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The New York City Subway system has 28 lettered or numbered route designations. [1]
The subway normally operates 24 hours a day with five different service patterns: rush-hour, midday, evening, weekend and late-night. Each service has a table in its article to show what tracks are used and when. This article lists all the current services, along with their lines and terminals and a brief description; see Unused New York City Subway service labels for unused and defunct services.
In the New York City Subway nomenclature, numbered or lettered "services" use different segments of physical trackage, or "lines". The services that run on certain lines change periodically.
The New York City Subway is one of the few subways worldwide operating 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The schedule is divided into different periods, with each containing different operation patterns and train intervals.
The MTA defines time periods as follows; these are used in articles (sometimes abbreviated by numbers in superscript or the symbol indicated):
Other symbols are derivatives and are defined based on the rules above:
Lines with colors next to them are the primary trunk line of the corresponding service; they determine the color of the service bullets and diamonds, except shuttles, which are dark gray.
Route | Line(s) | North terminal | South terminal | Service pattern(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A Division (IRT) | |||||
![]() | Broadway–Seventh Avenue Local [2] | IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line | Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street | South Ferry | Operates 24 hours a day. Makes all stops along the full route. |
![]() | Seventh Avenue Express [3] | IRT White Plains Road Line IRT Lenox Avenue Line IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line IRT Eastern Parkway Line IRT Nostrand Avenue Line | Wakefield–241st Street | Flatbush Avenue–Brooklyn College New Lots Avenue (some rush hour trips) | Operates 24 hours a day; Makes express stops in Manhattan (between 96th and Chambers Streets) and all stops in the Bronx and Brooklyn during daytime hours; Makes all stops along the full route during overnight hours. |
![]() | Seventh Avenue Express [4] | IRT Lenox Avenue Line IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line IRT Eastern Parkway Line IRT New Lots Line | Harlem–148th Street | New Lots Avenue 34th Street–Penn Station (late nights) | Operates 24 hours a day. Operates along the full route during daytime hours; makes express stops in Manhattan (between 96th and Chambers Streets) and all stops in Brooklyn. Short turns at 34th Street-Penn Station during overnight hours and does not operate to or from New Lots Avenue. |
![]() | Lexington Avenue Express [5] | IRT Jerome Avenue Line IRT Lexington Avenue Line IRT Eastern Parkway Line IRT New Lots Line | Woodlawn | Crown Heights–Utica Avenue New Lots Avenue (some rush hour trips and late nights) | Operates 24 hours a day; Makes express stops in Manhattan and Brooklyn and all stops in the Bronx during daytime hours (skips 138th Street during rush hours in the peak direction; Extended beyond Utica Avenue to and from New Lots Avenue and makes all stops during overnight hours (skips Hoyt Street in Brooklyn). |
![]() | Lexington Avenue Express [6] | IRT Dyre Avenue Line IRT White Plains Road Line IRT Jerome Avenue Line IRT Lexington Avenue Line IRT Eastern Parkway Line IRT Nostrand Avenue Line | Eastchester–Dyre Avenue Nereid Avenue (some rush hour trips) | Flatbush Avenue–Brooklyn College (weekdays until 8:45 PM) Bowling Green (weekday evenings and all day weekends) East 180th Street (late nights) | Operates 24 hours a day. Operates along the full route (between Dyre Avenue and Flatbush Avenue) during weekday rush hours, middays and early evenings; Makes express stops in Manhattan and Brooklyn (between Borough Hall and Franklin Avenue and all stops in the Bronx (makes express stops in the Bronx between East 180th Street and Third Avenue–149th Street during rush hours in the peak direction; Additional service operates to and from Nereid Avenue during rush hours in the peak direction instead of Dyre Avenue. Short turns at Bowling Green during weekday evenings and all day on weekends and does not operate to or from Flatbush Avenue; Operates as a shuttle between Dyre Avenue and East 180th Street during overnight hours. |
![]() | Lexington Avenue Local [7] | IRT Pelham Line IRT Lexington Avenue Line | Pelham Bay Park Parkchester (weekday rush hours, middays and evenings) | Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall | Operates 24 hours a day. Makes all stops along the full route; When the ⟨6⟩ is operating, 6 Local trains short turn at Parkchester in the Bronx during weekday rush hours, middays and evenings; peak direction service does not operate to or from Pelham Bay Park. |
![]() | Pelham Bay Park Express [7] | IRT Pelham Line IRT Lexington Avenue Line | Pelham Bay Park | Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall | Operates weekday rush hours and middays in the peak direction only. Operates along the full route and makes express stops in the Bronx (between Parkchester and Third Avenue–138th Street and all stops in the Bronx. |
![]() | Flushing Local [8] | IRT Flushing Line | Flushing–Main Street | 34th Street–Hudson Yards | Operates 24 hours a day. Makes all stops along the full route. |
![]() | Flushing Express [8] | IRT Flushing Line | Flushing–Main Street | 34th Street–Hudson Yards | Operates weekday rush hours and early evenings in the peak direction only. Makes express stops in Queens between Main Street and 74th Street–Broadway and all stops in Manhattan. |
![]() | 42nd Street Shuttle [9] | IRT 42nd Street Shuttle | Times Square | Grand Central | Operates during daytime hours only; no overnight service. |
B Division (IND/BMT) | |||||
![]() | Eighth Avenue Express [10] | IND Eighth Avenue Line IND Fulton Street Line IND Rockaway Line | Inwood–207th Street Euclid Avenue (late night Lefferts Boulevard Shuttle) | Howard Beach–JFK Airport or Ozone Park–Lefferts Boulevard | Operates at all times, normally express between 168th Street and Euclid Avenue and local elsewhere. Trains alternate between Lefferts Boulevard and Howard Beach |
![]() | Sixth Avenue Express [11] | IND Concourse Line IND Eighth Avenue Line IND Sixth Avenue Line BMT Brighton Line | Bedford Park Boulevard (rush hours and limited middays) 145th Street (limited middays and evenings) | Brighton Beach | Operates weekdays only, until 10:00 PM Operates express in Brooklyn and on the IND Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan; local on Central Park West/Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan and in the Bronx. Short turns at 145th Street during limited middays and evenings. |
![]() | Eighth Avenue Local [12] | IND Eighth Avenue Line IND Fulton Street Line | 168th Street | Euclid Avenue | Operates at all times except late nights, fully local. |
![]() | Sixth Avenue Express [13] | IND Concourse Line IND Eighth Avenue Line IND Sixth Avenue Line BMT Fourth Avenue Line BMT West End Line | Norwood–205th Street | Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue | Operates at all times, express in Manhattan at all times, normally express on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line in Brooklyn and local elsewhere in Brooklyn. Operates fully local in Brooklyn late nights. Express on the IND Concourse Line rush hours in the peak direction and local other times. |
![]() | Eighth Avenue Local [14] | IND Archer Avenue Line IND Queens Boulevard Line IND Eighth Avenue Line | Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer Jamaica–179th Street (some rush hour trips) | World Trade Center | Operates at all times, normally express on the IND Queens Boulevard Line in Queens and local elsewhere. Operates local north of Forest Hills weekday evenings and weekends. Operates fully local late nights. |
![]() | Queens Boulevard Express/Sixth Avenue Local [15] | IND Queens Boulevard Line IND 63rd Street Line IND Sixth Avenue Line IND Culver Line | Jamaica–179th Street | Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue Kings Highway (some rush hour trips) | Operates at all times. Operates express in Queens between Forest Hills–71st Avenue and 21st Street–Queensbridge and local elsewhere. Some rush hour trains short turn at Kings Highway. |
![]() | Culver Express [15] | IND Queens Boulevard Line IND 63rd Street Line IND Sixth Avenue Line IND Culver Line | Jamaica–179th Street | Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue | Operates rush hours, peak direction only. Operates express in Queens between Forest Hills–71st Avenue and 21st Street–Queensbridge and in Brooklyn between Jay Street–MetroTech and Church Avenue, and local elsewhere. |
![]() | Brooklyn–Queens Crosstown [16] | IND Crosstown Line IND Culver Line | Court Square | Church Avenue | Operates at all times, fully local. |
![]() | Nassau Street Local [17] | BMT Archer Avenue Line BMT Jamaica Line BMT Nassau Street Line | Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer | Broad Street | Operates at all times, normally fully local. Operates skip-stop with the Z train during rush hours in the peak direction. Runs express from Myrtle Avenue to Marcy Avenue rush hours and middays in the peak direction. |
![]() | 14th Street–Canarsie Local [18] | BMT Canarsie Line | Eighth Avenue | Canarsie–Rockaway Parkway | Operates at all times, fully local. Some Canarsie-bound trains short-turn at Myrtle-Wyckoff Avenues during the AM rush hour. |
![]() | Queens Boulevard/Sixth Avenue Local [19] | IND Queens Boulevard Line IND Sixth Avenue Line BMT Nassau Street Line BMT Jamaica Line BMT Myrtle Avenue Line | Forest Hills–71st Avenue Essex Street (weekdays evenings and all day weekends) Myrtle Avenue (late nights) | Middle Village–Metropolitan Avenue | Operates the full route weekdays, fully local. Short turns at Essex Street weekday evenings and all day weekends. Operates as a shuttle (Metropolitan Avenue to Myrtle Avenue) late nights. |
![]() | Broadway Express [20] | BMT Astoria Line BMT Broadway Line BMT Fourth Avenue Line BMT Sea Beach Line | Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard | Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue | Operates at all times. Normally operates via the Manhattan Bridge, express on the BMT Broadway Line south of Times Square weekdays, express on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line in Brooklyn, and local elsewhere. Local in Manhattan weekends Operates via the Montague Street Tunnel late nights, fully local. |
![]() | Second Avenue/Broadway Express/Brighton Local [21] | IND Second Avenue Line BMT 63rd Street Line BMT Broadway Line BMT Brighton Line | 96th Street | Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue | Operates at all times, normally express in Manhattan and local in Brooklyn. Operates fully local late nights. |
![]() | Broadway Local [22] | IND Queens Boulevard Line BMT Broadway Line BMT Fourth Avenue Line | Forest Hills–71st Avenue Whitehall Street–South Ferry (late nights) | Bay Ridge–95th Street | Operates the full route at all times except late nights, fully local. Short turns at Whitehall Street late nights. |
![]() | Franklin Avenue Shuttle [23] | BMT Franklin Avenue Line | Franklin Avenue | Prospect Park | Operates at all times. |
![]() | Rockaway Park Shuttle [24] | IND Rockaway Line IND Rockaway Park Branch | Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue | Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street | Operates at all times. |
![]() | Broadway Local [25] | BMT Astoria Line BMT Broadway Line | Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard | Whitehall Street–South Ferry | Operates during weekdays only until 10:00 PM, fully local, making all stops. |
![]() | Nassau Street Express [17] | BMT Archer Avenue Line BMT Jamaica Line BMT Nassau Street Line | Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer | Broad Street | Skip-stop pair with J service during rush hours in the peak direction only. |
Route | Line(s) | North terminal | South terminal | Service pattern(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Second Avenue Local | IND Second Avenue Line | Harlem–125th Street | Houston Street (Phase 3) Hanover Square (Phase 4) | Will operate at all times, fully local, making all stops |
Several services operate shorter routes during lower ridership hours, but these are neither signed differently nor counted as separate services. Although service changes caused by General Orders for construction occur on most days during midday and overnight hours, and throughout most weekends, these changes are not counted as separate services.
Because of some terminal station capacity constraints, numerous services operate to a secondary terminal as well as their usual terminus during peak hours.
The following lines run in special service or after sporting and other events:
The schedule offers trains every 3 to 5 minutes on the most used sections during rush hours. During other traffic periods, intervals range usually from 4 to 12 minutes or up to 20 minutes on outer sections. During late nights, only selected express services are operated and all late-night services usually run every 20 minutes.
Train times | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Day of the week | Rush Hour a.m. | Midday | Rush Hour p.m. | Evening | Weekend | Late Night |
Monday to Friday | 6:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. | 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. | 3:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. – 12 a.m. | — | 12 a.m. – 6:30 a.m. |
Saturday, Sunday, Holidays | — | — | — | — | 6:30 a.m. – 12 a.m. |
Train headways in minutes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Period | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() ![]() [7] | ![]() ![]() [8] | ![]() (42nd St.) [9] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() ![]() [15] | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() (Fkln. Ave.) [23] | ![]() (Rock. Park) [24] |
Rush hours | 3-7 | 6-7 | 6-7 | 4-5 | 4-6 | 3-7 | 2-3 | 2-4 | 6 | 7-9 | 9-10 | 6-7 | 4-5 | 4-5 | 6-9 | 5-8 | 3-4 | 8-10 | 6-8 | 5-7 | 6-8 | 8-10 | 10 | 12-28 |
Middays | 6 | 7-8 | 8-9 | 7-8 | 8-9 | 5-6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7-8 | 7-8 | 8 | 8 | 4-6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 13-17 |
Evenings | 10 | 8-12 | 12 | 10 | 10-12 | 10-12 | 5-8 | 5 | 7 | — | 12 | 10-12 | 6-10 | 8-10 | 8-12 | 12-15 | 7-12 | 12-15 | 10-12 | 8-12 | 12 | 10 | 12-15 | 15-20 |
Weekends | 6-8 | 8-12 | 8-12 | 8-12 | 8-12 | 6-8 | 4-8 | 5 | 10 | — | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 8-10 | 4-10 | 8-10 | 12 | 8-10 | 12 | — | 10-15 | 15-20 |
Late nights | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | — | 17 | — | — | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | — | 20 | 20 |
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This is a list of average train frequencies during different times of the day, measured in trains per hour (tph). This chart shows frequencies based on the train intervals listed in timetables, with a margin of error of 2 tph.
Trains per hour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Period | ![]() [2] | ![]() [3] | ![]() [4] | ![]() [5] | ![]() [6] | ![]() [7] | ![]() [7] | ![]() [8] | ![]() [8] | ![]() (42nd St.) [9] | ![]() [10] | ![]() [11] | ![]() [12] | ![]() [13] | ![]() [14] | ![]() [15] | ![]() [15] | ![]() [16] | ![]() [17] | ![]() [17] | ![]() [18] | ![]() [19] | ![]() [20] | ![]() [21] | ![]() [22] | ![]() [25] | ![]() (Fkln. Ave.) [23] | ![]() (Rock. Pk.) [24] |
Rush hours | 8–18 | 9–10 [note 1] | 9–10 | 14.5 [note 1] | 14.5 [note 1] [note 2] | 8 | 8–12 | 10–15 | 10–15 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 6–7 | 10 | 15 [note 4] | 14.5 | 2 [note 5] | 6–8 | 6 | 6 | 18–20 | 7–8 | 7.5 | 7.5-10 | 7.5 | 6-7 | 6 | 3-4 |
Middays, evenings, and weekends [note 6] | 10 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 12 | — | 12 | 8 [note 7] | 6-7.5 | 6-7.5 | 6-7.5 | 8 | 8 | — | 7.5 | 6-7.5 | — | 15 | 6-7.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 |
Late nights | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | 3 | — | — | 6 [note 8] | — | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | 3 | 3 | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | 3 | 3 |
See New York City Subway nomenclature for a complete explanation; this is just a table of when each service has existed (and been signed for the public). Shuttles were SS until 1985, when they became S (which had been used for specials). See here for the colors used for shuttles in 1967; in 1968 all six became green, and in 1979 all shuttles became dark gray.
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