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125th Street (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)
Encyclopedia
125th Street is an express station
that has four tracks and two island platform
s. It is the northernmost Manhattan
station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line
of the New York City Subway
. Located at Lexington Avenue
and East 125th Street
(also known as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard) in Harlem
, it is served by the 4
and 6
trains at all times, the 5
train at all times except late nights, and the <6> during weekdays in peak direction. The station lies one block east of the Harlem – 125th Street station on the Metro-North Railroad
. A proposed northern extension of the Second Avenue Subway
will connect with this station.
, the line splits into the IRT Jerome Avenue Line
(heading north) and the IRT Pelham Line
(heading east). On the lower platform, each track comes from one line, and a flying junction
south of the station allows trains to be diverted to the local or express track.
There is an active tower at the north end of the upper platform; it is a satellite to the tower at Grand Central – 42nd Street, which controls the entire length of the Lexington Avenue Line. This station's renovation was completed in 2005.
for the Second Avenue Subway
would be built below and at right angles to this station, along 125th Street. Phase 1 of the Second Avenue Subway from 63rd Street to 96th Street
is under construction as of October 2009. The 125th Street station is part of Phase 2, from 96th Street to 125th Street.
Metro station
A metro station or subway station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....
that has four tracks and two island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
s. It is the northernmost Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line
IRT Lexington Avenue Line
The Lexington Avenue Line is one of the lines of the IRT division of the New York City Subway, stretching from Downtown Brooklyn or Lower Manhattan north to 125th Street in East Harlem. The portion in Lower and Midtown Manhattan was part of the first subway line in New York...
of the New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
. Located at Lexington Avenue
Lexington Avenue (Manhattan)
Lexington Avenue, often colloquially abbreviated by New Yorkers as "Lex," is an avenue on the East Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City that carries southbound one-way traffic from East 131st Street to Gramercy Park at East 21st Street...
and East 125th Street
125th Street (Manhattan)
125th Street is a two-way street that runs east-west in the New York City borough of Manhattan, considered the "Main Street" of Harlem; It is also called Martin Luther King, Jr...
(also known as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard) in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, it is served by the 4
4 (New York City Subway service)
The 4 Lexington Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored green on station signs, route signs, and the official subway map, since it uses the IRT Lexington Avenue Line in Manhattan....
and 6
6 (New York City Subway service)
The 6 Lexington Avenue and Pelham Local and Lexington Avenue Local and Pelham Express are two rapid transit services of the New York City Subway. The 6 local has a circle shape while the ' express has a diamond shape...
trains at all times, the 5
5 (New York City Subway service)
The 5 Lexington Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored green on station signs, route signs, and the official subway map, since it uses IRT Lexington Avenue Line in Manhattan....
train at all times except late nights, and the <6> during weekdays in peak direction. The station lies one block east of the Harlem – 125th Street station on the Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
. A proposed northern extension of the Second Avenue Subway
Second Avenue Subway
The Second Avenue Subway is a planned rapid transit subway line, part of the New York City Subway system. Phase I, consisting of two miles of tunnel and three stations, is currently under construction underneath Second Avenue in the borough of Manhattan.A plan for more than 75 years, the Second...
will connect with this station.
IRT Lexington Avenue Line platforms
The station is unique in design. It is a bi-level station, with an island platform on each level, but is not configured in the standard express-local lower-upper configuration (which is used in most stations south of this point). Instead, the upper platform serves northbound (uptown) trains and the lower level serves southbound (downtown) trains. North of the station, just after crossing the Harlem RiverHarlem River
The Harlem River is a navigable tidal strait in New York City, USA that flows 8 miles between the Hudson River and the East River, separating the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx...
, the line splits into the IRT Jerome Avenue Line
IRT Jerome Avenue Line
The IRT Jerome Avenue Line, also unofficially known as IRT Woodlawn Line, is a New York City Subway Line along Jerome Avenue in the Bronx. It was opened on June 2, 1917 as a shuttle service between Kingsbridge Road and 149th Street. This was in advance of through service to the IRT Lexington Avenue...
(heading north) and the IRT Pelham Line
IRT Pelham Line
The IRT Pelham Line is a rapid transit line on the New York City Subway, served by the 6 and <6> trains. It was built as part of the Dual Contracts expansion and opened in 1919. It is both elevated and underground, with Whitlock Avenue being the first elevated station...
(heading east). On the lower platform, each track comes from one line, and a flying junction
Flying junction
A flying junction or flyover is a railway junction at which one or more diverging or converging tracks in a multiple-track route cross other tracks on the route by bridge to avoid conflict with other train movements. A more technical term is "grade-separated junction"...
south of the station allows trains to be diverted to the local or express track.
There is an active tower at the north end of the upper platform; it is a satellite to the tower at Grand Central – 42nd Street, which controls the entire length of the Lexington Avenue Line. This station's renovation was completed in 2005.
Planned Second Avenue Subway station
The planned northern terminalTerminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
for the Second Avenue Subway
Second Avenue Subway
The Second Avenue Subway is a planned rapid transit subway line, part of the New York City Subway system. Phase I, consisting of two miles of tunnel and three stations, is currently under construction underneath Second Avenue in the borough of Manhattan.A plan for more than 75 years, the Second...
would be built below and at right angles to this station, along 125th Street. Phase 1 of the Second Avenue Subway from 63rd Street to 96th Street
96th Street (IND Second Avenue Line)
The 96th Street is a planned station, under construction along the Second Avenue Subway. It is the planned northern terminus for the Q during Phase 1 of the Second Avenue Subway. The station is expected to open in the late 2010s, and it will have two tracks and an island platform....
is under construction as of October 2009. The 125th Street station is part of Phase 2, from 96th Street to 125th Street.
Further reading
- Lee Stokey. Subway Ceramics : A History and Iconography. 1994. ISBN 978-0-9635486-1-0
External links
- nycsubway.org — Polyrhythmics of Consciousness and Light Artwork by Valerie Maynard (2002)
- nycsubway.org — Open Secret Artwork by Houston Conwill (1986)
- Station Reporter — 4 Train
- Station Reporter — 5 Train
- Station Reporter — 6 Train
- MTA's Arts For Transit — 125th Street (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)
- 125th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View