TheNew York City Subway is aheavy-railpublic transit system serving four of the five boroughs of New York City. The present New York City Subway system inherited the systems of theInterborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT),Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT), and theIndependent Subway System (IND). New York City has owned the IND since its inception; the BMT and IRT were taken over by the city in 1940. The former IRT system is now known as theA Division, while theB Division is the combined former BMT and IND systems.

In theNew York City Subway nomenclature, a "line" refers to the physical trackage that is used by numbered or lettered "services", which change periodically. Today, the division or company names are not used publicly, while the line names may occasionally be used.

In the nomenclature of the subway, the terms "line" and "service" are not interchangeable with each other. While in popular usage the word "line" is often used synonymously with "service" (even sometimes on the website of theMTA^[1]), this list will use the formal usage of the term "line."

Aline is the physical structure and tracks that trains run over. Each section of the system is assigned a unique line name that begins with a division (IRT,BMT orIND), which is its pre-unification division when applicable. For example, the line underEighth Avenue is theIND Eighth Avenue Line. Some lines have changed names (and even divisions), but this happens relatively infrequently.

By contrast,aservice refers to the route that a train takes across the various lines. A service can operate along several lines and even along different divisions. For example, theR service operates along theIND Queens Boulevard Line as well as theBMT Broadway Line and theBMT Fourth Avenue Line.

Each service is assigned acolor. Since 1979, each service's color corresponds to the line it primarily uses inMidtown Manhattan^{[original research?]}—defined as thetrunk line. There are three exceptions: theIND Crosstown Line, which does not carry services to Manhattan, is colored light green; theBMT Nassau Street Line, which runs only throughLower Manhattan, is colored brown; and allshuttles are colored dark gray.^[2] The list of trunk lines and colors is shown in the table below.

Primary Trunk line	Color[3][4]	Pantone[5]	Hexadecimal	Service bullets
IND Eighth Avenue Line	Blue	PMS 286	#0039a6	​​
IND Sixth Avenue Line	Orange	PMS 165	#ff6319	​​​
IND Crosstown Line	Lime	PMS 376	#6cbe45
BMT Canarsie Line	Light slate gray	50% black	#a7a9ac
BMT Nassau Street Line	Brown	PMS 154	#996633	​
BMT Broadway Line	Yellow	PMS 116	#fccc0a	​​​
IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line	Red	PMS 185	#ee352e	​​
IRT Lexington Avenue Line	Green	PMS 355	#00933c	​​
IRT Flushing Line	Purple	PMS Purple	#b933ad	​
IND Second Avenue Line	Turquoise	PMS 638	#00add0
Shuttles	Dark slate gray	70% black	#808183

There are currently 36rail lines. TheArcher Avenue Lines and the63rd Street Lines are each classified as two separate lines due to their structure: both lines have distinct sections that arechained as BMT and the IND lines.

In the list below, lines with colors next to them indicate trunk lines, which determine the colors that are used for services' route bullets and diamonds, as well as shuttle service lines. The opening date refers to the opening of the first section of track for the line. In the "division" column, the current division is followed by the original division in parentheses.

Division	Line	Borough(s)	Service(s)	Opened	Structure
B (IND)	02Second Avenue Line	Manhattan	N  ​  Q  ​  R	January 1, 2017[6]	underground
B (BMT)	Fourth Avenue Line	Brooklyn	D  ​  N  ​  R  ​  W	June 22, 1915[7]	underground
B (IND)	06Sixth Avenue Line	Manhattan Brooklyn	B  ​  D  ​  F  <F> ​  M	January 1936[8]	underground
B (IND)	08Eighth Avenue Line	Manhattan Brooklyn	A  ​  B  ​  C  ​  D  ​  E	September 10, 1932[9]	underground
A (IRT)	42nd Street Shuttle	Manhattan	S	October 27, 1904[10]	underground[a]
B (BMT)	63rd Street Line	Manhattan	N  ​  Q  ​  R	October 29, 1989[9]	underground
B (IND)	63rd Street Line	Manhattan Queens	F  <F> ​	October 29, 1989[9]	underground
B (BMT)	Archer Avenue Line	Queens	J  ​  Z	December 11, 1988[7]	underground
B (IND)	Archer Avenue Line	Queens	E	December 11, 1988[9]	underground
B (BMT)	Astoria Line	Queens	N  ​  W	April 21, 1917[11]	elevated
B (BMT)	Brighton Line	Brooklyn	B  ​  Q	July 2, 1878[12]	underground, open cut, at-grade, embankment, elevated
B (BMT)	Broadway Line	Manhattan	N  ​  Q  ​  R  ​  W	September 4, 1917[7]	underground
A (IRT)	Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line	Bronx Manhattan Brooklyn	1  ​  2  ​  3	October 27, 1904[10]	elevated, embankment, underground[a]
B (BMT)	Canarsie Line	Brooklyn Manhattan	L	October 21, 1865[13]	underground, elevated, at-grade
B (IND)	Concourse Line	Bronx Manhattan	B  ​  D	July 1, 1933[9]	underground
B (IND)	Crosstown Line	Brooklyn Queens	G	August 19, 1933[9]	underground
B (IND)	Culver Line	Brooklyn	F  <F> ​  G	March 16, 1919[7]	underground, elevated[b]
A (IRT)	Dyre Avenue Line	Bronx	5	May 15, 1941	elevated[c], embankment, open-cut, underground
A (IRT)	Eastern Parkway Line	Brooklyn	2  ​  3  ​  4  ​  5	January 9, 1908[10]	underground
A (IRT)	Flushing Line	Queens Manhattan	7  <7> ​	June 22, 1915[10]	underground, elevated
B (BMT)	Franklin Avenue Line	Brooklyn	S	July 2, 1878[12]	elevated, embankment, open cut
B (IND)	Fulton Street Line	Brooklyn Queens	A  ​  C	April 9, 1936[9]	underground, elevated[d]
B (BMT)	Jamaica Line	Brooklyn Queens	J    M    Z ​	February 2, 1885[7]	elevated
A (IRT)	Jerome Avenue Line	Bronx	4  ​  5	June 12, 1917[10]	elevated, underground
A (IRT)	Lenox Avenue Line	Manhattan	2  ​  3	November 23, 1904[10]	at-grade, underground
A (IRT)	Lexington Avenue Line	Manhattan	4  ​  5  ​  6  <6>	October 27, 1904[10]	underground[a]
B (BMT)	Myrtle Avenue Line	Brooklyn Queens	M	December 19, 1889[7]	elevated, embankment, at-grade
B (BMT)	Nassau Street Line	Manhattan	J    M    Z ​	September 16, 1908[7]	underground
A (IRT)	New Lots Line	Brooklyn	2  ​  3  ​  4  ​  5	November 23, 1920[10]	elevated
A (IRT)	Nostrand Avenue Line	Brooklyn	2  ​  5	August 23, 1920[10]	underground
A (IRT)	Pelham Line	Bronx	6  <6> ​	August 1, 1918[10]	underground, elevated
B (IND)	Queens Boulevard Line	Queens Manhattan	E  ​  F  <F> ​  M  ​  R	August 19, 1933[9]	underground
B (IND)	Rockaway Line	Queens	A  ​  S	June 28, 1956	at-grade, embankment, elevated[e]
B (BMT)	Sea Beach Line	Brooklyn	N  ​  W	June 22, 1915[7]	open cut, elevated
B (BMT)	West End Line	Brooklyn	D  ​  R  ​  W	June 24, 1916[7]	open-cut, elevated
A (IRT)	White Plains Road Line	Bronx	2  ​  5	July 10, 1905[10]	elevated, underground

The following list shows the connections between the different divisions of the New York City Subway.^{[14][dubious –discuss]}

These connections can be used by trains in revenue service:

• 60th Street Tunnel Connection, also known as the 11th Street Cut (Queens) (BMT/IND) (R train)
• 63rd Street Lines (Manhattan) (BMT/IND)
• Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue station (BMT/IND) (originally all BMT) (D​, F, <F>​​, N​, and Q trains)
• Chrystie Street Connection (Manhattan) (BMT/IND) via theManhattan Bridge (B and ​D trains) and via theWilliamsburg Bridge (M train)

This connection is not for revenue service due to the differing widths of the trains:

• Astoria Line /Flushing Line (Queens) (BMT/IRT)

These connections are located within thesubway's rail yards and are not intended for revenue service.

• 207th Street Yard (Manhattan) (IND/IRT); trains from theIND Eighth Avenue Line andIRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line
• Coney Island Complex (Brooklyn) (BMT/IND); trains from theIND Culver Line,BMT Sea Beach Line andBMT West End Line
• Concourse Yard (Bronx) (IND/IRT); trains from theIND Concourse Line andIRT Jerome Avenue Line
• Linden Yard (Brooklyn) (BMT/IRT/LIRR); trains from theBMT Canarsie Line andIRT New Lots Line

• BMT West End Line /South Brooklyn Railway (Brooklyn) (BMT/Mainline RR)

In some places, there are track connections within the same division that are unused in regular service.^[15]

• AtConey Island–Stillwell Avenue, see above.
• AtBroadway Junction, there is an unused flyover between theBMT Canarsie Line and theBMT Jamaica Line.
• AtProspect Park, the tracks of theBMT Franklin Avenue Line become the local tracks of theBMT Brighton Line.
• AtDeKalb Avenue, there is an unused connection between theBMT Brighton Line and theBMT Broadway Line via the Montague Tunnel.

• AtWest Fourth Street–Washington Square, there is an unused connection between the local tracks of theIND Eighth Avenue Line and those of theIND Sixth Avenue Line.
• BetweenBowling Green and theSouth Ferry loops, the IRT Lexington Avenue Line and the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line have crossovers on theballoon loop tracks.
• On the42nd Street Shuttle, there are track connections to theIRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line at the west end and theIRT Lexington Avenue Line at the east end. It is not possible to operate through service on this line (i.e. one cannot go from the Broadway –Seventh Avenue Line to the Lexington Avenue Line using the shuttle tracks and vice versa), though the tracks are used to transport trains to and fromLivonia Yard in Brooklyn.
• South ofBroad Street on theBMT Nassau Street Line, the two-track line widens to four tracks. The two inner tracks are used to store and turnJ and ​Z trains, while the two outer tracks continue to theMontague Street Tunnel and to theBMT Fourth Avenue Line in Brooklyn.

• On theIND Rockaway Line, a single track connects the branches of the wye at Hammels, south ofBroad Channel, this was used previously forround-robin shuttle service and emergencyH service.

Many of the New York City Subway's lines have express tracks, unused in regular service and generally only used for re-routes.^[16]

• IRT Jerome Avenue Line: Single center track between149th Street–Grand Concourse andWoodlawn. Some northbound4 trains in the morning and afternoon rush hours operate express from167th Street untilBurnside Avenue, where they short-turn.
• IRT White Plains Road Line: Single center track betweenEast 180th Street andWakefield–241st Street.
• IRT Dyre Avenue Line: Combinations of track and right of way between the flyover andDyre Avenue.
• IRT Pelham Line: Single center track betweenParkchester andPelham Bay Park.
• IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line: Single center track betweenDyckman Street and242nd Street.

• BMT Sea Beach Line: One center track between86th Street andEighth Avenue. These were originally a pair of tracks which were briefly used by theNX service in 1967–1968; in 1999, one of the tracks was rehabilitated and the other was disconnected from the line leaving it unusable. The track is used occasionally for reroutes in either direction and possibly equipment testing. In the past, these tracks have been used to store rolling stock that are about to be scrapped.
• BMT West End Line: Single center track betweenNinth Avenue andBay 50th Street. Occasionally used for reroutes in either direction.
• BMT Brighton Line: Two center tracks betweenBrighton Beach andOcean Parkway. These are used for layups and for terminating/turningB trains but are listed here since they are a continuation of the express tracks from the Brighton line, and exist through Ocean Parkway station.
• IND Culver Line: Single center track betweenChurch Avenue andAvenue X.
• BMT Jamaica Line: Single center track betweenMyrtle Avenue andBroadway Junction.

• IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line: Single center track between96th Street and145th Street.
• IRT Lenox Avenue Line: Single center track at135th Street.

• BMT Astoria Line: Single center track between39th Avenue andAstoria –Ditmars Boulevard. This track was last used forW trains in the peak direction, and being unpopular with residents, was discontinued on January 15, 2002.
• IND Fulton Street Line andIND Rockaway Line: On the Fulton Street Line, a single center track betweenRockaway Boulevard and west of88th Street (the track continues through80th Street but leads only to the Pitkin Yard), and two center tracks from north of Aqueduct to south ofHoward Beach–JFK Airport on the IND Rockaway Line.

Despite “subway” implying underground travel, the following segments are located above ground orat grade level^[17] and comprise about 40% of the trackage.^[18]

• IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line from south of231st Street toVan Cortlandt Park–242nd Street
• IRT Jerome Avenue Line from149th Street–Grand Concourse toWoodlawn
• IRT White Plains Road Line fromThird Avenue–149th Street toWakefield–241st Street
• EntireIRT Dyre Avenue Line, except forPelham Parkway
• IRT Pelham Line fromHunts Point Avenue toPelham Bay Park

• BMT Jamaica Line from west ofMarcy Avenue (on theWilliamsburg Bridge) to75th Street–Elderts Lane
• BMT Myrtle Avenue Line from west ofCentral Avenue toMyrtle–Wyckoff Avenues
• EntireIRT New Lots Line
• EntireBMT Sea Beach Line
• EntireBMT West End Line
• BMT Canarsie Line atWilson Avenue (southbound platform elevated, northbound platform is actually on street level but in tunnel below elevated southbound platform), and fromBroadway Junction toCanarsie–Rockaway Parkway^[f]
• IND Culver Line from south ofCarroll Street toFourth Avenue/Ninth Street, and south ofChurch Avenue toConey Island–Stillwell Avenue
• BMT Brighton Line fromProspect Park toConey Island–Stillwell Avenue
• EntireBMT Franklin Avenue Line
• BothManhattan Bridge lines

• IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line at125th Street and fromDyckman Street to north of225th Street.
• IRT Lenox Avenue Line is at street level atHarlem–148th Street.
• BMT Jamaica Line on theWilliamsburg Bridge
• BothManhattan Bridge lines

• BMT Jamaica Line from75th Street–Elderts Lane to east of121st Street
• BMT Myrtle Avenue Line fromMyrtle–Wyckoff Avenues toMiddle Village–Metropolitan Avenue
• EntireBMT Astoria Line
• IRT Flushing Line fromHunters Point Avenue to west ofFlushing–Main Street
• IND Fulton Street Line east ofGrant Avenue
• EntireIND Rockaway Line

At minimum, in normal revenue service, all lines have two tracks, with one exception: theBMT Franklin Avenue Line has a single track betweenFranklin Avenue andPark Place.

The New York City Subway has fewertriple track sections than it hasquadruple track sections^{[original research?]}. These sections are listed below. The third track, when in use, is generally for peak-direction express service or reroutes, with exceptions noted below.

1. IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line (1 train) from south ofVan Cortlandt Park–242nd Street to north ofDyckman Street and from north of145th Street to north of96th Street
2. IRT White Plains Road Line (2 and ​5 trains) from south ofWakefield–241st Street to east ofThird Avenue–149th Street
3. IRT Lenox Avenue Line (2 and ​3 trains) at135th Street – center track is not usable in revenue service
4. IRT Jerome Avenue Line (4 train) – entire line, except forWoodlawn
5. IRT Dyre Avenue Line (5 train) – entire line
6. IRT Pelham Line (6 and <6>​ trains) – entire line
7. IRT Flushing Line (7 and <7>​ trains) – from33rd Street–Rawson Street toFlushing–Main Street
8. IRT New Lots Line (2, ​3, ​4, and ​5 trains) atJunius Street – center track is not usable in revenue service
9. IND Fulton Street Line (A train) – from west of80th Street to west ofOzone Park–Lefferts Boulevard; the westernmost portion of this track goes toPitkin Yard
10. BMT West End Line (D, ​R, and ​W trains) – fromNinth Avenue toBay 50th Street
11. IND Concourse Line (B and ​D trains) – from145th Street toBedford Park Boulevard
12. IND Culver Line (F and <F>​ trains) – from south ofChurch Avenue toAvenue X
13. BMT Jamaica Line (J, M, and Z​ trains) – fromMarcy Avenue toBroadway Junction. Also, at111th Street, the center track is not usable in revenue service
14. BMT Canarsie Line (L train) atEast 105th Street – easternmost track is not usable in revenue service
15. BMT Astoria Line (N and ​W trains) – from east ofQueensboro Plaza to south ofAstoria–Ditmars Boulevard
16. IND Crosstown Line (G train) atBedford–Nostrand Avenues – middle track can be used to turn trains coming from either direction
17. BMT Broadway Line atWhitehall Street – middle track used to turn southbound (W) and northbound (R) trains
18. BMT Sea Beach Line (Eighth Avenue to86th Street)

Additionally, there are several pocket tracks in the subway where the line temporarily widens from two to three tracks, such as east ofEighth Avenue on theBMT Canarsie Line, and south ofCourt Square on theIND Crosstown Line.

Quadruple-tracked portions of track are fairly common in the subway system. This makes it unique among most metro systems in the world, as most others only have two tracks per line. Generally, these portions are a pair of express and a pair of local tracks unless otherwise noted.

1. Trunk lines:
   1. IND Sixth Avenue Line between Broadway– Lafayette Street and 47th–50th Streets
   2. IND Eighth Avenue Line between Chambers Street–World Trade Center and 168th Street, and again at Dyckman Street (two local tracks and two tracks leading to the 207th Street Yard)
   3. IRT Lexington Avenue Line between Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall and 125th Street
   4. IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line between Chambers and 96th Streets
   5. BMT Broadway Line between Canal Street and 57th Street–Seventh Avenue
   6. BMT Nassau Street Line at Chambers Street (originally a four platform station)
2. Branch lines:

   Manhattan branches:

   1. 63rd Street Lines at Lexington Avenue (two levels of one-direction tracks, with both levels containing one track each of IND and BMT, with connections between lines on both levels)
   2. Chrystie Street Connection (one pair IND and one pair BMT)
   3. Manhattan Bridge (one pair of tracks on each of the north and south sides of the bridge)

   Queens branches:

   1. IND Queens Boulevard Line east of Queens Plaza
   2. IND Rockaway Line north of Jamaica Bay
   3. Archer Avenue Lines from Sutphin Boulevard and east (two levels of paired tracks: all IND on one, all BMT on the other, without connections between lines)
   4. IRT Flushing Line andBMT Astoria Line at Queensboro Plaza (two levels of one-direction tracks, with both levels containing one track each of IRT and BMT, with a non-revenue connection between lines on upper level)

   Brooklyn branches:

   1. IRT Eastern Parkway Line (entire line)
   2. IND Culver Line north of Church Avenue
   3. IND Fulton Street Line between Hoyt–Schermerhorn Streets and Euclid Avenue
   4. BMT Brighton Line between Ocean Parkway and Prospect Park
   5. BMT Fourth Avenue Line north of 59th Street
   6. Manhattan Bridge (one pair of tracks on each of the north and south sides of the bridge)

The Bronx has no four-tracked lines. Pocket tracks are not included.

The following New York City Subway lines are either entirely defunct or have major portions no longer in service. Defunctspur lines with one station, such as theSouth Ferry loops, are not included in this list, nor aresurface transit lines.

• IRT White Plains Road Line: Just north of theThird Avenue–149th Street station, exiting the tunnel portal, one can see the initial framework of theIRT Third Avenue Line. There used to be a connection from the White Plains Road line to the Third Avenue El, which ran south across the Harlem River to Manhattan.
• IRT White Plains Road Line: The other end of the Third Avenue El connected to the White Plains Road line at the lower level of theGun Hill Road station (closed 1973). Also on the White Plains Road line is the remnant of the short section of track to the originalBronx Park terminal.
• IRT Jerome Avenue Line: North of the161st Street–Yankee Stadium station is the framework for the connection from theIRT Ninth Avenue Line.
• IRT Dyre Avenue Line: The Dyre Avenue Line was part of theNew York, Westchester, and Boston Railway; it continued north beyondEastchester–Dyre Avenue to White Plains and Port Chester; and south of the present connection to the White Plains Road line atEast 180th Street, to 133rd Street where it ran alongside the New Haven Railroad. The platforms of the NYW&B station are still visible at East 180th Street station and are sometimes used to store trains. The structure south of East 180th Street ends abruptly at Lebanon Street.
• IRT Flushing Line: Part of the trackway from theQueensboro Bridge and theIRT Second Avenue Line is still visible at the east end ofQueensboro Plaza.
• BMT Nassau Street Line/BMT Broadway Line: The BMT Nassau Street Line used to connect to the south side of theManhattan Bridge north ofChambers Street. The trackways were disconnected from the Manhattan Bridge after theChrystie Street Connection opened. Also, heading northbound over the Manhattan Bridge north side, an abandoned tunnel is visible before enteringGrand Street. Heading northbound on the south side, the remains of the tunnel to the BMT Nassau Street Line loop is briefly visible. This area was reconfigured as part of the Chrystie Street Connection.
• BMT Fulton Street Line: Trackways are still visible atBMT Canarsie Line stations atBroadway Junction andAtlantic Avenue. Framework for the el was up until early 1998, visible at theFranklin Avenue Shuttle station atFranklin Avenue–Fulton Street. The structure served as a pedestrian walkway and was demolished in 1998 when the station and the Franklin Avenue Line was rebuilt as a single-tracked line.
• BMT Fulton Street Line: On theIND Fulton Street Line heading westbound from80th Street, one can see the stub end of the old BMT Fulton Street Line continuing straight ahead while the IND Fulton Street Line curves intoGrant Avenue, an underground station.
• BMT Culver Line (nowIND Culver Line): AtNinth Avenue and atDitmas Avenue, the original Culver line connected. The trackway is visible at Ditmas Avenue and the ramps are visible at Ninth Avenue.
• BMT Jamaica Line: West ofGates Avenue, one can see where the structure turned ontoLexington Avenue to head toward the Brooklyn Bridge. The structure is only visible from street level.
• BMT Jamaica Line: West ofMarcy Avenue, the BMT Jamaica Line veers right onto theWilliamsburg Bridge while the original structure continues straight ahead.
• BMT Jamaica Line: East of121st Street, the 144th Street BMT powerhouse and168th Street station house still exist along Jamaica Avenue.
• The LIRR'sRockaway Beach Branch runs from the White Pot Junction to just east ofRockaway Boulevard, where theIND Rockaway Line begins.

• List of New York City Subway services
• New York City Subway nomenclature
• Staten Island Railway

• New York City Subway lines
• History of the New York City Subway
• Defunct New York City Subway lines
• New York City Subway-related lists

• Webarchive template wayback links
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use American English from February 2025
• All Wikipedia articles written in American English
• Use mdy dates from February 2017
• All articles that may contain original research
• Articles that may contain original research from February 2024
• All accuracy disputes
• Articles with disputed statements from February 2024
• Pages using New York City Subway service templates