TheD Sixth Avenue Express[3] is arapid transit service in theB Division of theNew York City Subway. Its route emblem, or "bullet", is colored orange, since it uses theIND Sixth Avenue Line as its main trunk line inManhattan.[4]
The D operates 24 hours daily between205th Street inNorwood, Bronx, andStillwell Avenue inConey Island, Brooklyn. Daytime service makes express stops in Manhattan, and in Brooklyn (betweenAtlantic Avenue and36th Street) and also bypassesDeKalb Avenue. During rush hours in the peak direction, D service also makes express stops betweenFordham Road in the Bronx and145th Street in Manhattan. Overnight service is the same as daytime service, except all trains make all stops in Brooklyn and stops at DeKalb Avenue.
In its early years, the D ran to Chambers Street/Hudson Terminal inLower Manhattan via the lowerIND Eighth Avenue Line south of West 4th Street. From 1954 to 1967, the D ran via theIND Culver Line to Coney Island. With the completion of theChrystie Street Connection, service was rerouted via theBMT Brighton Line, running there from 1967 to 2001. As part of the multi-year rebuilding of the Manhattan Bridge, a short-lived yellow D service ran via theBMT Broadway Line in Manhattan to the Brighton Line in Brooklyn, while orange D service used the Sixth Avenue,Central Park West, and Concourse Lines in Manhattan and the Bronx.
As of November 2025, it is the only non-shuttle B Division service to have never ranNew Technology Trains (NTTs) in its regular service fleet.
D service began on December 15, 1940, when theIND Sixth Avenue Line opened. It ran from 205th Street, the Bronx to World Trade Center (at that time called Hudson Terminal) on theIND Eighth Avenue Line at all times, switching between the IND Sixth Avenue to the Eighth Avenue Lines just south of West Fourth Street–Washington Square.[5] Service ran express via the Concourse Line during rush hours.[6] Two trains started service at Bedford Park Boulevard in the morning rush hour.[7]
D service was increased on October 24, 1949, in order to offset the discontinuation ofC service, which ran express via the Concourse Line and the Eighth Avenue Line.[8] After the morning rush hour on weekdays, several D trains terminated at Bedford Park Boulevard. On December 29, 1951, Saturday peak direction express service in the Bronx was discontinued, along with the discontinuation of Saturday CC local service.[7]
On October 30, 1954, the Culver Ramp opened, providing a connection between theIND South Brooklyn Line andBMT Culver Line. D service was rerouted via these two lines to Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue with alternate trains running toChurch Avenue during rush hours.[9] On Saturdays, four round trips ran between 205th Street andKings Highway.[10][11] D trains replaced F service on the South Brooklyn Line, and were sent over the new connection as the first IND service to reach Coney Island. The service was announced as Concourse–Culver and advertised as direct Bronx–Coney Island service.[12][13]
On May 13, 1957, alternate D trains were cut back to Church Avenue during weekday middays.[11] Between October 7, 1957, and 1959, four rush hour trains ran toEuclid Avenue via theIND Fulton Street Line when the D started being inspected atPitkin Yard.[7] Four trains left 205th Street between 7:20 and 8:10 a.m., and one left Bedford Park Boulevard at 8:53 a.m. These four trains returned between 3 and 5 p.m. During the morning rush hour, several northbound trains ended at Bedford Park Boulevard.[10][11] These trains ran express along the Fulton Street Line if they ran during the hour that A trains ran express along the line.[7]
From December 4 to 27, 1962, a special service labeled DD was provided due to a water main break. It operated during rush hours only between 205th Street and Stilwell Avenue. It made all stops between 205th Street in the Bronx and59th Street–Columbus Circle in Manhattan, rerouted via the Eighth Avenue Local between 59th andWest Fourth Streets, and then made all stops between West Fourth Street in Manhattan and Stillwell Avenue in Brooklyn via the Culver Line.[14]
.svg) |
1967–1979 bullet |
On November 26, 1967, theChrystie Street Connection opened, connecting the Sixth Avenue Line with the north tracks of theManhattan Bridge and the BMT Southern Division lines in Brooklyn. In conjunction with this project, the new express tracks on the Sixth Avenue Line betweenWest Fourth Street–Washington Square and34th Street were opened, providing additional capacity for the extra trains on the IND via the connection.[15] On this date, D service was switched over toBMT Brighton Line via this new connector, running express on weekdays toBrighton Beach and local to Stillwell Avenue at all other times. The D replacedQ service, which had run local in Brooklyn (except during morning rush hours and early evenings) and express on theBMT Broadway Line in Manhattan, terminating at57th Street. In Manhattan, it ran express from West 4th Street to34th Street rush hours only, with theB using the express tracks to relay when it terminated at West 4th Street at other times. Service on the Culver Line to Coney Island was replaced by extended F service.[12][16][17] On July 1, 1968, it would become the full-time Sixth Avenue Express when non-rush hoursB service and newKK service was extended to the new57th Street–Sixth Avenue station.[18]
On August 19, 1968, to reduce conflicts at the Brighton Beach terminal, D service was truncated toBrighton Beach when it ran express on theBMT Brighton Line (morning rush hours through early evenings, and QB (rush-hour peak direction only) and QJ (morning rush hours through early evenings) were extended from Brighton Beach toConey Island–Stillwell Avenue. In addition, the span of Manhattan-bound D express service was increased by two hours, with the last express leaving Brighton Beach at 7:37 p.m.[19]
Effective January 2, 1973, the daytime QJ was truncated to Broad Street as the J, and the M was extended beyond Broad Street during the day along the QJ's former route to Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue, via the Montague Street Tunnel and Brighton Line local tracks.[20] Also, changes were made to D and M service on the Brighton Line. Northbound weekday M train service originating at Kings Highway would begin at 5:46 a.m., while northbound service from Coney Island would begin at 6:34 a.m. From 5:40 to 6:34 a.m. northbound D trains would run local from Brighton Beach to Kings Highway, and then run express to Prospect Park. Late morning and early afternoon D trains would from then on run express from Brighton Beach to Kings Highway. The span of D express service to Brighton Beach was extended by 45 minutes to 9:05 p.m. from Prospect Park, and the span of M service from Broad Street to Coney Island was extended by 45 minutes over the span of QJ service to cover local stops.[21]
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1986–1988 Yellow D bullet, serving theBMT Broadway Line |
For brief periods between 1982 and 1985, the Manhattan Bridge north tracks were out of service due to repairs, preventing D trains from operating along its normal route. In some instances, D trains were rerouted between Broadway–Lafayette Street and DeKalb Avenue via theNassau Street Line and theMontague Street Tunnel. In the northbound direction, D trains would operate via the Fourth Avenue Line from DeKalb Avenue to Court Street, via the Montague Street Tunnel, and then via the Nassau Street Line to Essex Street; at Essex Street, trains would change direction and utilize the Williamsburg Bridge connection of the Chrystie Street Connection and return to its normal route at Broadway–Lafayette Street. In the southbound direction, D trains would utilize the Williamsburg Bridge connection of the Chrystie Street Connection to Essex Street; at Essex Street, trains would change direction and operate via the Nassau Street Line, the Montague Street Tunnel, and the Fourth Avenue Line to DeKalb Avenue and return to its normal route. This reroute proved unsatisfactory because it delayedJ andM trains.[22]
D service was divided and ran in two sections when the north tracks of theManhattan Bridge closed on April 26, 1986, due to construction, with regular service expected to resume on October 26, 1986. The northern section ran between Norwood–205th Street in the Bronx and 34th Street–Herald Square (the orange D) while the southern section ran express on theBMT Broadway Line from57th Street–Seventh Avenue toCanal Street, then crossed the south tracks of the Manhattan Bridge into Brooklyn, and operated local along the Brighton Line to Stillwell Avenue (the yellow D). Service to Grand Street was replaced by the S shuttle, which ran via the Sixth Avenue local to 57th Street–Sixth Avenue.[23]
At this time, the local tracks on the BMT Brighton Line also underwent reconstruction, necessitating the suspension of express service. As a substitute, the D and Q ranskip-stop service betweenNewkirk Avenue andSheepshead Bay on weekdays. D trains servedNeck Road,Avenue M, andAvenue H; the Q servedAvenue U andAvenue J, and both trains servedKings Highway.[24] The first skip-stop train left Brighton Beach at about 6:30 a.m. while the last one left 57th Street–Seventh Avenue at about 7:30 p.m. On weekday evenings, between 8 p.m. and 1 a.m., D trains made all local stops, except Parkside Avenue and Beverley Road where service was only available in one direction. During late nights and weekends, D trains ran express between Prospect Park and Kings Highway depending on which tracks were being worked on.[25] By 1987, as reconstruction on the Brighton Line progressed, the weekday skip-stop pattern expanded to Prospect Park, with D trains servingBeverley Road while Q trains servedCortelyou Road andParkside Avenue, withChurch Avenue as a mutual station.[26] From November 23, 1987 to May 13, 1988, one AM rush hour D train was extended beyond its normal terminal at 57th Street/Seventh Avenue and terminated atAstoria – Ditmars Boulevard.[27]
On December 11, 1988, the north tracks of the Manhattan Bridge reopened and the two sections of the D joined together running via Sixth Avenue Express. The D now ran as the full-time Brighton Local to Stillwell Avenue.[28][29]
In January 1991, a reduction of service along the Concourse and Central Park West Corridors was proposed. Peak direction D service betweenFordham Road and145th Street would be discontinued. In addition, the D would be the sole service along the Concourse Line due to the elimination (later changed to a reroute) ofC service. This service change would have been implemented in October 1991, pending approval from the MTA board.[30]
From April 30 to November 12, 1995,[31] the Bridge's north tracks closed during middays and weekends and during these hours, D service was cut south of 34th Street-Herald Square. In its place, the Q ran local in Brooklyn to Stillwell Avenue.[32] On July 22, 2001, the north tracks were closed at all times and the southern (Broadway Line) tracks reopened. D service was again cut below 34th Street–Herald Square. In Brooklyn, D service was replaced byQ local service.[33][34][35]
On February 22, 2004, full service on the Manhattan Bridge was restored and D trains were extended via the north tracks of the bridge to Brooklyn, replacing theW as theFourth Avenue Express (late nights local) andWest End Local to Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue.[36][37] The D was moved to the West End Line instead of returning to the Brighton Line, which it had run on since 1967, to provide 24-hour service to both the Concourse Line and West End Line and avoid running two separate (B and D) shortened services outside of weekdays. This eliminated the need to run late-night and weekend shuttles on the West End Line as was done prior to 2002.[38]
From May 24, 2004, to fall 2004, signal modernization on theIND Concourse Line required the suspension of D express service in the Bronx.[39]
From September 18, 2021, until January 24, 2022,[40] southbound D trains terminated at Bay 50th Street so work could be completed to protect Coney Island Yard from flooding.[41]
The IND Concourse Line's express track was closed from July 2, 2022, to January 23, 2023, with D trains using the local tracks at all times.[42][43] Effective December 15, 2024, four a.m. rush hour trains began entering service at 25th Avenue and four evening trains began terminating at Bay Parkway, instead of starting or ending at Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue.[44][45]
The following table shows the lines used by the D, with shaded boxes indicating the route at the specified times:[46]
| Line | From | To | Tracks | Times | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| non- rush | rush peak | late nights | ||||
| IND Concourse Line (full line) | Norwood–205th Street | all | ||||
| Bedford Park Boulevard | 145th Street | express | ||||
| local | ||||||
| IND Eighth Avenue Line | 135th Street | 59th Street–Columbus Circle | express | |||
| IND Sixth Avenue Line | Seventh Avenue/53rd Street | Broadway–Lafayette Street | ||||
| Chrystie Street Connection | Grand Street | all | ||||
| Manhattan Bridge | north | |||||
| BMT Fourth Avenue Line | DeKalb Avenue | bypass | ||||
| bridge | ||||||
| Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center | 36th Street | express | ||||
| local | ||||||
| BMT West End Line (full line) | Ninth Avenue | Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue | ||||
For a more detailed station listing, see the articles on the lines listed above.[3]
| Station service legend | |
|---|---|
 | Stops 24 hours a day |
 | Stops every day during daytime hours only |
 | Stops every day during overnight hours only |
 | Stops during weekday daytime hours only |
 | Stops 24 hours a day, except during weekday rush hours in the peak direction |
 | Stops during weekday rush hours only |
 | Station closed |
 | Stops weekdays in the peak direction only |
| Time period details | |
 | Station is compliant with theAmericans with Disabilities Act |
| ↑ | Station is compliant with theAmericans with Disabilities Act in the indicated direction only |
| ↓ | |
 | Elevator access to mezzanine only |
 | Stations | | Subway transfers | Connections and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Bronx | ||||
| Concourse Line | ||||
| Norwood–205th Street | |||
| Bedford Park Boulevard | | B | Some a.m. rush hour trips to and from Brooklyn begin or end their runs at this station[a] |
| Kingsbridge Road | | B | |
| Fordham Road | B | Bx12 Select Bus Service | |
| 182nd–183rd Streets | B | ||
| Tremont Avenue | | B | |
| 174th–175th Streets | B | ||
| 170th Street | B | ||
| 167th Street | B | ||
| 161st Street–Yankee Stadium | | B 4 (IRT Jerome Avenue Line) | Bx6 Select Bus Service Metro-NorthHudson Line atYankees–East 153rd Street Express trains that normally bypass this station will stop when an event is being held atYankee Stadium |
| Manhattan | ||||
| 155th Street | B | ||
| 145th Street | B A C (IND Eighth Avenue Line) | ||
| Eighth Avenue Line | ||||
| 125th Street | | A B C | M60 Select Bus Service toLaGuardia Airport |
| 59th Street–Columbus Circle | | A B C 1 2 (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line) | |
| Sixth Avenue Line | ||||
| Seventh Avenue/53rd Street | B E (IND Queens Boulevard Line) | ||
| 47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center | | B F <F> M | |
| 42nd Street–Bryant Park | | B F <F> M 7 <7> (IRT Flushing Line atFifth Avenue)1 2 3 (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line atTimes Square–42nd Street, daytime only)N Q R W (BMT Broadway Line atTimes Square–42nd Street, daytime only)S (42nd Street Shuttle atTimes Square, daytime only)A C E (IND Eighth Avenue Line at42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal, daytime only) | |
| 34th Street–Herald Square | | B F <F> M N Q R W (BMT Broadway Line) | M34 / M34A Select Bus Service PATH at33rd Street Amtrak,LIRR,NJ Transit atPennsylvania Station |
| West Fourth Street–Washington Square | | B F <F> M A C E (IND Eighth Avenue Line) | PATH atNinth Street |
| Broadway–Lafayette Street | | B F <F> M 4 6 <6> (IRT Lexington Avenue Line atBleecker Street) | |
| Chrystie Street Branch | ||||
| Grand Street | B | ||
| Brooklyn | ||||
| Fourth Avenue Line | ||||
| DeKalb Avenue | | N Q R | |
| Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center | | N R W B Q (BMT Brighton Line)2 3 4 5 (IRT Eastern Parkway Line) | LIRRAtlantic Branch atAtlantic Terminal |
| Union Street | N R | ||
| Ninth Street | N R F G (IND Culver Line atFourth Avenue) | ||
| Prospect Avenue | N R | ||
| 25th Street | N R | ||
| 36th Street | N R W | ||
| West End Line | ||||
| Ninth Avenue | R W | ||
| Fort Hamilton Parkway | |||
| 50th Street | |||
| 55th Street | |||
| 62nd Street | | R W N W (BMT Sea Beach Line atNew Utrecht Avenue) | |
| 71st Street | |||
| 79th Street | |||
| 18th Avenue | |||
| 20th Avenue | |||
| Bay Parkway | | R W | B82 Select Bus Service Southern terminal for some southbound evening trains[b] |
| 25th Avenue | Southern terminal for some northbound a.m. rush hour trains[c] | ||
| Bay 50th Street | |||
| Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue | | F <F> (IND Culver Line) N (BMT Sea Beach Line)Q (BMT Brighton Line) | |
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