer season, only Brooklyn, Flatbush and Coney Island trains operated between Bedford Terminal and Brighton Beach. In 1896, a short elevated extension of the Brighton Beach Line (since reorganized as the Brooklyn & Brighton Beach Railroad) opened to the corner of Franklin Avenue and Fulton Street in the north. This extension connected to the Fulton Street Line of the
Kings County Elevated Railroad The Kings County Elevated Railway Company (KCERy) was a builder and operator of elevated railway lines in Kings County, New York. Kings County is now coextensive with the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, but at the time the railway started, ...
, allowing
rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...
trains on Fulton Street to operate along the Brighton Line. These trains ran from Brighton Beach, up the Franklin Avenue and Fulton Street lines to the Brooklyn side of the
Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/ suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River ...
, where walking or transferring to a
cable car Cable car most commonly refers to the following cable transportation systems: * Aerial lift, such as aerial tramways and gondola lifts, in which the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable ** Aerial tramway ** Chairlift ** Gondola lift *** Bi ...
service connection over the bridge allowed access to
New York City Hall New York City Hall is the Government of New York City, seat of New York City government, located at the center of City Hall Park in the Civic Center, Manhattan, Civic Center area of Lower Manhattan, between Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway, Park R ...
at Park Row in Manhattan. In 1900, elevated trains were through-routed to Park Row without need to change trains. By 1903, a surface extension of the Brighton Beach Line on what is now Brighton Beach Avenue permitted through service from Park Row, Manhattan west to
Culver Depot Culver Depot, also called Culver Terminal or Culver Plaza, was a railroad and streetcar terminal in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, United States, located on the northern side of Surf Avenue near West 5th Street. Plan of the New Terminal ...
at Surf Avenue near West 8th Street, much nearer to the growing amusement center known then as West Brighton and now simply as Coney Island. In 1908, a massive grade crossing elimination project was completed with a 4-track line from south of Church Avenue station to Neptune Avenue near the
Coney Island Creek Coney Island Creek is a tidal inlet in Brooklyn, New York City. It was created from a series of streams and inlets by land filling and digging activities starting in the mid-18th century which, by the 19th century, became a continual strait an ...
, permitting true local and express service, as pioneered on the New York City Subway that opened in 1904. The Brighton Beach line was also converted to electrified third rail. Brighton Beach local and express service was extended to a new West End terminal at Stillwell and Surf Avenues, the location of the Coney Island terminal for the BMT Southern Division, in May 1919.


1920–1950: Subway service begins

On August 1, 1920, subway service on the
BMT Brighton Line The BMT Brighton Line, also known as the Brighton Beach Line, is a rapid transit line in the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Local service is provided at all times by the Q train, but is joined ...
, then owned by the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT), officially began with the openings of a two-track underground subway between Prospect Park and
DeKalb Avenue At Fort Greene Park DeKalb Avenue is a thoroughfare in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, with the majority of its length in Brooklyn. It runs from Woodward Avenue (Linden Hill Cemetery) in Ridgewood, Queens to Downtown Brookly ...
and the
Montague Street Tunnel The Montague Street Tunnel is a rail tunnel of the New York City Subway under the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn, connecting the BMT Broadway Line and BMT Fourth Avenue Line. The R uses the tunnel at all times, the N us ...
between Brooklyn and Manhattan. In 1921, PM rush hour express service was extended from Kings Highway to Brighton Beach. In 1923, Brighton express service operated via the Montague Tunnel and ran local on the Broadway Line. The BMT held a vote to see which route riders preferred on August 30, 1923. Passengers voted to have Brighton expresses run from Brighton Beach to Times Square via the Manhattan Bridge and the express tracks on the Broadway Line. This change took effect on about October 1, 1923. This subway service was labeled 1 by the BMT starting in 1924, with the remnant service to Franklin Avenue becoming the 7. 1 Brighton Express service operated during rush hours and Saturday afternoons. During the evening rush hour and on Saturday afternoons, trains skipped Canal Street. The span of express service was extended by 90 minutes until 8:27 p.m. leaving Times Square in 1929. Express service began operating between the AM rush hour and noon on Saturday mornings in April 1930. Express service began operating middays on May 30, 1931, replacing short-line local service. In September 1937, Brighton express service ran between Brighton Beach and Times Square rush hours, middays, and early evenings weekdays and Saturdays. During the 1930s, limited morning rush hour service ran via the south side tracks of the Manhattan Bridge and the
Nassau Street Loop The Nassau Street Loop, also called the Nassau Loop, was a service pattern of the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT) inaugurated in 1931 when the BMT Nassau Street Line was completed, providing a physical link that allowed a train to o ...
to Chambers Street on the
BMT Nassau Street Line The BMT Nassau Street Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway system in Manhattan. It is a continuation of the BMT Jamaica Line in Brooklyn after crossing the Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan; it continues to ...
. On June 29, 1950, trains began running there during the evening rush as well. On October 17, 1949, the
IRT Astoria Line The BMT Astoria Line (formerly the IRT Astoria Line) is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, serving the Queens neighborhood of Astoria. It runs south from Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria to 39th Avenue in Long I ...
in Queens, up to this point operated by the
Interborough Rapid Transit The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) was the private operator of New York City's original underground subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT w ...
(IRT), was converted to BMT operation. 1 Local trains were extended via the
60th Street Tunnel The 60th Street Tunnel carries the of the New York City Subway under the East River and Roosevelt Island between Manhattan and Queens. History Construction and opening The tunnel was built as part of the Dual Contracts, which expanded the ...
and the BMT Astoria Line to Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard during weekday rush hours, and on Saturday mornings and early afternoons. Number 2 Fourth Avenue Local trains also ran here at all times.


1950s

On April 27, 1950, 1 Local trains were extended to Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard during middays. On June 26, 1952, 1 Express trains were extended from Times Square to 57th Street–Seventh Avenue on weekdays after the morning rush hour, running local north of 34th Street. On June 28, 1952, special service from Brighton Beach to the Nassau Street Line was discontinued on Saturdays, and Saturday express service wa extended to 57th Street. The
60th Street Tunnel Connection The 60th Street Tunnel Connection or 11th Street Cut is a short rapid transit line of the New York City Subway connecting the 60th Street Tunnel under the East River (which connects to the BMT Broadway Line) with the IND Queens Boulevard Line w ...
opened on December 1, 1955, connecting the Broadway Line to the
IND Queens Boulevard Line The IND Queens Boulevard Line, sometimes abbreviated as QBL, is a line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Manhattan and Queens, New York City, United States. The line, which is underground throughout its entire route, contains 23 s ...
. 1 Local trains were rerouted to this new connector to Forest Hills–71st Avenue in
Forest Hills, Queens Forest Hills is a mostly residential neighborhood in the central portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is adjacent to Corona to the north, Rego Park and Glendale to the west, Forest Park to the south, Kew Gardens to the southeast, ...
between 6:30 a.m. and 8:20 p.m. They were replaced on the
BMT Astoria Line The BMT Astoria Line (formerly the IRT Astoria Line) is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, serving the Queens neighborhood of Astoria. It runs south from Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria to 39th Avenue in Long Is ...
by 1 Express trains on weekdays. On May 4, 1957, 1 Express trains running started running to Ditmars Boulevard on Saturdays as well, but made local stops in Manhattan as the local trains in Brooklyn now ran to Chambers Street via the BMT Nassau Street Line. The final portion of the Broadway Line's express tracks, between Times Square–42nd Street and 57th Street–Seventh Avenue, was placed in service on May 2, 1957. 1 Brighton Express trains ran local in Manhattan on Saturdays while Brighton Locals ran express here during evenings and on Sundays. This lasted only until the next service change. On October 24, 1957, Brighton Local trains ran via the Manhattan Bridge and local in Manhattan, all day on Sundays as well as evenings and midnight hours. Brighton Express 1 service on weekdays began using the express tracks between Times Square–42nd Street and 57th Street–Seventh Avenue. A December 1957 strike shut down much of the BMT Division. Brighton Local 1 trains ran in two sections, from Coney Island via tunnel to 57th Street-Seventh Avenue and from
Whitehall Street Whitehall Street is a street in the South Ferry/Financial District neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City, near the southern tip of Manhattan Island. The street begins at Bowling Green to the north, where it is a continuation of the ...
to Jamaica–179th Street on the IND Queens Boulevard Line. Due to the differing unions predominating on the various divisions, the IND was completely knocked out of service, while the IRT ran virtually normal service. The BMT was about half affected, with makeshift service patterns being set up for the duration of the strike. On May 28, 1959, 1 Brighton Express trains midday on weekdays were cut back to 57th Street–Seventh Avenue and made local stops in Brooklyn midday. Multiple trains entered service at Queensboro Plaza in the evening rush hour. Nassau Specials returned, running via the Montague Street tunnel during the morning rush and via the Manhattan Bridge during the evening rush. As part of the same service change, Brighton Local trains, beginning on June 6, ran to Franklin Avenue via the route of the 7 Shuttle on Saturdays. This was not seasonal and ran the entire day, being quite distinct from the Sunday service which still operated.


1960–1987: Lettered variants and Chrystie Street Connection

, ,
R27/R32 rollsigns for the Q, QB and QT
On November 15, 1960, with the arrival of the R27 subway cars, 1 service on the Brighton Line was relabeled. Brighton Express service was designated as Q, Brighton Local via the Montague St Tunnel as QT, and Brighton Local via the Manhattan Bridge as QB. Single letters were used to refer to express lines and double letters for local lines, a practice that began thirty years earlier with the
Independent Subway System The Independent Subway System (IND or ISS), formerly known as the Independent City-Owned Subway System (ICOSS) or the Independent City-Owned Rapid Transit Railroad (ICORTR), was a rapid transit rail system in New York City that is now part of th ...
(IND), however, no QQ designation was ever used. Despite these new designations, subway communications continued to refer to the services as "Brighton Local" and "Brighton Express". Effective January 1, 1961, Q Brighton Express service was cut back from Ditmars Boulevard to 57th Street–Seventh Avenue on weekdays, with trains skipping 49th Street. Saturday daytime service continued to run to Ditmars Boulevard. QT service ran to Ditmars Boulevard on weekdays; on Saturdays, it ran via the Franklin Avenue Line to Franklin Avenue in Brooklyn instead. The QB provided off-peak service between Coney Island and Astoria, via Brighton Local and the Manhattan Bridge. Sunday service between Franklin Avenue and Brighton Beach was discontinued on this date, with Sunday service now provided solely by the Franklin Avenue Shuttle (SS, formerly 7) between Prospect Park and Fulton Street. Service between Brighton Beach and Franklin Avenue was merged into the Franklin Avenue Shuttle service on October 14, 1961, and all non-shuttle service between was discontinued in February 1963. The Fourth Avenue Local (RR) now provided Broadway Line service along the Queens Boulevard line on weekdays, and the West End Express (T) was extended from 57th Street to Ditmars Boulevard during rush hours. This service change essentially swapped the northern terminals of the Brighton Local and RR, and between the Brighton Express and T. Prior to this both Brighton Line–Broadway services had operated via the 60th Street Tunnel to Queens. By having the Brighton Express Q terminate at 57th Street, this change served to keep one Brighton Line service unaffected in the event of a massive delay in the 60th Street Tunnel. On April 21, 1962, Saturday express Q service was discontinued, and replaced by QB service. All Saturday trains on the Brighton Line began running local, doubling the frequency of service and providing a one-seat ride to Manhattan for riders at local stations. With the arrival of new subway cars to the line, which provided improved running times, trains making local stops between Brighton Beach and Prospect Park did so in only minutes longer than existing express service. From February 10 to November 2, 1964, the Brighton Express tracks were closed to permit platform extension work at Newkirk Avenue.
Skip-stop Skip-stop is a public transit service pattern which reduces travel times and increases capacity by having vehicles ''skip'' certain ''stops'' along a route. Originating in rapid transit systems, skip-stop may be also used in light rail and bus s ...
service was instituted along the Brighton Line. Brighton Express service, which made A stops, ran express from Brighton Beach to Kings Highway, and then stopped at Avenue J, Newkirk Avenue, Cortelyou Road, Beverley Road, Church Avenue, Parkside Avenue, and Prospect Park.
On November 26, 1967, the
Chrystie Street Connection The Chrystie Street Connection is a set of New York City Subway tunnels running the length of Chrystie Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It is one of the few track connections between lines of the former Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit ...
opened, connecting the Brighton Line in Brooklyn to the
IND Sixth Avenue Line The IND Sixth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in the United States. It runs mainly under Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, and continues south to Brooklyn. The B, D, F, and M trains, which use th ...
in Manhattan via the
Manhattan Bridge The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan at Canal Street with Downtown Brooklyn at the Flatbush Avenue Extension. The main span is long, with the suspension cables be ...
. The bridge's south side tracks, which formerly connected to the
BMT Nassau Street Line The BMT Nassau Street Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway system in Manhattan. It is a continuation of the BMT Jamaica Line in Brooklyn after crossing the Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan; it continues to ...
, were now connected to the Broadway Line express tracks, severing the
Nassau Street Loop The Nassau Street Loop, also called the Nassau Loop, was a service pattern of the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT) inaugurated in 1931 when the BMT Nassau Street Line was completed, providing a physical link that allowed a train to o ...
. The bridge's north side tracks, which formerly connected to the Broadway Line, now connected to the Sixth Avenue Line express tracks. Originally, the running via Sixth Avenue Express, and the running via Nassau Street and the
Montague Street Tunnel The Montague Street Tunnel is a rail tunnel of the New York City Subway under the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn, connecting the BMT Broadway Line and BMT Fourth Avenue Line. The R uses the tunnel at all times, the N us ...
, were to replace all three Q services on the Brighton Line. The Q and QT went out of existence completely, but due to riders' opposition to the expected loss of all Broadway Line service, some QB trains were retained, now running rush hours only in the peak direction, via Brighton Local, the Manhattan Bridge and Broadway Express in Manhattan, between Coney Island and 57th Street. The color scheme introduced for subway lines that day included a red QB bullet. A short-lived NX service also provided rush-hour service between Brighton Beach and Coney Island and the Broadway Line, running via the
BMT Sea Beach Line The BMT Sea Beach Line is a rapid transit line of the BMT division of the New York City Subway, connecting the BMT Fourth Avenue Line at 59th Street via a four-track wide open cut to Coney Island in Brooklyn. It has at times hosted the fastes ...
to Manhattan. This service was discontinued on April 15, 1968, after less than five months. The RR replaced Q, QB and QT service to Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard. On August 19, 1968, 1 AM rush hour QB train began running to Ditmars Boulevard. On January 2, 1973, no QB trains ran in service to Ditmars Boulevard. 2 trains ran light to Ditmar Boulevard from 57th Street in the AM rush, and 1 train ran light to 57th Street in the PM rush. On January 19, 1976, morning rush hour QB trains began running in service to Ditmars Boulevard, and most evening rush hour trains entered service at Queensboro Plaza, with only one evening rush hour train running from Coney Island to 57th Street. All but the first QB morning QB trip, which entered RR service, were cut back from Ditmars Boulevard to 57th Street on August 30, 1976. Evening rush hour trains only ran in service between Coney Island and 57th Street. The last PM rush hour QB train started at Ditmars Boulevard, having previously made a trip in RR service. The first two morning rush hour QB trains ran to Ditmars Boulevard as of May 7, 1978, returning in service as RR trains to 36th Street. The last two evening rush hour QB trains entered service at Ditmars Boulevard, with the final trip having previously made an RR trip from 36th Street. In 1979, the MTA released a revised coloring scheme for subway routes based on trunk line; the QB service was assigned the color sunflower yellow, with black text, because it used the
BMT Broadway Line The BMT Broadway Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Manhattan. , it is served by four services, all colored : the on the express tracks and the on the local tracks during weekdays (the N and Q trains ...
in Manhattan. It now used a diamond-shaped bullet because it ran rush hours only. On May 5, 1985, the double-letter naming scheme for local services was dropped; the QB was renamed the Q the next day.
Starting on April 26, 1986, the Brighton Line's local tracks underwent reconstruction between Prospect Park and Newkirk Avenue, requiring the suspension of express service; at the same time, reconstruction of the
Manhattan Bridge The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan at Canal Street with Downtown Brooklyn at the Flatbush Avenue Extension. The main span is long, with the suspension cables be ...
started, which would disrupt subway service until 2004. QB service was discontinued. The bridge's north side tracks (leading to the Sixth Avenue Line) closed. The Q now ran rush hours between 57th Street–Seventh Avenue and Brighton Beach, using a yellow diamond bullet. Because the Manhattan Bridge's north side tracks closed, the D and Q ran on the bridge's south side tracks, both running via Broadway Express to 57th Street–Seventh Avenue. To substitute for the suspended Brighton Line express service, the Q ran
skip-stop Skip-stop is a public transit service pattern which reduces travel times and increases capacity by having vehicles ''skip'' certain ''stops'' along a route. Originating in rapid transit systems, skip-stop may be also used in light rail and bus s ...
service with the D between Newkirk Avenue and
Sheepshead Bay Sheepshead, Sheephead, or Sheep's Head, may refer to: Fish * ''Archosargus probatocephalus'', a medium-sized saltwater fish of the Atlantic Ocean * Freshwater drum, ''Aplodinotus grunniens'', a medium-sized freshwater fish of North and Central Am ...
. D trains served Neck Road,
Avenue M This article provides details of the lettered avenues in the flat south central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Improved public transport brought urban sprawl to this area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, after the hill ...
and Avenue H; the Q skipped those stops, serving
Avenue U Avenue U is a commercial street located in Brooklyn, New York, United States. This avenue is a main thoroughfare throughout its length. Avenue U begins at Stillwell Avenue in Gravesend and ends at Bergen Avenue in Bergen Beach, while serving the o ...
and
Avenue J A street name is an identifying name given to a street or road. In toponymic terminology, names of streets and roads are referred to as hodonyms (from Greek ‘road’, and ‘name’). The street name usually forms part of the address (t ...
, while both lines served Kings Highway. By 1987, as reconstruction on the Brighton Line progressed, the weekday skip-stop pattern expanded to Prospect Park, with D trains serving
Beverley Road Beverley Road (known in local parlance as Bev Road) is one of several major roads that run out of the city of Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The road is noted for being a major arterial route into, and out of Hull. It also known ...
while Q trains served
Cortelyou Road The Cortelyou Road station is a local station on the BMT Brighton Line of the New York City Subway, located at Cortelyou Road between Marlborough Road (East 15th Street) and East 16th Street in the neighborhood of Flatbush, Brooklyn. The station ...
and
Parkside Avenue The Parkside Avenue station is a local station on the BMT Brighton Line of the New York City Subway. It is located at Parkside Avenue and Ocean Avenue in Flatbush, Brooklyn. The station is served by the Q train at all times. History This s ...
, with Church Avenue as a mutual station.


1988–2004: Manhattan Bridge reconstruction


1988–2001: Sixth Avenue service

On December 11, 1988, the Bridge's north side tracks reopened and the south side tracks closed, and the reconstruction project on the Brighton Line ended. The Q became the weekday Brighton Express to Brighton Beach and was rerouted via the north side of the bridge and the
IND Sixth Avenue Line The IND Sixth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in the United States. It runs mainly under Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, and continues south to Brooklyn. The B, D, F, and M trains, which use th ...
to 57th Street–Sixth Avenue,
Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildin ...
. Because it ran on the Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan, the route now used an orange bullet on maps. The 8:23 AM train from Brighton Beach ran to 168th Street. On October 29, 1989, the IND 63rd Street Line opened and the B, Q, and
JFK Express The JFK Express, advertised as The Train to The Plane, was a limited express service of the New York City Subway, connecting Midtown Manhattan to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK Airport). It operated between 1978 and 1990. Passenger ...
were extended to 21st Street–Queensbridge in
Long Island City Long Island City (LIC) is a residential and commercial neighborhood on the extreme western tip of Queens, a borough in New York City. It is bordered by Astoria to the north; the East River to the west; New Calvary Cemetery in Sunnyside to the ...
. Weekday evening service terminated at Broadway–Lafayette Street in Manhattan instead of Brooklyn; these trains relayed at Second Avenue in order to change direction. A special combined –Q service ran during late nights; in the northbound direction, F trains would operate along its normal route from Coney Island to 47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center, then turn into a Q and operate to 21st Street–Queensbridge; in the southbound direction, Q trains would operate from 21st Street to 47th–50th Streets, then turn into an F train and operate along its normal route to Coney Island. The weekday evening shuttle was replaced by the B on September 30, 1990. On October 1, 1990, the Q trip to 168th Street was discontinued. The replaced the late night shuttle in April 1993. On February 6, 1995, Q trains began running local south of Kings Highway due to rehabilitation work on the Brighton Line. On April 30, 1995, the north side of the
Manhattan Bridge The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan at Canal Street with Downtown Brooklyn at the Flatbush Avenue Extension. The main span is long, with the suspension cables be ...
closed during middays and weekends, in addition to the already-closed south side. During these hours, D service was cut below 34th Street–Herald Square. In its place, the Q ran between Coney Island and 21st Street–Queensbridge, via Brighton Local, the
Montague Street Tunnel The Montague Street Tunnel is a rail tunnel of the New York City Subway under the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn, connecting the BMT Broadway Line and BMT Fourth Avenue Line. The R uses the tunnel at all times, the N us ...
, Broadway Express (switching between the local and express tracks at Canal Street) and the BMT 63rd Street Line. Rush hour and evening service was unchanged. On May 1, Q expresses only operated during rush hours and early evening. Normal service resumed on November 12, 1995, including the restoration of Q express service between Kings Highway and Brighton Beach. On February 22, 1998, construction on the IND 63rd Street Line cut and Q service back to 57th Street–Sixth Avenue. Service on the 63rd Street Line was replaced by a shuttle to the BMT Broadway Line at 57th Street–Seventh Avenue. Normal service resumed on May 22, 1999.


2001–2004: Brighton express variant

On July 22, 2001, the
Manhattan Bridge The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan at Canal Street with Downtown Brooklyn at the Flatbush Avenue Extension. The main span is long, with the suspension cables be ...
's north side tracks closed and the south side tracks reopened. There were now two Q services, colored yellow as they now ran via Broadway. In Brooklyn, the circle Q (Q local) replaced the as the full-time Brighton Local to Stillwell Avenue while the <Q> (Q express or Q diamond) replaced the Sixth Avenue Q as the weekday-only Brighton Express to Brighton Beach. Both Qs used the south side of the Manhattan Bridge to travel into Manhattan and then ran to 57th Street–Seventh Avenue via Broadway Express. Service on the IND 63rd Street Line was replaced by a shuttle, which would be permanently replaced by the in December 2001 once the 63rd Street's connection to the
IND Queens Boulevard Line The IND Queens Boulevard Line, sometimes abbreviated as QBL, is a line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Manhattan and Queens, New York City, United States. The line, which is underground throughout its entire route, contains 23 s ...
opened. After the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
, Broadway Line service through Lower Manhattan, and service were suspended. The Q local replaced the R between Canal Street and Forest Hills–71st Avenue, making local stops in Manhattan and Queens at all times except late nights, when it terminated at 57th Street–Seventh Avenue. This was the predecessor to the Astoria extension (see below). Both services returned to normal on October 28, 2001. On September 8, 2002, Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue (the Q southern terminal) was closed for reconstruction and the Q local terminated at Brighton Beach. During this time, service at stations between Brighton Beach and Stillwell Avenue was replaced by an extension of the B68 bus. Q service to Stillwell Avenue resumed on May 23, 2004. From April 27 to November 2, 2003, the south side of the Manhattan Bridge was closed on weekends and Q service was rerouted via the Montague Street Tunnel. On February 22, 2004, reconstruction of the
Manhattan Bridge The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan at Canal Street with Downtown Brooklyn at the Flatbush Avenue Extension. The main span is long, with the suspension cables be ...
was completed and the north side tracks reopened. The <Q> express was discontinued and replaced with the in Brooklyn and in Manhattan to combine two weekday-only lines. The Q local remained unchanged.


2005–present: Extensions to Astoria and Second Avenue

On June 28, 2010, the Q was extended from 57th Street–Seventh Avenue to Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard via the
60th Street Tunnel The 60th Street Tunnel carries the of the New York City Subway under the East River and Roosevelt Island between Manhattan and Queens. History Construction and opening The tunnel was built as part of the Dual Contracts, which expanded the ...
and
BMT Astoria Line The BMT Astoria Line (formerly the IRT Astoria Line) is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, serving the Queens neighborhood of Astoria. It runs south from Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria to 39th Avenue in Long Is ...
on weekdays, stopping at 49th Street, to replace the , which was discontinued due to budget problems. On December 7, 2014, late night Q service began operating local in Manhattan between 57th Street and Canal Street during late nights, in order to decrease waiting time at the local stations. On November 7, 2016, weekday Q service was cut back from Astoria to 57th Street–Seventh Avenue, skipping 49th Street, to provide a seamless transition for the opening of the Second Avenue Subway. Service to Astoria and the 49th Street station was replaced by the restored W service. On January 1, 2017, the first phase of the
Second Avenue Subway The Second Avenue Subway (internally referred to as the IND Second Avenue Line by the MTA and abbreviated to SAS) is a New York City Subway line that runs under Second Avenue on the East Side of Manhattan. The first phase of this new line, ...
opened; the Q was extended from 57th Street–Seventh Avenue to 96th Street via the BMT 63rd Street Line and the IND Second Avenue Line. This extension serves Lexington Avenue–63rd Street station with a
cross-platform transfer A cross-platform interchange is a type of interchange between different lines at a metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and ...
to the IND 63rd Street Line (served by the ) before serving new stations under Second Avenue at 72nd Street, 86th Street, and 96th Street, where it originates/terminates. The inaugural train on the Second Avenue Line ran on December 31, 2016, with passenger service beginning the next day. From January 1 to 9, 2017, service between 57th Street and 96th Street ran only from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with late-night service terminating at 57th Street; late night service to 96th Street began on January 9.


Future

The second phase of the Second Avenue Line will
extend Extension, extend or extended may refer to: Mathematics Logic or set theory * Axiom of extensionality * Extensible cardinal * Extension (model theory) * Extension (predicate logic), the set of tuples of values that satisfy the predicate * Ex ...
the Q to a new northern terminal at Harlem–125th Street, with planned stops at 116th Street and 106th Street. At the Harlem–125th Street terminus, there will be a transfer to the existing 125th Street station on the
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 ...
and a connection to
Harlem–125th Street station The Harlem–125th Street station is a commuter rail stop serving the Metro-North Railroad's Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven Lines. It is located at East 125th Street and Park Avenue in East Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. The station also serv ...
on
Metro-North Railroad Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a New York State public benefit corporations, public authority of the U.S. state of New Yor ...
. This will provide residents of
East Harlem East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem or and historically known as Italian Harlem, is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, New York City, roughly encompassing the area north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, F ...
with direct subway service via Second Avenue and
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
to the
Upper East Side The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 96th Street to the north, the East River to the east, 59th Street to the south, and Central Park/Fifth Avenue to the wes ...
, western Midtown,
Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan (also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York) is the southernmost part of Manhattan, the central borough for business, culture, and government in New York City, which is the most populated city in the United States with ...
and
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, and offer connections to and Metro-North from
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 ...
, the northern suburbs of New York City, and southern
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
. Under the plan approved by the
Federal Transit Administration The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transportation systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administration ...
, the MTA estimates to complete Phase 2 between 2027 and 2029.


Route


Service pattern

The following table shows the lines used by the Q, with shaded boxes indicating the route at the specified times:


Stations

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


References


External links


MTA NYC Transit – Q Broadway Express
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Q (New York City Subway Service) # New York City Subway services