BMT Astoria Line

NYC Skyline is seen from Astoria Line Train

The Astoria Line is a rapid transit line of the BMT division of the New York City Subway, serving the neighborhood of Astoria, Queens.

Extent and service

BMT Astoria Line
Legend Astoria – Ditmars Boulevard Astoria Boulevard 30th Avenue Broadway 36th Avenue IND 63rd Street Line 39th Avenue IRT Flushing Line Queensboro Plaza IND Queens Boulevard Line IRT Flushing Line 60th Street Tunnel Connection BMT Broadway Line

The Astoria Line is served by two services, the N and W. The N runs all the time, and the W runs weekdays from morning rush hour through around midnight. No services use the center express track, but the W trains use this track to layup during the early AM Rush Hours before starting service at 07:00. In addition, during the AM rush hour, at around 8:45AM, one N train runs express on the Astoria Line from Queensboro Plaza to Astoria Boulevard-Hoyt Avenue, and terminates at Astoria Boulevard-Hoyt Avenue. During the middays, some N trains lay up as well.

The north end of the Astoria Line is a two-track terminal at Ditmars Boulevard–Astoria, with one island platform. South of the station, the center express track begins (with crossovers to allow trains relaying at Ditmars Boulevard–Astoria to reach the correct track). The next station, Astoria Boulevard, is the only express station on the three-track section.

North of Queensboro Plaza, the express track ends. Queensboro Plaza is set up with northbound trains on the upper level, southbound trains on the lower level, and cross-platform transfers to the IRT Flushing Line. Crossover tracks exist between the upper level tracks just north of the station, one of a few connections between the BMT/IND and IRT. After Queensboro Plaza, the line turns west and merges with the 60th Street Tunnel Connection to become the BMT Broadway Line via the 60th Street Tunnel.

Passing under New York Connecting Railroad

History

The Astoria Line was originally part of the IRT, as a spur off the IRT Queensboro Line, now part of the IRT Flushing Line (which didn't open to the north until April 21, 1917). The whole Astoria Line north of Queensboro Plaza opened on February 1, 1917, and was used by trains between 42nd Street–Grand Central and Astoria.

On July 23, 1917, the Queensboro Bridge spur of the elevated IRT Second Avenue Line opened. At that time, all elevated trains to Queensboro Plaza used the Astoria Line, and all subway trains used the Corona Line (now the Flushing Line), though this was later changed with trains alternating between branches.

The 60th Street Tunnel opened on August 1, 1920, allowing BMT trains to reach Queensboro Plaza. However, the stations on the Astoria and Corona Lines were built to IRT specifications, which were too narrow for BMT rolling stock. Thus the BMT trains terminated at Queensboro Plaza.

On April 8, 1923, the BMT, using elevated cars, started running shuttles along the Astoria Line (numbered BMT 8 in 1924) and the Corona Line (BMT 9). The IRT lines were numbered in 1948, with 7 being assigned to the Flushing Line (former Corona Line) and 8 to the Astoria Line.

Only a year later, on October 17, 1949, the Flushing Line became IRT-only, and the platforms on the Astoria Line were shaved back to allow through BMT trains to operate on it, the first being the Brighton Local (BMT 1). The IRT Second Avenue Line spur to Queensboro Plaza closed on June 13, 1942. Since then, the Astoria Line has hosted the "other end" of various services running from Brooklyn through Manhattan; see B, N, Q, R, T and W for details.

Station listing

turning on Astoria Line

Looking southward from the station platform

Queensboro Plaza station as seen from entering BMT Astoria line

Station service legend
	Stops all times
	Stops all times except late nights
	Stops weekdays only
	Stops rush hours in the peak direction only
Time period details

	Station	Tracks	Services	Opened	Transfers and notes
	Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard		N  W	February 1, 1917	originally Ditmars Avenue
Center Express track begins (No Regular Service)
	Astoria Boulevard	all	N  W	February 1, 1917	M60 bus to LaGuardia Airport originally Hoyt Avenue
	30th Avenue	local	N  W	February 1, 1917	originally Grand Avenue
	Broadway	local	N  W	February 1, 1917
	36th Avenue	local	N  W	February 1, 1917	originally Washington Avenue
	39th Avenue	local	N  W	February 1, 1917	originally Beebe Avenue
Center Express track ends
connecting tracks to IRT Flushing Line (No regular service)
	Queensboro Plaza	all	N  W	February 1, 1917	7  <7> (IRT Flushing Line)
merges with the 60th Street Tunnel Connection (R ) and becomes the BMT Broadway Line via the 60th Street Tunnel (N  R  W )

External links

• nycsubway.org - BMT Astoria Line

References

• New Astoria Line Opened, New York Times February 2, 1917 page 14
• Subway Link Over Queensboro Bridge, New York Times July 22, 1917 page 31
• New Subway Link Opens, New York Times August 1, 1920 page 12
• Additional Subway Service to Borough of Queens, New York Times April 8, 1923 page RE1
• Direct Subway Runs to Flushing, Astoria, New York Times October 15, 1949 page 17