A (New York City Subway service)

History

Early history

The A and AA were the first services on the IND Eighth Avenue Line when it opened on September 10, 1932. The Independent Subway System (IND) used single letters to refer to express services and double letters for local services. The A ran express between 207th Street and Chambers Street, and the AA ran local between 168th Street and Chambers Street, known at the time as Hudson Terminal. During late-night hours (from 1:45 a.m. to 5:45 a.m.) and on Sundays, the A did not run and the AA made all stops along the line.

The A was extended to Jay Street–Borough Hall when the Cranberry Street Tunnel to Brooklyn opened on February 1, 1933, and to Bergen Street, when the extension opened on March 20. On July 1, the A began running express at all times, stopping at 155th Street and 163rd Street during late nights. The A was extended to Church Avenue on October 7.

On April 9, 1936, the IND Fulton Street Line was opened to Rockaway Avenue. The 1936 extension played an integral part in the establishment of Bedford-Stuyvesant as Brooklyn's central African American community. The A train connected Harlem, Manhattan's central African American community, to areas of Bedford-Stuyvesant that provided residential opportunities for African Americans not found throughout the rest of New York City.

On December 30, 1946, and November 28, 1948, the line was extended to Broadway–East New York (now Broadway Junction) and Euclid Avenue, respectively. On October 24, 1949, express service in Brooklyn to Broadway–East New York began with the A running express during rush hours, with the extended to provide local service.

Extensions to Ozone Park and the Rockaways

On April 29, 1956, Grant Avenue was opened and the line was extended over the BMT Fulton Street Line to Lefferts Boulevard. On weekdays except midnights, alternate trains terminated at Lefferts Boulevard and at Euclid Avenue. During weekends, they terminated at Euclid Avenue with a shuttle to Lefferts Boulevard.

Two months later, on June 28, 1956, the former Long Island Rail Road Rockaway Beach Branch, having been rebuilt to subway specifications, began service to Rockaway Park and Wavecrest (Beach 25th Street). At this time, rush hour express service on the Fulton Street Line with the E train began.

On September 16, 1956, the A was extended to the Rockaways, replacing the E. At the time, alternate trains continued running to Lefferts Boulevard. On January 27, 1957, non-rush hour through service to the Rockaways was discontinued and was replaced by a shuttle running between Euclid Avenue and Wavecrest (now Beach 25th Street). Non-rush hour A train service was now to Lefferts Boulevard.

On June 18, 1957, the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) announced plans to have Rockaway-bound A trains skip Grant Avenue, Hudson Street, and Boyd Street during rush hours on a one-month pilot, to take effect July 1. The change was made to determine whether ten minutes could be reduced off of travel times to the Rockaways; the NYCTA only believed it would save three minutes. In the face of community opposition, the NYCTA announced that it would take more time to review the change, meaning that it ultimately did not take effect on July 1.

On January 16, 1958, with the opening of the new terminal Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue, rush hour A service was extended. On September 8, 1958, the E train replaced the A train in the Rockaways again, and A trains resumed alternating between Euclid Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard. "Round-robin" service from Euclid Avenue to both Rockaway terminals began during non-rush hours, while through A service ran to Lefferts Boulevard. On September 8, 1959, the A began to run local in Brooklyn during rush hours, making it local at all times in Brooklyn, as the E became express in Brooklyn during rush hours. On July 9, 1967, the A trains running to Euclid Avenue were extended to Far Rockaway middays, evenings, and weekends, replacing the HH shuttle on that branch.

Simplifying service patterns

As part of systemwide changes in bus and subway service, major changes were made to A service in Brooklyn and Queens on January 2, 1973. The A train became the express service along Fulton Street and the E train became the local during rush hours. Express service would be provided for a longer period during rush hours as the span of E service to Brooklyn, which would cover local stops, was also increased. In addition, the A trips that terminated at Euclid Avenue during rush hours were extended to Far Rockaway, replacing E service. Service would now run to Far Rockaway between 5:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. A trains would alternate between Lefferts Boulevard and Far Rockaway. These changes were initially supposed to take effect on September 11, 1972.

On August 30, 1976, the CC became the Fulton Street Local during rush hours, replacing E service. On August 27, 1977, the A began making local stops in Manhattan during late nights, when the AA was not running.

On December 11, 1988, A trains began running local between 145th Street and 168th Street on weekends to replace the discontinued K (formerly AA) service, and express on the IND Fulton Street Line in Brooklyn during middays and rush hours, with the C providing local service during those times. On September 30, 1990, A trains began operating local between 145th Street and 168th Street during weekday evenings.

In January 1991, a reduction of service along the Central Park West corridor to remove excess capacity was proposed. Initially, A service would operate local between 168th Street and Euclid Avenue during weekday rush hours and middays, with weekday evening and weekend daytime service extended beyond 168th Street to operate to and from Inwood–207th Street, and daily late night service extended beyond Euclid Avenue to operate to and from Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue in Queens. Express service between 168th Street and 59th Street–Columbus Circle would be replaced by and rerouted trains, the latter of which would serve 207th Street during weekday rush hours and middays; express service below 34th Street–Penn Station in Manhattan and in Brooklyn would have been replaced by an expanded service. A new shuttle would serve Lefferts Boulevard during late nights. The service change was later amended to retain the A as an express service in place of the altered service pattern and would be re-designated as an orange A, as it would be rerouted via the Sixth Avenue Line and its southern terminal moved to Brighton Beach, operating weekday rush hours and middays only. This service change would have been implemented in October 1991, pending approval from the MTA board.

In 1991, at a series of meetings, the NYCTA presented proposed changes to A, C, and H service that would shorten the length of the C, simplify the service pattern during late nights to most efficiently serve the majority of riders, provide direct express service to Rockaway Park during rush hours in the peak direction, and provide shuttle connections during non-peak periods between Rockaway Park and through A train service. The service pattern devised was designed to improve operations by reducing route length and complexity, making service more attractive, simplifying confusing service patterns, and reducing transfers for passengers traveling during late nights. At the time, A service ran to Lefferts Boulevard and Far Rockaway during the day while the C ran to Rockaway Park during rush hours. During late nights, A service ran to Lefferts Boulevard, while service to both branches in the Rockaways was provided by round-robin H shuttle service to Euclid Avenue. As part of the changes proposed, round-robin shuttle service would be discontinued; late-night A service would run from Manhattan through to Far Rockaway; and service to Lefferts Boulevard and Rockaway Park would be provided by separate shuttle services with timed transfers to through A service. Rush hour local C service to Rockaway Park would be replaced by through A express service that ran every 20 minutes in the peak direction for a period of one hour and twenty minutes in rush hours to and from 59th Street–Columbus Circle. The initial proposal had these trips terminate at 34th Street, but this was changed to 59th Street following public comments. These five rush hour express trips were marketed as a "commuter rail style service", and special efforts were to be made to follow the arrival and departure times listed in the route's timetable, which was publicly distributed to riders. In addition, H service to Rockaway Park would be replaced by the Rockaway Park Shuttle, which would run between Broad Channel and Rockaway Park, and C service would be truncated to Euclid Avenue.

In April 1992, the MTA Board approved the proposed change to service in the Rockaways, which were expected to encourage ridership growth in the long term, and reduced NYCTA's annual operating budget by $20,000.*

• The changes took effect on October 25, 1992, with modification: Overnight shuttle service to Lefferts Boulevard would terminate at Euclid Avenue, not Rockaway Boulevard. In addition, the Rockaway Park trips would end at Dyckman Street during the morning rush hour and begin at 59th Street–Columbus Circle during the evening rush hour. Later on, the Rockaway Park trips were extended from 59th Street to Dyckman Street and 207th Street.

On May 29, 1994, A trains began running express on weekends from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. between 168th Street and 145th Street, with C trains being extended from 145th Street to 168th Street to cover local stops. A corresponding change was made to weekday midday A service on April 30, 1995, though this change was discontinued on November 12, 1995. On March 1, 1998, A trains began running express between 168th Street and 145th Street during middays and early evenings, with local service provided by extended C service.

On May 1, 1999, the A became the express on the Fulton Street Line every day during daytime hours, and C service was extended from World Trade Center to Euclid Avenue during late weekday evenings and weekends to provide local service along the line. This service change was made due to construction taking place on the Williamsburg Bridge, which prohibited the , and from entering Manhattan; as a result, service on the A, as well as the C and , were increased. This service change to the A was made permanent after the Williamsburg Bridge reopened to J, M and Z trains.

21st century

service was suspended from January 29 to February 14, 2000 due to switch replacement work north of the World Trade Center station, preventing it from being used as a terminal for trains. As a result, A trains made all stops between 168th and 145th Streets during weekday daytime hours, and made all stops between 145th and 59th Streets during weekday evening hours.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, A service was rerouted between West Fourth and Jay Streets, making stops and operating via the Rutgers Street Tunnel. On September 17, normal A service was restored, but trains bypassed Chambers Street until October 5.

On January 23, 2005, a fire at the Chambers Street signal room crippled A and C service. Initial assessments suggested that it would take several years to restore normal service, but the damaged equipment was replaced with available spare parts, and normal service resumed on April 21.

A service was affected by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, due to extreme damage to the IND Rockaway Line. Trains that normally traveled to Far Rockaway or Rockaway Park terminated at Howard Beach–JFK Airport. Service to the Rockaways resumed on May 30, 2013. The Far Rockaway part of the route was served by the temporary free H shuttle that ran between Far Rockaway and Beach 90th Street via the connecting track at Hammels Wye.

As a result of a two-phase program of flood mitigation work along the Hammels Wye, between April 9 and May 18, 2018, limited rush hour A service to/from Rockaway Park was suspended. The second phase, from July 1 to September 3, diverted all Far Rockaway-bound A trips to Rockaway Park, with Rockaway Park Shuttle trains being rerouted to the Far Rockaway branch through the southern leg of Hammels Wye.

From midday on March 29, 2020 to April 28, 2020, due to the suspension of C train service caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, A trains to Lefferts Boulevard ran local, while A trains to the Rockaways ran express. As part of a program to repair the South Channel Bridge, service between Howard Beach and the peninsula was suspended for 17 weeks starting on January 17, 2025, and the Rockaway branches were instead served by a rerouted Rockaway Park Shuttle. Regular service resumed on May 19, 2025.

Route

Service pattern

The following table shows the lines used by the A, 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.

For clarity, the A branches are shown separately in the following table. The leftmost column shows the Lefferts Boulevard service; the second column shows the Far Rockaway service; and the third column shows the Rockaway Park service.

In popular culture

"Take the 'A' Train" is a jazz standard by Billy Strayhorn, referring to the A train, going at that time from eastern Brooklyn up into Harlem and northern Manhattan. It became the signature tune of Duke Ellington and often opened the shows of Ella Fitzgerald. The A train is mentioned by Azealia Banks in her song "212".

Notes

References

References

1. {{NYCS const. timetable. A
2. "Mta.info – Line Colors". mta.info.
3. {{NYCS const. latenightmap
4. (December 11, 2015). "Review of the A and C Lines". [[Metropolitan Transportation Authority]].
5. (September 10, 1932). "Gay Midnight Crowd Rides First Trains in New Subway". [[The New York Times]].
6. (1993). "A History of the New York City Subway System". J. Schmidt, R. Giglio, and K. Lang.
7. (February 1, 1933). "CITY OPENS SUBWAY TO BROOKLYN TODAY; Regular Express Service on the Extension of Independent Line Starts at 6:05 A.M. 3 LARGE STATIONS ADDED Fast Trains to Make Run From 207th St. To Borough Hall in 37 Minutes. 43 MORE MEN ON JOBS Officials Look for Rise in Income as Financial District Is Brought Into New Route.". The New York Times.
8. (January 29, 1933). "NEW SUBWAY LINK OPENS WEDNESDAY; Independent Line Will Offer Express Service to Borough Hall in Brooklyn. KEY STATION TO BE ADDED Broadway-Nassau St. Platform to Connect With B.M.T. And East and West Side I.R.T. ADDED REVENUE EXPECTED 2-Way Rush-Hour Traffic Hoped For by Officials – Local Trains to Be Speeded Slightly.". The New York Times.
9. (March 12, 1933). "CITY SUBWAY OPENS NEW LINK MARCH 20; Brooklyn Extension to Bergen and Smith Streets to Add One More Station. RISE IN REVENUE CERTAIN Further Cut Into Traffic of Rival Systems at Terminal Point Is Predicted. GROWTH WILL CONTINUE Station-By-Siation Completion to Church Avenue Before September Is Planned.". The New York Times.
10. "NYCT Line by Line History". erictb.info.
11. (April 9, 1936). "NEW SUBWAY LINK OPENED BY MAYOR; He Tells 15,000 In Brooklyn It Will Be Extended to Queens When Red Tape Is Cut.". The New York Times.
12. Echanove, Matias. [http://urbanology.org/BedStuy/ "Bed-Stuy on the Move"] {{Webarchive. link. (September 16, 2017 . Master thesis. Urban Planning Program. ''Columbia University''. Urbanology.org. 2003.)
13. Williams, Keith. "Weaving the Broadway Junction Tapestry". The Weekly Nabe.
14. (October 20, 1949). "IND Faster Service Will Start Sunday". The New York Times.
15. (April 1956). "Notice To Passengers". New York City Transit Authority.
16. (April 30, 1956). "First Leg of Rockaways Transit Opened at Cost of $10,154,702; Station and Subway Section Put Into Use—Service Is Expected on June 28". The New York Times.
17. "PRR Chronology, 1956".
18. "Rockaway Park". arrts-arrchives.com.
19. "Long Island Station History". trainsarefun.com.
20. Freejman), Ira Henry. (June 29, 1956). "FREE RIDE OPENS ROCKAWAYS LINE; Fete Marks Longest Single Extension of Rapid Transit in History of the City Commissioner's Children Help Mayor Arrives Late". The New York Times.
21. (June 19, 1957). "IND Time Test to Skip 3 Brooklyn Stations". New York Daily News.
22. (June 25, 1957). "Rockaway Transit Speedup Assailed". New York Daily News.
23. (June 27, 1957). "TA Puts Off Speedup For Rockaway Line". New York Daily News.
24. Linder, Bernard. (October 1968). "Independent Subway Service History". Electric Railroaders' Association.
25. Chiasson, George. (February 2012). "History of the A Train". Electric Railroaders' Association.
26. (July 5, 1967). "Train Stepup To Far Rock". New York Daily News.
27. (January 2, 1973). "Subway Schedules In Queens Changing Amid Some Protest". The New York Times.
28. (November 25, 1972). "Changes Set for Jan. 2 Praised". The New York Times.
29. (1972). "To Serve You Better... ....On E and F Trains in Queens and Manhattan". New York City Transit Authority.
30. (1972). "To Serve You Better... Changes in Subway Service Will Become Effective 6 AM Tues, Jan. 2". New York City Transit Authority.
31. (1972). "Improved Service Begins Sept 11". New York City Transit Authority.
32. (August 1976). "Service Adjustment on BMT and IND Lines Effective 1 A.M. Monday, Aug. 30". New York City Transit Authority.
33. (1977). "Service Adjustments on the BMT and IND Lines Effective Midnight, Saturday, August 27". New York City Transit Authority.
34. (1988). "System-Wide Changes In Subway Service Effective Sunday, December 11, 1988". New York City Transit Authority.
35. (September 30, 1990). "Service Changes September 30, 1990". New York City Transit Authority.
36. (January 4, 1991). "1991 Service Capacity Plan". New York City Transit Authority.
37. Chiasson, George. (February 2012). "History of the A Train". Electric Railroaders' Association.
38. (October 1992). "October 1992 New York City Subway Map". New York City Transit Authority.
39. Chiasson, George. (February 2012). "History of the A Train". Electric Railroaders' Association.
40. "A Subway Timetable". mta.info.
41. (May 1994). "May 1994 Subway Map". New York City Transit.
42. (October 1999). "New Schedules -- Williamsburg Bridge Reopens; Increased Subway Service". Electric Railroaders' Association, Incorporated.
43. (March 2000). "Around New York's Transit System -- C Service Temporarily Discontinued". Electric Railroaders' Association, Incorporated.
44. (October 2001). "World Trade Center Destroyed". Electric Railroaders' Association.
45. (November 2001). "World Trade Center Destruction-Related Changes". Electric Railroaders' Association.
46. Chan, Sewell. (January 25, 2005). "2 Subway Lines Crippled by Fire; Long Repair Seen". The New York Times.
47. (August 24, 2010). "Remembering a Fire at Chambers St.". Second Ave. Sagas.
48. "Rebuilding the Rockaways After Hurricane Sandy". Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
49. (May 16, 2013). "Cuomo: MTA To Restore A Train Subway Service To The Rockaways May 30".
50. "MTA on Twitter". Twitter.
51. "Hurricane Sandy Recovery Service. As of November 20". Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
52. "MTA News". mta.info.
53. (March 8, 2018). "Train Change: A/ Shuttle Service to Be Impacted Starting in April".
54. (March 29, 2020). "MANH/BKLYN, A and C Train, No C Train Service". Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
55. Berger, Paul. (March 31, 2020). "New York Transit Struggles Under Coronavirus Worker Shortage". The Wall Street Journal.
56. Martinez, Jose. (April 28, 2020). "Subway Service Slowly Gets Back On Track As Transit Workers Return". The City.
57. (April 28, 2020). "Update: QNS, C Train, No Scheduled Service". Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
58. (April 28, 2020). "A 8 Avenue Express". Open Mobility Data.
59. Schilling, John. (September 13, 2024). "MTA Previews 17-Week A Train Service Shutdown During CB14 Meeting".
60. McFadden, Katie. (September 16, 2024). "A Train Shutdown Tops September CB14 Meeting".
61. (May 19, 2025). "A train service to Rockaways resumes after 4 month shutdown for repairs".
62. Simko-Bednarski, Evan. (May 19, 2025). "Rockaways, Queens subway service begins again on A train".
63. {{NYCS const. serviceguide
64. (May 28, 2019). "Station Complexes". Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
65. "New York City Subway Severe Winter Weather". MTA.
66. (January 2, 2008). "The A Train". The New York Times.
67. Mlynar, Phillip. (June 7, 2012). "Azealia Banks Says She Was Not Discovered By Diplo". [[MTV]].