Times Square-42nd Street (New York City Subway station)
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Manhattan
Template:NYCS station rowOctober 27, 1904 (original station)
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Times Square-42nd Street is the busiest station complex of the New York City Subway, joining four lines, with a free transfer via a passageway to a fifth (Template:NYCS slls). It lies under Times Square, at the intersection of 42nd Street, Seventh Avenue and Broadway.
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42nd Street Shuttle platforms
Template:NYCS station header small Template:NYCS station rowIRT 42nd Street Shuttle Template:NYCS station rowTemplate:NYCS 42nd Template:NYCS station rowTemplate:NYCS cross yes Template:NYCS station rowterminal Template:NYCS station rowTemplate:NYCS next Template:NYCS station rowOctober 27, 1904 Template:NYCS station footer small
Times Square-42nd Street was originally 42nd Street, a local station on the first subway in 1904. Nowadays three shuttle tracks serve it; the southbound express is gone. There is no track connection between the northbound local and the other two tracks anywhere along the shuttle. Platforms are located on both sides (at the old local platforms) and where the southbound express track was; all three platforms connect on the north (compass west) side. This walkway crosses the northbound local track on a bridge that can be lifted for the only access to that track, via a merge into the northbound IRT Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line local track along the original subway alignment (north of the current Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line station). The other three tracks used to curve parallel to this one.
Because of the curvature on the platforms, gap fillers are used to bridge the gap between train and platform. An underpass which used to connect the original side platforms lies between the downtown local track and the two express and the uptown local tracks of the BMT Broadway Line, which runs perpendicular to the shuttle.
Flushing Line platform
Template:NYCS station header small Template:NYCS station rowIRT Flushing Line Template:NYCS station rowTemplate:NYCS Flushing Template:NYCS station rowTemplate:NYCS cross island Template:NYCS station rowTemplate:NYCS next Template:NYCS station rowterminal Template:NYCS station rowMarch 14, 1927 Template:NYCS station footer small
Times Square-42nd Street is the terminal for all Template:NYCS 7 service. It has one island platform between the two tracks. There are stairs and escalators along the platform leading to various mezzanines. There are "TS" tile mosaics along the station walls. An office is located at the north end of the platform.
The tracks continue south (compass west) beyond the station to an unused storage and layover area. If the Flushing Line were to be extended, work would have to done to improve this stretch. The closed lower level platform at 42nd Street-Port Authority Bus Terminal on the IND Eighth Avenue Line would also have to be removed.
Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line platforms
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Template:NYCS station rowIRT Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line
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Template:NYCS station rowlocal: Template:NYCS next
express: Template:NYCS next
Template:NYCS station rowlocal/express: Template:NYCS next
Template:NYCS station rowJune 3, 1917
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42nd Street-Times Square is an express station with four tracks and two island platforms. Just to the south of the station, a fifth center track begins, formed by a connection from each express track. This track splits back into the two express tracks just before 34th Street-Penn Station.
This section of line was the site of a 1928 wreck which killed 16 people, the second worst in New York City history.
Broadway Line platforms
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Template:NYCS station rowBMT Broadway Line
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express: Template:NYCS next
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Template:NYCS station rowJanuary 5, 1918
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42nd Street-Times Square is an express station with four tracks and two island platforms. Connections to the other lines are at the north end of the platforms. Recently in 2005, The Broadway platforms were renovated and rehab. The platforms are now fully ADA acessible.
The complex as a whole
This station has been undergoing total reconstruction in stages starting in the mid 1990's. The reconstruction included a new entryway on the south side of 42nd Street between 7th Avenue and Broadway, featuring a bright neon and colored glass flashing sign with the train route symbols and the word "Subway". The street level fare control at this site features restored original "Times Square" mosaics from the Contract One station walls (now used by the shuttle).
In 1999, a $244 million renovation of the complex began. The goal is to reduce congestion and improve rider access, comfort and safety by improving visual lines and increasing pedestrian capacity. The main corridor is being widened 15 feet and the number of sharp corners reduced; ADA compliance is being introduced with elevators, and new escalators are being built. The mezzanine above the BMT Broadway Line will feature a large oval balcony looking over the trackway and reducing the sense of claustrophobia described by many riders.
The free transfer between the Template:IRT and Template:BMT was added in 1948. The free passageway west one block to Template:NYCS slls was added a while later.
Relative depths
- IRT 42nd Street Shuttle, 20 feet below street
- IND Eighth Avenue Line (off to the west), 30 feet
- IRT Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line, 40 feet
- BMT Broadway Line, 50 feet
- IRT Flushing Line, 60 feet
External links
- Abandoned Stations - proposed Grand Central shuttle platform (http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/abandoned/grandcentral.html) (includes a track diagram)
- nycsubway.org - IRT Grand Central/Times Square Shuttle (http://nycsubway.org/irt/shuttle/)
- nycsubway.org - IRT Flushing Line: Times Square (http://nycsubway.org/irt/flushing/irt-flushing-tsq.html)
- nycsubway.org - IRT West Side: 42nd Street-Times Square (http://nycsubway.org/irt/westside/irt-westside-42.html) (text used with permission)
- nycsubway.org - BMT Broadway: 42nd Street-Times Square (http://nycsubway.org/bmt/bmtbway/bmt-broadway-42.html)