The IRT line on the West Side of Manhattan comprises portions ofseveral different subway construction contracts, including the 1904Contract I "First Subway" from north of Times Square and severalextensions to it, and sixteen 1915-1918 Contract III, or "DualContracts" stations.
The Contract I and Dual Contracts construction is covered in-depthelsewhere on this site (The First Subway, andThe Dual Contracts), so thisoverview will consist of a few brief notes.
Service opened in stages, with opening dates identified on eachstation's description page, but to summarize: October 27, 1904, TimesSquare - 145th Street, with the rest of the northward part of the lineto Van Cortlandt Park opening by 1907; June 3, 1917, shuttle servicebegan between the new Times Square 7th Avenue Subway station and 34thStreet/Pennsylvania Station; July 1, 1918, South Ferry to TimesSquare, plus shuttle service between Wall Street and Chambers Street;August 1, 1918, through service from South Ferry to Van CortlandtPark; April 15, 1919, service to Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, via theClark Street tunnels which connected to the Wall Street station.
The contract drawings for the "First Subway" were completed in 1898 bychief engineer William Barclay Parsons. The engineering and design ofthe Contract I subway was divided into 15 sub-sections. The portion ofthe work included in today's West Side line include:
Section 5A, Center of East 41st Street west and north to the center ofWest 47th Street and Broadway, a 0.82-mile length of four tracksubway. Stations were built at Grand Central (express) and TimesSquare (local) along 42nd Street (today's Shuttle operation). Work onthis section commenced on February 25, 1901. It was this section thatwas broken in 1918 when the "Dual Contracts" 7th Avenue Subway wastied into the Contract I subway at 7th Avenue and 42nd Street. Asingle track connection was retained for access to the northernmost ofthe Shuttle tracks, visible in today's Times Square shuttlestation. Two articles describe the August 1, 1918 service changes thatwould become known as the "H System":IRT H System Opens (1918), andThe H Lines In Service (1918).
Section 5B, Center of West 47th Street north to thecenter of West 60th Street. 0.69 miles of four track cut and coversubway under Broadway. Stations at: 50th Street and 59th Street(Columbus Circle) Construction commenced September 19, 1900. Thissection underpinned the Columbus statue at Columbus Circle, detailedin a 1902 article:Difficult Engineering in the Subway (1902).
Section 6A, Center of 60th Street north under Broadway tothe center of 82nd Street, 1.20 miles of four-track cut and coversubway. Stations at: 66th Street, 72nd Street (express), and 79thStreet. Construction commenced August 22, 1900.
Section 6B, Center of West 82nd Street 1.07 miles northunder Broadway to the center of West 104th Street. This sectionincluded the junction of the "West Side" branch and the "East Side",or Lenox Avenue, branch north of 96th Street, as well as the stationsat 91st Street (now closed), 96th Street (express), and 103rd Street.North of 96th Street the express tracks descend and turn eastwardnorthward, becoming three tracks, to the station at 103rd Street. Somelast minute design changes added the third track northbound, and aprovision for a third track was also built into the lower level Lenoxbranch of the junction. This accounts for the extra space seenalongside the active tracks in this area. Construction of this sectionbegan on August 22, 1900. Service in this area was originallyoperated with some locals and some express trains entering bothbranches, causing a bottleneck at the crossovers at the junction. Asearly as 1908 improvement was sought in this area by planning extraflyunder tracks, which were never built. Better signalling wasinstalled instead; but by the 1950s it was decided that all of theexpress trains would head toward Lenox Avenue and all of the localtrains would continue north along Broadway, which remains theoperating pattern today.
 Postcard: "Subway at Broadway and 98th Street showing East Side [Lenox] going under West Side branch, New York." |  Postcard: The Fort George Tunnel. |
Section 7, a deep rock tunnel under Central Park from103rd Street to 110th Street, 0.87 miles long. No stations, althoughone was planned for at Central Park West. Construction began October2, 1900.
Section 8, 110th Street to 135th Street, two track cutand cover subway, 1.28 miles long. Stations at: 110th Street (islandplatform), 116th Street, 125th Street, and 135th Street (all sideplatforms). The subway runs under the west half of the wide LenoxAvenue, having been built here to avoid work under a two track streetrailway on the east half. The 135th Street station has a third centertrack intended for use for layups, but now mostlydisused. Construction began August 30, 1900.
Section 11, 104th Street north under Broadway for 1.07miles to the portals near W. 122nd Street. Three tracks of cut andcover subway, with a concrete arch roof north of 116th Street.Stations at: 110th Street (Cathedral Parkway), 116th Street (ColumbiaUniversity). Construction began June 18, 1900. The third track wasadded after construction began, detailed in a 1902 article:Difficult Engineering in the Subway (1902).
Section 12, Manhattan Valley Viaduct, three-track steel viaduct 0.41miles long over Broadway, including an arch over 125th Street (thencalled Manhattan Street) and a station at that location. Broadwayhere is in a deep valley, so rather than build the subway under it,with steep grades, the valley was crossed on an elevatedstructure. The arched viaduct at 125th Street was added both as anornamental device as well as to avoid having to reroute street railwaytrackage along 125th Street. The span of the arch is 168 feet, and 55feet above the street. The ends of this section included shortembankments in the middle of Broadway to portals north of 122nd Streetand south of 135th Street. Construction began June 1, 1901.
Section 13, 133rd Street portals to 182nd Street, 2.42 miles ofthree/two track subway and a five track underground yard between 137thStreet and 145th Street; cut and cover south of 145th Street, rocktunnel northward. Stations at: 137th Street (City College), 145thStreet, 157th Street, 168th Street, and 181st Street. Work began May14, 1900.
Section 14, 182nd Street to Dyckman Street, continuation of the FortGeorge Tunnel; 0.81 miles of two track subway. Work began on March 27,1901. No stations were part of the original design; 191st Street wasbuilt later, 181 feet below the surface, and opened January 14,1911.
Section 15, Portals near Dyckman Street to northern terminus overBroadway, including bridge over the Harlem River Ship Canal. Stationsat Dyckman Street, 207th Street, 215th Street, 230th Street. North ofthe Broadway Bridge, the original route turned on 230th Street,crossed the New York Central's Hudson line, and ended at Bailey Avenuenear the New York Central's Putnam division station. The 230thSt. station was a two track, single island, elevated station. Serviceto 230th & Bailey began in March 1906. By 1907 the line was altered toinclude stations at 225th Street, 231st Street, 238th Street, and242nd Street-Van Cortlandt Park; and 230th & Bailey was abandoned.
The 7th Avenue subway south of Times Square was known as DualContracts Route No. 4/38 and was divided into several subsections:
FromReport of the Public Service Commission for the First District of the State of New York, 1916:
This line is made up of the First Subway north of Times square and extension therefrom to the south along Seventh avenue, Varick street. West Broadway and Greenwich street to a connection with the First Subway at the Battery. It is four-track to about Park place, and two-track south of that point. For the portion between 34th and 40th streets there are five tracks. It is designated as the Seventh Avenue subway, Routes Nos. 4 and 38, and divided into eight contract sections, No. 1-A, Nos. 1 to 6 inclusive, and No. 6-A.
Routes Nos. 4 and 38, Section No. 1-A. — This covers the new work at Battery park and includes the actual connection to the First Subway there. The contractor is the Rapid Transit Subway Construction Company, a subsidiary of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company. Date of contract, September 4, 1914. Contract period, 31 months. Summary of contractor's bid, $472,244.
Routes Nos. 4 and 38, Section No. 1. — This section extends from Battery park under Greenwich street to a point near Vesey street. Rapid Transit Subway Construction Company, contractor. Date of contract, June 19, 1914. Contract period, 33 months. Summary of contractor's bid, $2,121,077.25.
Routes Nos. 4 and 38, Section No. 2. — This contract section extends from about Vesey street under West Broadway and Varick street to about Beach street. Degnon Contracting Company, contractor. Date of contract, March 13, 1914. Contract period, 36 months. Summary of contractor's bid, $3,059,522. A turnout is provided on this section for the Park Place-William Street line, which connects this line to the First Subway in Brooklyn.
Routes Nos. 4 and 38, Section No. 3. — This section extends from about Beach street under Varick street and Seventh avenue extension to about Commerce street. Degnon Contracting Company, contractor. Date of contract, December 31, 1913. Contract period, 36 months. Summary of contractor's bid, $2,185,063.50.
Routes Nos. 4 and 38, Section No. 4. — This section extends from about Commerce street under Seventh avenue extension and Seventh avenue to a point near 16th street. United States Realty & Improvement Company, contractor. Date of contract, April 15, 1914. Contract period, 33 months. Summary of contractor's bid, $1,837,726.50.
Routes Nos. 4 and 38, Section No. 5. — This section extends from about 16th street under Seventh avenue to about 30th street. United States Realty & Improvement Company, contractor. Date of contract, December 31, 1913. Contract period, 36 months. Summary of contractors bid, $2,401,306.75.
Routes Nos. 4 and 38, Section No. 6. — This section extends from about 30th street under Seventh avenue to about 43d street. Rapid Transit Subway Construction Company, contractor. Date of contract, February 24, 1914. Contract period, 36 months. Summary of contractors bid, $2,292,943.50.
Special provision is made at the Pennsylvania Railroad station, 33d street, for the interchange of traffic between the subway and the Pennsylvania Railroad. Changes have also been made in the plans to provide a connection to a hotel to be built on the east side of Seventh avenue by the railroad company.
The plans for a concourse connecting the stations of all the intersecting subways at 42d street, and entrances from the street and through the Times and Heidelburg buildings, to provide for heavy traffic at this point, form a very important part of the work on this section.
Routes Nos. 4 and 38, Section No. 6-A. — This contract section extends from below 43d street to above 44th street and includes the actual connection from the First Subway in Broadway, north of 44th street, with the new Seventh Avenue subway. Holbrook, Cabot & Rollins Corporation, contractor. Date of contract, August 6, 1914. Contract period, 33 months. Summary of contractor's bid, $421,566.
 Seventh Avenue Subway. Temporary support of elevated railroad structure during subway excavation in rock cut. PSC report 1914. |  Seventh Avenue Subway. Contractor's hoisting plant, Hudson and Reade Streets. PSC report 1914. |  Seventh Avenue Subway. Varick Street, including widened portion, during progress of subway construction. Looking north from Spring Street. PSC report 1914. |
 Seventh Avenue Subway. Method of supporting temporary roadway. Trench bracing, etc. Seventh Ave. Extension at Commerce Street. PSC report 1914. |  Seventh Avenue Subway. Gantry in course of construction and part of 24 inch overhead gas by-pass pipe at 19th Street. PSC report 1914. |  Seventh Avenue Subway. Contractor's plant, Times Square. PSC report 1914. |
 Seventh Avenue Subway. Excavation over roof of First Subway at 43rd Street. PSC report 1914. |  Seventh Avenue Subway. Rock cut for off-line sewer on West 30th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues. PSC report 1914. |  Seventh Avenue Subway. Method of timbering trench for off-line sewer along West 30th Street between 10th and 11th Aves. PSC report 1914. |
 Seventh Avenue Subway. Underpinning Operation on West Broadway. Method of Supporting Cast Iron Columns of 6-Story Office Building. PSC report 1915. |  Seventh Avenue Subway. Underpinning Operation on West Broadway. Method of Supporting Cast Iron Columns of 6-Story Office Building. PSC report 1915. |  Seventh Avenue Subway. Unfinished Four Track Structure in Open Cut on Seventh Avenue Extension. PSC report 1915. |
 Seventh Avenue Subway. Connection Between Old and New Subways on Seventh Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Streets PSC report 1915. |  Seventh Avenue Subway. Sewer Between 35th and 36th Streets, Showing Reverse Curve Around Subway Spacing Chamber. PSC report 1915. |  Seventh Avenue Subway, Cut and Contractor's Plant, Park Place and West Broadway, Manhattan. PSC report 1916. |
 Seventh Avenue Subway, Porch Columns of St. John's Chapel, Supported on Roof of Structure. PSC report 1916. |  Seventh Avenue Subway, Southbound Island Platform, Times Square Station, During Construction. PSC report 1916. |  Seventh Avenue Subway, Excavation at Fulton and Greenwich Streets Exposing Top of Hudson and Manhattan Tubes. PSC report 1917. |
The Brooklyn extension was known as the "Park Place, William and ClarkStreet Subway" during construction, and included stations at Wall Street, Fulton Street, andPark Place.
FromReport of the Public Service Commission for the First District of the State of New York, 1916:
This is a two-track subway connection from the Seventh Avenue subwayto the First Subway in Brooklyn. It thus doubles the InterboroughEapid Transit Company's accommodations for Brooklyn traffic to andfrom Manhattan. It leaves the Seventh Avenue subway by depressedtracks to avoid grade crossings and extends under Park place, theGeneral Post Office, Beekman street, William street and Old Slip, toand under the East river, thence under Clark and Fulton streets to aconnection with the First Subway at a point east of the Borough Hallstation near Willoughby street. This line includes Sections Nos. 1, 2,and 3 of Route No. 48, and also part of Section No. 3 of Route No. 33.
Route No. 48, Section No. 1. — Extends from about West Broadway, underPark place, the General Post-office and Beekman street, to aboutWilliam street. Frederick L. Cranford, Inc., contractor. Date ofcontract, December 7, 1914. Contract period, 28 months. Summary ofcontractor's bid, $1,571,363.50. Two modifying agreements have beenexecuted in connection with this contract. One provides for theconstruction under and supporting the Post-office; the other for theunderpinning of the Broadway subway of the New York Municipal RailwayCorporation, in connection with building the subway under it.
Route No. 48, Section No. 2. — Extends from about Beekman street andWilliam street, under private property, and William street to Pearlstreet. Contractor, Smith, Hauser & MacIsaac, Inc. Date ofcontract, December 7, 1914. Contract period, 28 months. Summary ofcontractor's bid, $2,254,670. The plans for station entrances, onaccount of the narrowness of William street, the congestion of trafficand varying conditions existing at different abutting buildings, may,in some instances, require modification.
Route No. 48, Section No. 3. — This line extends under Old Slip, theEast river, Clark and Fulton streets, to Liberty square inBrooklyn. This section is under construction by the Flinn-O'RourkeCompany, Incorporated. Date of contract, August 6, 1914. Contractperiod, 42 months. Summary of contractor's bid, $6,469,915.25. Thecontract for this section was let in combination with that for the NewYork Municipal Railway's East River crossing, the Whitehall-MontagueStreet tunnel route. The tubes under the river are single-trackcast-iron tubes, 17 1/2 feet in diameter. The design for the pump andfeeder chambers has been changed from cast iron to steel and concreteconstruction.
 Park Place, William and Clark Street Subway. Tunnel Operation Beneath the First Subway. Lattice Girders in Place. PSC report 1915. |  Park Place, William and Clark Street Subway. William Street North of Exchange Place, under which the subway is Being Constructed. PSC report 1915. |  Park Place, William and Clark Street Subway. Shield and Cast Iron Tunnel in River Heading of South Tunnel. PSC report 1915. |
 Park Place, William and Clark Street Subway. Junction of River Tunnel and Land Approach in Manhattan. PSC report 1916. |  Park Place, William and Clark Street Subway. Special Underpinning Construction under Post Office Building. PSC report 1916. |  Park Place, William and Clark Street Subway. Grout Platform, Muck Cars, etc. in Under-River Tunnel. PSC report 1916. |
 Park Place, William and Clark Street Subway. Safety Screen and Cast-Iron Lining, Under-River Tunnel. PSC report 1916. |  Park Place, William and Clark Street Subway. Reading Plumb Line, Lead Rods, etc. Preparatory to Advancing Excavation Shield in Under-River Tunnel Construction. PSC report 1916. |  Park Place, William and Clark Street Subway. Tunnel Excavation Shield Bulkheaded and Timbered During Temporary Cessation of Work. PSC report 1916. |
 Park Place, William and Clark Street Subway. Temporary Support of Old Post Office Building; Roof Constructed in Advance of Subgrade Excavation. PSC report 1917. |  Park Place, William and Clark Street Subway. Pipe Restoration in Progress at Intersection of Wall and William Streets. PSC report 1917. |  Park Place, William and Clark Street Subway. Finished Concrete Lined Tunnel. PSC report 1918. |
The disconnection of the 42nd Street tracks from the main line, andthe connection of the new 7th Avenue subway was done on the evening ofAugust 1, 1918 (a Thursday). The preparation for the work was soextensive that the cutover took only a few hours. Work began at 8:00pm and shuttles were running on the crosstown tracks by 10:00 pm. The"H" system was in operation! (So-called because the lines of the IRTnow resembled the letter "H".) The IRT installed at Times Square andGrand Central a system of red and green lines and lights to directpassengers to the shuttle stations from the new main line stations(colors which would continue to identify these two main lines of theIRT until this very day!).
| Station | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|
| South Ferry (Outer Loop) | 7/19/1905 | 3/16/2009 |
| South Ferry (Inner Loop) | 7/1/1918 | 2/13/1977 |
| South Ferry (New Island Platform) | 3/16/2009 | 10/29/2012 |
| South Ferry (Outer Loop Reopened) | 4/4/2013 | 6/27/2017 |
| South Ferry (New Island Platform Reopened) | 6/27/2017 | |
| Rector Street | 7/1/1918 | |
| Cortlandt Street-World Trade Center | 7/1/1918 | 9/11/2001 |
| WTC Cortlandt | 9/9/2018 | |
| Chambers Street | 7/1/1918 | |
| Franklin Street | 7/1/1918 | |
| Canal Street | 7/1/1918 | |
| Houston Street | 7/1/1918 | |
| Christopher Street-Sheridan Square | 7/1/1918 | |
| 14th Street | 7/1/1918 | |
| 18th Street | 7/1/1918 | |
| 23rd Street | 7/1/1918 | |
| 28th Street | 7/1/1918 | |
| 34th Street-Penn Station | 6/3/1917 | |
| 42nd Street-Times Square | 6/3/1917 | |
| 50th Street | 10/27/1904 | |
| 59th Street-Columbus Circle | 10/27/1904 | |
| 66th Street-Lincoln Center | 10/27/1904 | |
| 72nd Street | 10/27/1904 | |
| 79th Street | 10/27/1904 | |
| 86th Street | 10/27/1904 | |
| 91st Street | 10/27/1904 | 2/2/1959 |
| 96th Street | 10/27/1904 | |
| 103rd Street | 10/27/1904 | |
| 110th Street | 10/27/1904 | |
| 116th Street-Columbia University | 10/27/1904 | |
| 125th Street | 10/27/1904 | |
| 137th Street-City College | 10/27/1904 | |
| 145th Street | 10/27/1904 | |
| 157th Street | 11/12/1904 | |
| 168th Street | 3/16/1906 | |
| 181st Street | 3/16/1906 | |
| 191st Street | 1/14/1911 | |
| Dyckman Street | 3/16/1906 | |
| 207th Street | 3/16/1906 | |
| 215th Street | 3/12/1906 | |
| 225th Street | 1/27/1907 | |
| 231st Street | 1/27/1907 | |
| 238th Street | 8/1/1908 | |
| 242nd Street-Van Cortlandt Park | 8/1/1908 | |
| Brooklyn Branch | ||
| Park Place | 8/1/1918 | |
| Fulton Street | 8/1/1918 | |
| Wall Street | 8/1/1918 | |
The station at South Ferry has undergone several major changes in itslifetime. The first station at this location was a single track loop andplatform, built in 1905 as part of theIRT Brooklyn Extension, along with the IRT stations on Broadway south ofCity Hall (Fulton Street, Wall Street, and Bowling Green). The loopstation served to terminate some trains in Manhattan at a location ofhigh passenger flow (the various ferry terminals and docks in thearea). The single loop track and station operated in this manner untilthe IRT West Side Line reached South Ferry in 1918.
Artwork South Sails (Sandra Bloodworth, 1990)
The "outer loop" platform was the first built at this location. It isextremely short (only five cars fit), so passengers wishing to exit atthis station have to ride in the first five cars. There arealso gap fillers (small extendible platform segments) used to bridgethe spaces between platform and middle door on the cars. On theplatform itself was an active tower which includes indicator lightsfor the gap filler signal at the front end of the platform. The gapfiller signal is a one-tiered signal lit up red when the filler isextended. Under the signal a sign reads "GF Signal" which is lit inwhite when the signal is clear and the gap fillers are fullyretracted. The gap fillers retract via a proximity sensor thatdetects the car moving against the edge of the gap filler. While notharsh like 14th Street on the Lexington line, there is an announcementto "stand clear of the moving platform." The outer platformdecoration was quite ornate with large "South Ferry" mosaic namepanels and terra-cotta sailing ship plaques by Heins & LaFarge. Theinner platform has small "SF" tile mosaics. There are fancy rosettesaround removed old light fixtures and along the ceiling.The station opened in 1905 and closed in 2009, replaced by a newisland platform station built adjacent. The damaged caused byHurricane Sandy on October 29, 2012, caused that new station to close,and the Outer Loop station was in better shape, thus it was reopenedon April 4, 2013. More details below.
 Collection of: David Pirmann |  Collection of: David Pirmann |  Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: Richard Panse |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |
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As part of the West Side Line construction, a second loop track andplatform was constructed on the inside of the first. The tracks wereconfigured in such a way that the inner loop and platform was directlyconnected to the tracks from Bowling Green, and the outer (earlier)loop and platform would be served by the trains from the West Sideline. Essentially a separate station, the South Ferry inner loopplatform was used until 1977, mostly by a shuttle to the Bowling Greenstation on the Lexington/Brooklyn IRT. Because of the sharp curve(even sharper than the outer loop), trains could open only theircenter doors at the inner loop station, and so instead of a fullplatform face, the platform was mostly walled off from the track witharched openings along the wall where the cars' center doors wouldbe. Starting in the late 1950s, when the new R-type cars displacedmost of the original IRT rolling stock, trains arriving from theLexington line on nights and weekends were rerouted to share the outerloop, because on the new cars it was not possible to selectively openonly the center doors. The weekday shuttle used specially modifiedcars that opened only center doors, and continued using the inner loopuntil service ended in 1977. The track past the inner loop is stillused to turn the #5 train when it is terminating at Bowling Green andnot running to Brooklyn. The inner loop platform at South Ferry is nowused for crew quarters, offices, storage, etc. and has a separateentrance from the fare zone upstairs. There was no free transferbetween trains on the two platforms. The platform walls on the innerloop station were decorated with small mosaic friezes similar to thosefound at other Dual Contracts-era stations.
 Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: Peter Dougherty |  Photo by: Chris Leverett |  Photo by: Matthew Shull |  Photo by: Filip Matuska |
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Artwork See It Split, See It Change (Doug & Mike Starn, 2007)
Transfer to BMT Broadway Line
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After September 11, 2001 the lower West Side IRT line had someupgrading done to it, including the construction of a new islandplatform station (with straight platform edges, no more loopy curves)at South Ferry. The new station would be able to platform two 10-cartrains simultaneously and allow higher speed operation in and out ofthe station, ostensibly to improve running time of the long localservice on the West Side.
The platform floor is rose colored tile with black, dark brown anddark gray accents and track walks are white melamine. The dispatcheris located at the north end in a large glass enclosed area. Benchesare metal with no back (meaning you can face either way.)
There are three exits, all fully ADA compliant. The north exit leadsto Battery Park, State Street and Pearl Street. Escalator leads to anintermediate level with another escalator to street level HEETs. Atemporary canopy was found here at street level at Peter Minuet Plazawhich is still being restored. The center exit leads to bSouth Ferry,Whitehall Street and State Street. There is an escalator here and aglass arched canopy at the street level which has access viaHEETs. The intermediate level runs from southwest to northeast andallows a train spotter's view of track and platform. The main exit isat the south end. Escalators bypass the intermediate level which has agray speckled floor tile and is glass enclosed thereby allowing atrain spotter's dream view of trains and the platform. The exit leadsto the ferry terminal which is across a small plaza area. This exithas a glass canopy. The main mezzanine has a view of a historic wall,made of rubble stone, located on the wall behind the booth.
The railing separating the paid and unpaid area features metal leavesand stems. The station agent booth is located in the passageway to theBMT Broadway Line at Whitehall Street station-- mere feet from thefull time booth at Whitehall Street.
On October 29, 2012, the new South Ferry station suffered extensiveflooding damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. Water filled the stationfrom track bed to mezzanine. After the initial flood cleanup, thestation remained closed with Rector Street serving as the downtownterminal of the Broadway local/#1 train. It was determined that theformer Outer Loop station, still in-situ, was in better condition, andso that station was reopened on April 4, 2013. The new island platform station is being renovated, with newwaterproofing and signal room relocations as part of the project. It reopened June 27, 2017.
 Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: The NX |  Photo by: Michael Hodurski |  Photo by: Wilfredo Castillo |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |
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1Local station with two side platforms alongside two tracks. There are exits with separate fare controls at the end of each of thetwo side platforms, and an additional exit is located at the center ofthe downtown platform. There is also a black cinder block area on thesouthbound platform, possibly a sealed up crossunder since there is anapparent seam in the northbound wall at the same location.
Mosaic decoration: Original Dual Contracts mosaic tiling along theplatform includes ceiling frieze in brown/beige with yellow/browndiamond highlights; large "RECTOR ST." name tablets with grey-greenbackground and brown trim; and occasional small "R" tablets in thegrey-green color scheme in the frieze.
Between Oct. 29, 2012 and April 4, 2013, trains terminated here due towater damage at South Ferry caused by Hurricane Sandy.
 Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: Aliandro Brathwaite |  Photo by: Zach Summer |  Photo by: Aliandro Brathwaite |  Photo by: David Tropiansky |
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Artwork Chorus (Ann Hamilton, 2018)
1Local station with two side platforms alongside two tracks. The station at Cortlandt Street has had a number of incarnations since its 1918 opening. Originally situated under Greenwich and Cortlandt Streets, it was a typical Dual Contracts-era side platform station with two tracks, and standard mosaic decoration of the period. One of the original Cortlandt Street mosaics, depicting a ferryboat, is preserved at the New York Transit Museum, and a photo of one of these mosaics in place, prior to renovation, is displayed in the photo gallery.
The late 1960's construction of the World Trade Center eliminated bothGreenwich Street and Cortlandt Street above the station. The stationwas redesigned with exits to the World Trade Center concourse in thecenter and south end, and a street exit to Vesey Street at the northend. The station was given a bland beige brick and concrete overhaul,removing its 1918 mosaic tablets and icons. This station was destroyedin the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Some of the photos inthe gallery depict the damage done during the attacks. The subwaytracks through this area were rebuilt and operational by September2002, but the location of the station remained unfinished for manyyears, with the station location walled off from the tracks.
The project to rebuild the station was tied up in the site-widereconstruction of the World Trade Center. Passing underneath thestation area were access passageways to the WTC PATH station. Untilthe work reconstructing that station was complete, no progress wasmade on the Cortlandt Street subway station. Finally in 2013, acontract was let by the Port Authority to begin work on the stationand work progressed slowly. In 2017, the installation of stationinfrastructure (communications, power, ventilation, stairways,elevators) was well underway, with work continuing into 2018. Finallyin September, 2018, it was reported the station would reopen in timefor the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The new station opened onSeptember 9, 2018 with appropriate ceremony. Officially the newstation is named "WTC Cortlandt". During the work, the right of wayof Cortlandt Street was restored through the WTC site. Finishingtouches on the station, including installation of artwork anffloodproofing, continued into 2019.
 Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Ian Dale |  Photo by: Ian Dale |  Photo by: Nicholas Noel |
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Express station with two island platforms and four tracks. Thetwo-track branch to/from South Ferry merges with the two-track branchthat serves Park Place, Wall Street and Brooklyn just south ofChambers Street station. South Ferry trains run on the "local" sideand Brooklyn trains run on the "express" side.
Mosaic decoration: Original Dual Contracts frieze along the tracksidewall near the ceiling, with occasional mosaic "plaques" depicting thefirst building of Kings College (now Columbia University), which waslocated around the corner on Park Place. There are uptown/downtowndirectional mosaics in the central mezzanine.
This station has a high ceiling and an active tower on the south endof the southbound platform, the ends of which split--- the localportion rises and the express portion descends, matching the trackalignment (a result of the platform lengthening projects). A handrailseparates the two sub-platforms. There is a workspace for the NYCTElectronic Shop above the north end of the platforms.
As part of a 2007–2009 renovation, elevators were installed in thestation (two from platform level to the mezzanine and one from farecontrol to the streets) to make it ADA-accessible for people withdisabilities.
 Photo by: IRTSubwaypix |  Photo by: Michael Hodurski |  Photo by: Aliandro Brathwaite |  Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: Allan Berlin |
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Artwork Alleyways, Tribeca (Susan Leopold, 2005)
1Local station with two side platforms alongside four tracks.
Mosaic decoration: Original Dual Contracts frieze in brown/beige;large name tablets reading "FRANKLIN ST."; occasional "F" mosaictablets in the frieze. The wall tile below the frieze and surroundingthe name tablets was replaced during a 1990s renovation. There arealso directional mosaics reading "To Franklin St." and "To NorthMoore St."
There are "store window"-style art displays on the southbound platformand a newsstand on the northbound side. There is no crossover betweenuptown and downtown within the fare-paid area. On the street levelthere is a kiosk reminiscent of the original IRT kiosks, although thisone was installed during the station's renovation.
 Photo by: Wayne Whitehorne |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Zach Summer |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: Peter Ehrlich |
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1Local station with two side platforms alongside four tracks.The platforms are slightly offset. There is evidence of an apparentsealed up crossunder on both platforms. This station was renovated in1992 by New York City Transit Employees (as opposed to an outsidecontractor) as indicated by a small plaque near the token booth. Farecontrol is on platform level for both sides with entrances on bothsides of Varick Street on the northern side of Canal Street.
Mosaic decoration: Original Dual Contracts mosaic frieze, large nametablets, and small "C" tablets along the platform walls. There arealso small mosaic "plaques" representingSt. John's Chapel, which was located on Varick Street facing St. John's Park.
 Photo by: Bill E. |  Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: Wilfredo Castillo |
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Artwork Platform Diving (Deborah Brown, 1994)
1Local station with two side platforms alongside four tracks. Fare control area is at platform level, but Only the Bronx-bound sidehas a token booth. There are no crossovers or crossunders,though evidence of a sealed-up crossunder is present at the north endby the main fare control areas. A secondary exit is at the south endof both platforms. Renovated in the 1990s.
Mosaic decoration: Both platforms have Dual Contracts mosaic trimlines with blue and green borders, "H" tablets on a light bluebackground, and large name tablets reading "HOUSTON ST." There arealso directional tablets in the same style.
 Photo by: Joe Papa |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: Peter Ehrlich |  Photo by: David Pirmann |
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Artwork The Greenwich Village Murals (Lee Brozgol, 1994)
Transfer to IND 6th Avenue Line,BMT Canarsie Line
1Local station with two side platforms alongside four tracks.There are sealed up crossunders at each end. Fare control is atplatform level near the center.
Mosaic decoration: Original Dual Contracts mosaic frieze along theplatform walls; large name tablets reading "CHRISTOPHER ST."/"SHERIDANSQ." on two lines; and smaller mosaic panels indicating a secondaryname of "New York University". In the frieze are mosaic "plaques"depicting the old State Penitentiary at West 10th St.
 Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Peter Ehrlich |  Photo by: Charles Ali |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: Kevin Wong |
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123Express station with four tracks and two island platforms. The ceilings of the platforms are unusually high and have old-styleincandescent light fixtures, which have not been used in a long time.There are three crossovers (mezzanines) between the platforms withexits at 12th, 13th and 14th Streets.
Mosaic decoration: Original Dual Contracts frieze on the tracksidewall with occasional "14" mosaic tablets.
There is a closed passageway to the 8th Avenue IND station, completewith mosaic signing, just past the token booth at 14th Street. It isbehind a floor to ceiling gate and is chained shut. A passageway tothe IND 6th Avenue Subway is still open.
 Photo by: Michael Hodurski |  Photo by: Michael Hodurski |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: David-Paul Gerber |
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1Local station with two side platforms alongside four tracks. There is no crossover or crossunder and no evidence of a formerone. The token booths are built into the tile. Fare control is onplatform level, with the main entry/exit at the four corners ofSeventh Avenue and 18th Street while the northbound side leads to theeastern corners. An additional exit at the north end of each platformleads to 19th Street.
Mosaic decoration: Original Dual Contracts mosaic frieze with small"18" tablets and large "18th STREET" name tablets line theplatforms. There are also "to 18th Street" and "to 19th Street"directional mosaics.
 Photo by: Wayne Whitehorne |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |
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1Local station with two side platforms alongside four tracks.Fare control is at the center of the platforms at platformlevel. There are no crossunders or crossovers, and no evidence offormer ones.
Mosaic decoration: Original Dual Contracts friezes, name tabletsreading "23rd STREET", and occasional "23" mosaic tablets are alongsome portions of the platforms; platform extensions are tiled instandard white subway tile with no decoration.
 Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: Wilfredo Castillo |  Photo by: John Dooley |
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1Local station with two side platforms alongside four tracks.All fare control areas are on platform level; one area is at thecenter of each platform, and there are secondary exits at the southend of each platform. There are no crossovers or crossunders.
Mosaic decoration: Original Dual Contracts mosaic frieze, nametablets, and numeral "28" mosaics along the platform walls; plusdirectional mosaics "to 28th St." and "to 27th St." There are diamondaccents in the tile at the fare control.
This station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
 Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: Wilfredo Castillo |  Photo by: John Dooley |  Photo by: Stacy Vairo-National Register of Historic Places filing |  Photo by: Stacy Vairo-National Register of Historic Places filing |
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Artwork The Time Telling (Diana Al-Hadid),A Bird's Life (Elizabeth Grajales, 1997),When the Animals Speak (Elizabeth Grajales, 1998),The Arches of Old Penn Station; The Arc of Gradiva (Diana Al-Hadid, 2018)
123Express station with four tracks, two side and one island platforms.Platform configuration here is unusual for an express station butidentical to the platform arrangement at the 34th Street-Penn Stationstation on the IND 8th Avenue Line. There's a center island platformfor the express trains and two side platforms for the locals. Due tothe proximity of Times Square and anticipated passenger traffic, thetransfer between express and local was discouraged by the layout.Entry and exit from the station is through a lower levelmezzanine. The fare control is in the lower mezzanine, which alsoconnects directly into Penn Station. Only the northbound localplatform has an exit directly to the street, and there is anadditional fare control area for that exit.
Mosaic decoration: Mosaics tablets include "Pennsylvania", "To PennaRR", "to 34th St." and "to Uptown and Downtown" express trains. Thereare also "P" mosaic tablets in the frieze.
 Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Steffen Petrasch |  Photo by: Lee Winson |  Photo by: Lee Winson |
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123
While built at different times (1904, 1917-1918, and 1927), 42nd Street-Times Square is a massive station complex, comprising fourstations, on theIRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle,IRT West Side Line,BMT Broadway Line, andIRT Flushing Line,all joined together by a vast mezzanine and underground warren ofconnecting passageways; and a fifth station a long way west byunderground passageway, on theIND 8th Avenue Line at 42nd Street-Port Authority Bus Terminal.
In 1999, a $244 million dollar renovation of the Times Square complexbegan. The goal is to reduce congestion and improve rider access,comfort and safety by improving visual lines and increasing pedestriancapacity. The main corridor is being widened 15 feet and the number ofsharp corners reduced; ADA compliance is being introduced withelevators and escalators.
The reconstruction included a new entryway on the south side of 42ndStreet between 7th Avenue and Broadway, featuring a bright neon andcolored glass flashing sign with the train route symbols and the word"Subway". The street level fare control at this site features restoredoriginal "Times Square" mosaics from the Contract One (now Shuttle)station walls.
Some relative depths of stations in the Times Square complex are asfollows, +/- 10 feet.
The station serving the IRT West Side Line is an express station with four tracks and two island platforms. There are stairways leading up to various mezzanine levels, and also down, to connecting passageways to theIRT Flushing Line and theIND 8th Avenue Line. Evidence of former stairways leading down exist at various spots along the platform. The main exit is at the north end, leading directly to the Shuttle and BMT stations.
Just north of the station you can see the curved shuttle tracks and the track connection from Shuttle track 4 to the uptown local track. Trackways remain where shuttle tracks 1, 2, and 3 connected to the uptown express and both downtown tracks.
The 7th Avenue line station at Times Square was the site of a 1928 wreck which killed 16 people, the second worst in NYC Transit history.
Artwork Times Square Mural (Roy Lichtenstein, 1994),The Return of Spring/The Onset of Winter (Jack Beal, 1999),New York in Transit (Jacob Lawrence, 2001),Times Square, 1977-1992 (Max Neuhaus, 2002),Untitled (Blackford/Fisher, 2003),Times Square Times: 35 Times (Toby Buonagurio, 2005),The Revelers (Jane Dickson, 2007),Every One - Each One - Equal All (Nick Cave, 2021)
Transfer to BMT Broadway Line,IRT West Side Line,IRT Flushing Line,IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle,IND 8th Avenue Line,IND 6th Avenue Line
 Photo by: Salaam Allah |  Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: John Czarnecky |  Photo by: Peter Ehrlich |
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Artwork Alice: The Way Out (Liliana Porter, 1994)
1Local station with two side platforms alongside four tracks.If you were riding a train northward from South Ferry, this is thefirst station you would arrive at along the West Side IRT that wasconstructed as part of Contract One, the first subway constructioncontract, which opened in 1904. This station was renovated in the1980s or 1990s and most of the original tile work was removed. One ofthe original faience plaques has been preserved at the New YorkTransit Museum.
 Photo by: David Sagarin/Historic American Engineering Record |  Photo by: David Sagarin/Historic American Engineering Record |  Photo by: Roy Freeman |  Photo by: Brian J. Cudahy |  Photo by: John Dooley |
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Transfer to IND 8th Avenue/Fulton Street/Rockaway Line
1
Local station with two side platforms alongside four tracks.The side walls of the station feature large name tablet mosaics andboth mosaic and faience plaques of Christopher Columbus's threeships. A mezzanine underneath provides access to the IND station atColumbus Circle.
The downtown platform areas are much larger than necessary for theinterchange with the IND. They are deliberately ample to allow for anexpansion of this station into a new express stop. The downtown localand express tracks would, under an early 1950s NYCTA plan, weave outto accommodate a new center express platform. The new downtown localplatform would be in the bays. Thus this station would have resembledPennsylvania Station with three platforms. To ensure the bays remainedavailable, the NY Coliseum was set back from the street. As part ofthis plan the 72nd Street station would become a local stop by wallingoff the express tracks. The express run would be from Times Square,then Columbus Circle, then 96th Street.
A renovation project in 2010-2011 restored the original name tabletsand mosaics but did not attempt to build the extra platform asdescribed above. Several reproduction name tablet mosaics wereinstalled during this project. Also, the renovation work revealed asection of wall with experimental tile installations installed duringthe construction of the line 1900-1904.
See Also Difficult Engineering in the Subway (1902), adiscussion of the construction techniques involved in underpinning theColumbus Circle monument.
 Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: David Blair |  Photo by: David Blair |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Richard Chase |
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Artwork Artemis, Acrobats, Divas and Dancers (Nancy Spero, 2004)
1Local station with two side platforms alongside four tracks.Recently renovated with a "retro look" makeover, complete with newplaques and tablets in the original 1904 Heins-LaFarge style. The newplaques are made of faience and while they look like they might havebeen restorations of original work - they are not. The new plaqueshave the letters "LC" embossed over the "66"; remember, Lincoln Centerdid not exist in 1904, when the station was opened. The walls arebeing refinished with white panels, which are actually large mosaicsof tiny opalescent tiles. Tan Norman brick surrounds and accents thesepanels. The ornate ceiling and plaster rosettes around the old lightfixtures have been lovingly restored, but the bulb sockets have beencovered over.
 Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Kris Naudus |  Photo by: Leonard Wilson |  Photo by: Bill E. |  Photo by: Bernard Chatreau |
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Artwork Laced Canopy (Verdi's Rigoletto) (Robert Hickman, 2005)
123Express station with four tracks, two island platforms. This is a most peculiar station for a farsighted railroad like theIRT. It was totally inadequate from its opening day, yet it is thebest preserved of the original IRT express stations. 72nd Street longsuffered from narrow platforms and narrow stairways to the headhouseand fare control. To maximize the space in the headhouse, freecrossover between uptown and downtown directions was artificiallydenied by the arrangement of the turnstiles and gates.
A renovation ending in 2002 provided a second headhouse on the northside of 72nd Street, additional stairways from the platforms, and awidened uptown platform at the north end. The widening requiredcutting into the sidewall of the tunnel and realigning the uptownlocal track. However, the platforms are still fairly narrowconsidering the passenger load at this station.
A 1950s plan considered converting 59th Street/Columbus Circle into anexpress station and 72nd Street into a local station (by walling offthe platform along the express side). The express run would have thenbeen from Times Square, to Columbus Circle, to 96th Street. While thatmight have alleviated some crowding at 72nd Street the vibrancy of theneighborhood around 72nd Street probably requires the express trains'stopping here.
 Photo by: Joe Testagrose |  Photo by: Joe Testagrose |  Photo by: John Barnes |  Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: Al Bennett, Jr. |
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1Local station with two side platforms alongside four tracks.There are no crossunders, but there is a street-level fare controlstation house. The ceiling is ornate and has a raised ornate tileborder where the ceiling meets the tile.
 Photo by: David Sagarin/Historic American Engineering Record |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |
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Artwork Westside Views (Nitza Tufino, 1989)
1Local station with two side platforms alongside four tracks.This station is partly renovated and features mosaic "photographpaintings" and some poetry over most of the platform walls.
 Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: John Barnes |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |
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Local station with two side platforms alongside four tracks.91st St. was in operation as a local station from 1904 to 1959. It wasclosed during a system-wide platform lengthening project, toaccommodate longer trains. The lengthening created an exit from the96th Street station only three blocks further north, so it wasimpractical to lengthen the platforms here and the station was closedto speed service. The 91st Street station is fairly well-preserved ifyou disregard the graffiti and spray paint cans all over the place.
 Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: David Pirmann |  |
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Artwork Bloemendaal (Antenna Design New York, 2010)
Transfer to IRT White Plains Road Line
123Express station with four tracks, two island platforms; two disusedside local platforms. 96th Street was built in a similar fashion tothe Contract I express stops at Brooklyn Bridge and 14th Street: twoisland platforms for the express trains and two shorter side platformsfor the local trains.
Until 2010, access to the station was provided from stairways alongthe sidewalks of Broadway to the side platforms; access to the centerisland platforms is via a crossunder passage running underneath theplatforms. Because of the location of a large sewer line under 96thStreet, no mezzanine was built at this station, thus requiring theunderpass.
Before the advent of ten-car locals the side platforms were used forlocal trains; since it would have been operationally logical to usethe center island to allow local passengers easy transfer to theexpress, the local trains may never have used the side platformsexclusively for service, and in any event the practice did not lastlong. At Brooklyn Bridge and 14th Street, these side platforms werewalled off, but at 96th Street they were kept open because they wereused to access the underpass which provided access to the islandplatforms.
The station was renovated in 1950 to accommodate longer trains. It wasboth extended (with a second entrance on 94th St. created) and widened(the tracks were moved and the platforms were widened). You can seedifferences in the walls and ceiling at the south end, and you canstill spot a seam in the platforms where they were widened. Thecreation of the new entrance at 94th St. led directly to the closureof 91st Street, as it would have been impractical to lengthen it for10-car local trains with 94th Street so close by.
A new headhouse structure was built in the median of Broadway, whichopened in 2010. New stairways and an elevator were provided to eachisland platform. Riders no longer need to go down and back up toenter or exit the station.
North of 96th St. Station, the express tracks descend to head under104th Street to Lenox Avenue and the Bronx while the local tracksremain on the upper level. After the express tracks turn off, a newcenter track starts at approximately 100th Street.
A frequently asked question about this station regards a structure in the median of Broadway on the north side of 96th Street, that seems like it might have been a headhouse for the station similar to the one at 72nd Street. Photographic evidence of this intersection indicates that the structure post-dates the year 1924; and anecdotal evidence from 1947 notes that the building was used as a "comfort station" (a.k.a. public restroom). The conclusion on the matter, then, is that this building is not and never was a subway entrance, nor was it even built by the IRT company. The structure is now a community center called the West Side Broadway Mall.
 Area track map. |  96h Street Station diagram. Rapid Transit Board report 1904. |
 Photo by: David Sagarin/Historic American Engineering Record |  Photo by: Brian Weinberg |  Photo by: Bob Wright |  Photo by: Brian Weinberg |  Photo by: Marc A. Hermann / Metropolitan Transportation Authority |
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1Local station with two side platforms alongside three tracks. OriginalIRT name tablet mosaics and "103" faience plaques are along theplatform walls. The rest of the tile is new from a 1990s renovationand features tri-tone beige and brown tile and IND-style fare controlgrilles. There is a crossover. An emergency exit from the Lenox AvenueLine is located in the middle of the northbound platform.
 Photo by: David Blair |  Photo by: David Blair |  Photo by: Zach Summer |  Photo by: David Blair |  Photo by: David Blair |
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1Local station with two side platforms alongside three tracks.There are several large original mosaic name tablets and smaller "110"cartouches along the tops of the platform walls. Each platform hasseparate fare controls, with no crossunder provided. There is anewsstand on the southbound platform.
 Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Kevin Wong |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |
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Artwork Railrider's Throne (Michelle Greene, 1991)
1Local station with two side platforms alongside three tracks.A picture of the school is in the small mosaic tile border. There wasa central entry hall on the median of Broadway until the 1960s, atwhich time it was removed and replaced by the present stairways alongthe sidewalks. Fortunately, the station already had a crossover thatcould be extended out over the local tracks to the sidewalks.
 Collection of: David Pirmann |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: David Blair |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Christopher Henderson |
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Artwork River to River (Wopo Holup, 1991)
1Local station with three tracks and two side platforms. 125th Streetstation is an example of the foresight of the subway's designers.Broadway at this point is in a deep valley and the transit designershad a choice of a viaduct or deep tunnel with steep grades at eitherend. They chose a viaduct to allow the subway to remain relativelylevel.
The station has a mezzanine and crossunder. The mezzanine is wood witha rubberized floor covering. There is a mosaic on the stairwaylandings from the platforms. The stair and platform rails are ornateand thankfully have escaped the windscreen treatment. The tunnelportals are visible north and south of the station.
 Photo by: Joe Testagrose |  Photo by: Detroit Publishing Co. |  Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: Richard Panse |
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Artwork Fossils (Steve Wood, 1988)
1Local station with three tracks and two side platforms. This stationunderwent 'modernization' in the 1970s into the present "restroom"style tilework and there are few mosaics left from the originalinstallation. To make the walls smooth for the new tiles the oldmoldings and reliefs were ripped out. One relic, a ceramic cartoucheof a three-faced figure, has been preserved at the New York TransitMuseum. The three faces represent "Respice", "Adspice", and"Prospice", and is an emblem of nearby City College. There is apersistent local interest in restoring the station to a motifsympathetic to the original design.
Some of the schist excavated from the subway in this section of theIRT was used for facing on the buildings of City College.
Up to at least the late 1970s some weekday mid-day trains terminatedat this station. There is a tower on the north end of the northboundplatform, which is occasionally used to give some relief to themainline tower at 240th St Yard, during general orders when thisstation is used as a terminal. Just north of this station is anunderground lay up yard of five tracks in addition to the three tracksof the mainline. Looking south from the platforms one can seedaylight from the portal at 135th Street leading to the ManhattanValley Viaduct.
 Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Peter Ehrlich |  Photo by: Peter Ehrlich |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Christopher Henderson |
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1Three tracks and two side platforms. The two platforms are offset andin a strange layout, due to the northbound local track merging withthe center track, while the southbound platform extends furthernorth. There are some original name tablet mosaics and numeral "145"cartouches along parts of the platforms; and some generic white tilesections of platform extensions.
 Photo by: Wayne Whitehorne |  Photo by: Wayne Whitehorne |  Photo by: Frank LeViness |  Photo by: David M. Kelly |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |
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1Two tracks and two narrow side platforms. There are mosaics similar tothose at 145th Street, except the color scheme tends more to brown andgreen rather than blue and grey. Again, there is a mix of styles -the original cartouches are like those at 79th Street and 91st Streetwith the two opposing triangles, and there is also 30's style tilewhere the platforms were extended. The ceiling is also rather low atone end of the station.
 Photo by: Frank LeViness |  Photo by: Frank LeViness |  Photo by: Frank LeViness |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |
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Transfer to IND 8th Avenue Line
1We now enter the deepest section of the IRT: the Washington HeightsMine Tunnel. This is two-track round tunnel section blasted throughbedrock. The stations along this stretch, 168th Street, 181st Street,and 191st Street, all use elevators to access the fare control and thestreet. The three deep tunnel stations are among the grandest stationsin the subway system. All are of round, bored tunnel construction,approximately 8 to 10 stories beneath the street.
Aside from City Hall, 168th Street is probably the grandest of theoriginal IRT stations. It features an extremely high ceiling for mostof the station with the ends being regular flat ceilings. The southtransition to low ceiling features marble-like accents. There are twolow crossover bridges inside the tunnel arch, from which you can watchtrains passing below. The crossovers are lit by low street lamp-stylefixtures (mercury vapor); there mercury vapor lights along theplatforms as well. The two-tone tile is unglazed brown brick on thebottom with a "dirty" tan brick on top. The typical IRT mosaics arefound along the platforms. There is a closed stairway leading up fromthe extreme north end of the northbound platform leading to an unknownlocation.
The original elevators were double-deckers, near the northern of thetwo crossover bridges. They were destroyed in the building of the INDand the space is now a vent chamber. The northern north overpassextends into the wall; look on top of the wall behind the overpass andyou'll see a scissor gate leading to the elevators. The originalelevator shafts are still visible, there is a window looking into theshaftway. At the rear of the shaftway is a closed-off passage leadingto the theory that the original elevators had separate front and rearexits for arriving and departing passengers.
The present elevators, recently modernized, are on the west side ofthe station and are used to access the fare control and the IND 8thAvenue Subway mezzanine.
 Photo by: Richard Brome |  Photo by: Franklin B. Roberts |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Chao-Hwa Chen |
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1Two tracks and two side platforms. The main portion of the station isa large archway over the two tracks. Extensions at the north end areclearly evident with their heavy columns and low ceilings. There arethree crossover bridges, with only the northernmost one in active use.This station has several different styles of mosaic tablets reading"181st Street-George Washington Bridge". Closed-off stairs at thesouth ends of the platforms lead up to an unknown location.
An interesting discovery was made on the northbound platform: oldtwo-story elevators are behind a floor-to-ceiling wooden archedgate. These manually operated elevators appear to be the very firstelevators in the station.
At fare control level there is a pleasant impromptu "strip mall" ofsubway merchants outside the fare control before the stairs to thestreet.
 Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: Brian Weinberg |  Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |
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Artwork Primavera (Raúl Colón, 2003),Title unknown (2008)
1Local station with two tracks and two side platforms. This station isthe deepest below the street level at 180 feet down. 191st StreetStation was built a few years after this section of the line opened,so its design is a bit newer and it is smaller in scale than the otherstations in the deep tunnel. There are a couple of original mosaicname tablets near the platform ends. Other mosaic name tablets and amosaic tile border along the walls and around the column tops wereadded around 2003. These are similar in design to other mosaics foundaround the system.
On the southbound platform there is a room formed by corrugated metallabeled "trash room", but formerly was, believe it or not, anastronomical observatory of sorts. The instruments once in this shedwere an experiment by New York University to capture cosmic rays fromthe stars. Cosmic rays are the nuclei of metal elements, the veryatoms without the electrons, expelled at nearly light speed fromcertain kinds of star. Their mass and speed give them very highenergy, enough to penetrate all the solid rock above the platform. Theidea of building this special observatory here was to prevent theterrestrial radiation from interfering with the collection of thecosmic rays. The rock blocks most of the terrestrial signals whichcome from the street, letting the extra strong rays from the stars topass through without contamination.
There are crossovers similar to those in the other deep-tunnelstations but here they are walled in, so you cannot see thetrains. (It is unknown whether the walls are original or lateraddition.)
The elevators here are outside the fare control. Looking through apeephole, evidence was seen of a passageway to old style elevatorssimilar to those at 181st Street.
 Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  |
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Artwork Birds in Flight-Moon View (Wopo Holup, 1991)
1Local station, two tracks and two side platforms. This is a surfacestation, having just exited the Fort Washington Tunnel. In fact, atthe south end of the station, the platforms abut the tunnel portal,and the north end of the station is on elevated viaduct. The terrainof Manhattan changes abruptly here and the subway builders went toelevated trackage to maintain a level grade. Dyckman Street is theonly IRT elevated way station with only two tracks. At the south endof the station there are two "Dyckman Street" mosaics along theplatforms. Old ornamental railings (without windscreens) and stairwayguard rails are still present. New cast iron lighting fixtures havebeen installed along the platforms.
The mezzanine is down quite a few stairs and has mosaic tile doveaccents. For the disabled, there is an elevator from the stationmezzanine to the southbound platform and an ADA compliant ramp at thestation entrance. The elevator features conventional steel rope anddoes not need a machine room; it is the first of its type installed inthe subway system. After the fare control, it is only a few steps tothe street.
 Photo by: John Barnes |  Photo by: Richard Panse |  Photo by: John Barnes |  Photo by: John Dooley |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |
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Artwork Elevated Nature I-IV (Wopo Holup, 1991)
1Three tracks and two island platforms. No station house in thenorthbound direction. Northbound entrance is via Metrocard HighEntrance/Exit Turnstiles only. No crossover or crossunder.
From here you can see the207th Street Yard of the subway systemto the eastern side. A track connection leads from the IRT elevatedstructure to the yard just north of the station. The shop buildingruns alongside the elevated structure all the way to 215th Street.
 Collection of: Joe Testagrose |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Peter Ehrlich |  Photo by: Robert Callahan |  Photo by: Robert Callahan |
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Artwork Elevated Nature I-IV (Wopo Holup, 1991)
1Three tracks and two side platforms. This is the last stop on theisland of Manhattan and has an abandoned station house on thenorthbound side, which is currently used by the Division of Track andStation Lighting. No station house in the northbounddirection. Northbound entrance is via Metrocard High Entrance/ExitTurnstiles only. No crossover or crossunder.
 Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: John Dooley |  Photo by: Joe Mirabella |
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Artwork Elevated Nature I-IV (Wopo Holup, 1991)
1Local station with three tracks and two side platforms. No stationhouse in the northbound direction. Northbound entrance is viaMetrocard High Entrance/Exit Turnstiles only. No crossover orcrossunder.
The south end of the station is directly attached to the BroadwayBridge over the Harlem River Ship Canal. In 1960, it was determinedthat the existing Broadway Bridge (which opened in 1905 as part of thesubway extension work), was inadequate and would have to bereplaced. A new bridge was designed which doubled roadway capacity andadded a third subway track across the river. The new bridge would havea navigable channel 304 feet wide, more than triple the width of the1905 bridge and would have a vertical clearance of 136 feet. OnDecember 23, 1960, train service was suspended, and the next day theold bridge was cut out and floated down river for scrapping. The newbridge had been preassembled offsite, and was floated and hoisted intoposition on Christmas Day. Subway trains resumed service on December26th! However, it was months before the roadway portions werecompleted and four full years before the bridge was lifted for thefirst time.
The line of the original Harlem River is preserved in the streetpattern in Marble Hill just north of the station. The river flowed inan oxbow curve between 228th Street and 230th Street on the north andbetween Johnson Avenue and Terrace View Avenue on the west. Since theriver was the original delimeter between Manhattan and the Bronx, thatputs Marble Hill and the 225th St. Station politically in Manhattan.The canal was built in 1895 and the original river bed was filled inin 1914.
This station replaces an original one at 230th Street and BaileyAvenue, adjacent to the New York Central's Putnam Division station.The Putnam Division terminated here; the idea was to let riders fromthe upper Bronx and Westchester County use the IRT to continue intothe city. But, the Putnam, lacking a Manhattan terminal of its own,suffered the same fate as theNew York, Westchester, and Boston Railway. It saw little business and it steadily dwindled out of existence. By 1907 the IRT was extended to242nd Street and the original last stop was removed. The New YorkCentral placed a station just to the west of the IRT's station alongWest 225th Street. The transfer with today's Metro-North Hudson linetrains is not very convenient, but Metro-North trains can be shortended here in case of blockage farther south. Riders are dischargedand sent a block or two and up long stairs to 225th Street station.
 Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: Cameron W. Reed |  Collection of: Herbert P. Maruska |  Photo by: Brian Weinberg |  Photo by: David-Paul Gerber |
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Artwork Elevated Nature I-IV (Wopo Holup, 1991),Magic Realism in Kingsbridge (Felipe Galindo, 2007)
1Three tracks and two side platforms. Recently renovated, there isartwork installed along the walls under the canopies on theplatforms. No station house in the northbound direction. Northboundentrance is via Metrocard High Entrance/Exit Turnstiles only. Nocrossover or crossunder.
 Photo by: Gin Yee |  Photo by: Robert Callahan |  Photo by: Robert Callahan |  Photo by: Robert Callahan |  Photo by: Robert Callahan |
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1Three tracks and two side platforms. From the platforms there is agood view of the240th Street Yard, to which there is a footbridgefrom the elevated structure. A whimsical touch is a covered entranceat the yard end in the form of the front end of a train, with entryfrom the front and not the side doors!
 Photo by: Joe Testagrose |  Photo by: Doug Grotjahn |  Photo by: Joe Testagrose |  Photo by: Joe Testagrose |  Photo by: Robert Callahan |
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Artwork Title unknown (2007)
1Terminal station, two tracks with one island platform and two sideplatforms. The bumper blocks for the two tracks are at the north endof the station; the station house is just beyond the ends of thetracks at platform level. The two side platforms are normally unused,and have windscreen along nearly their entire length. A crew quartersstraddles the tracks and platforms at the south end of the station.
The layout of three and two tracks on the route from between 96thStreet and 242nd Street is unusual; along the three-track stretchesthere are no express stations at all. No service has ever beenregularly operated using the express track in this section. A journeyfrom South Ferry to 242nd Street, local all the way, takes 49 minutesby the schedule.
This station is adjacent to Van Cortlandt Park, Manhattan College, andthe240th Street Yard of the subway system. A snaking steep walkalong W. 242nd Street and Manhattan College Parkway west of Broadwayleads to the college and along the way you can get a panoramic view ofthe yard.
Former trolleys of the Third Avenue Railway used to operate fromstreet level, but these have been replaced by bus service by Bee LineBus which operates further north into the Bronx, Yonkers, andelsewhere in Westchester County.
 Collection of: David Pirmann |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: John Dooley |  Photo by: Christopher Henderson |  Photo by: Jon Zorrilla |
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 Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: Roy Freeman |  Photo by: Bill E. |  Photo by: Leonard Wilson |  Photo by: Nicholas Noel |
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Two tracks, one narrow island platform. This is a fairly deep station;although built first it runs east-west underneath theIND 8th Avenue/Fulton Street/Rockaway Line, which runs geographicallynorth-south. At the east end is a long escalator, and a closedstairway with a mechanical room over the platform. Most of the stationhas a high ceiling. The only mosaic is a small "P" on the tracksidewalls. Exits are at Church Street and Broadway.
Some relative depths of stations in the World TradeCenter complex are as follows, +/- 10 feet.
Artwork Oculus (Jones/Ginzel/Piras, 1998)
Transfer to IND 8th Avenue/Fulton Street/Rockaway Line
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 Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Filip Matuska |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |  Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld |
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Local station with two tracks and one island platform, under WilliamStreet from Ann Street (north) to John Street (south). The IRT WestSide line from Park Place runs from there under Beekman Street andturns sharply into William Street just north of the station.The only mosaic is a small "F" along the trackside walls. The platformis very narrow with many stairways to the mezzanine. Exits are atFulton Street, midway between Fulton and John Street, and at JohnStreet east of William. The transfer corridor runs westerly from hereunder Fulton Street.
The Fulton Street Transit Center is the MTA's marketing name for a newheadhouse and updates to the transfer corridors at the four FultonStreet stations. Some relative depths of stations in the Fulton StreetTransit Center complex are as follows, +/- 10 feet.
Artwork Astral Grating (Nancy Holt, 1987),Marine Grill Murals, 1913 (Frederick Dana Marsh, 2000)
Transfer to IND 8th Avenue Line,IRT East Side Line,BMT Nassau Street-Jamaica Line
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 Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: David Pirmann |  Photo by: Filip Matuska |  Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar |  Photo by: Jie Wen Li |
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Two tracks, one island platform. This station features brown and whitesigns on the I-beams. There is a full length mezzanine which featuresa mosaic river scene. Mosaic directional signs to Pine Street and WallStreet can be found on the mezzanine, but at platform level there areonly small "W" mosaics along the trackside walls. The platform is verynarrow for an island platform station, and there are several overheadfans. Exits are at Cedar Street, Wall Street, and inside 60 WallStreet's public atrium along Pine Street.
Artwork Subway Wall (Harry Roseman, 1990)
Transfer to IRT Brooklyn Line
Many photos, route descriptions, and details of the construction progress of the subway lines can be found in:Report of the Board of Rapid Transit Railroad Commissioners in the City of New York, for the year ending...1901,1902,1903,1904,1905,1906; andReport of the Public Service Commission for the First District of the State of New York, for the year ending...1907,1908,1909,1910,1911,1912,1913,1914,1915,1916,1917,1918,1919,1920.
The New York Subway: Its Construction and Equipment (1904).
The New York Subway Souvenir (1904).
New Subways for New York: The Dual System of Rapid Transit (1913)
David Rogoff, "Contract I Construction", July 1962, revised July 1985,New York Division E.R.A.
Bernard Linder. "IRT Broadway-7th Avenue Line Opening Dates andSchedule Changes," December 1990, New York Division E.R.A.
Other articles as linked.
By David Pirmann and Peggy Darlington.
