.gif)
59th Street (BMT Fourth Avenue Line)
Encyclopedia
59th Street is an express station
on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line
of the New York City Subway
. Located at 59th Street and Fourth Avenue, in the Brooklyn
neighborhood of Sunset Park
, it is served by the N
and R
trains at all times.
This is a four-track express station with two island platform
s. The local tracks continue along Fourth Avenue to Bay Ridge – 95th Street while the express tracks turn east to become the tracks of the BMT Sea Beach Line
. South of the station are crossovers between the local and express northbound and southbound tracks.
The N normally stops at the express tracks since it provide express service to Manhattan
via the Manhattan Bridge
, while the R stops at the local ones and provide service to Lower Manhattan
via the Montague Street Tunnel
. During late nights, N trains use the crossovers to switch between the local tracks and the Sea Beach tracks (making all stops in place of the R train, through Lower Manhattan
via the Montague Street Tunnel) while northbound R shuttle trains use the crossovers as well to switch from the local track to the express track in order to relay at 36th Street
, which uses that station as its northern terminal.
The street-level entrance is at the southern end of the station, at 60th Street. There is also an exit at the north end of the station. This station was overhauled in the late 1970s.
Immediately south of the station, one can see tunnel stub headings running straight from the local tracks. They run for about 150 feet and would have been for a line to Staten Island
via a tunnel under The Narrows
. There is a Maintenance of Way shed that was built on the southbound trackway. The northbound trackway is unobstructed, albeit much darker. The northbound trackway ends on a brick wall, with evidence of some sort of space beyond. South of this station, the bridge over the LIRR Bay Ridge Branch
has four trackways, with the R train occupying the two western ones. The tracks of the BMT Fourth Avenue Line are under the western half of Fourth Avenue at this point so that two additional tracks could be laid in the future if traffic ever warranted it.
Portions of what was to be two additional tracks for the Fourth Avenue subway south of this station were constructed by the then Brooklyn Edison Company initially for use as circuit breaker chambers.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
, a major architectural landmark of Brooklyn, is nearby.
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....
on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line
BMT Fourth Avenue Line
The Fourth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line of the BMT division of the New York City Subway, mainly running under Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn. Fourth Avenue never had a streetcar line or elevated railway due to the provisions of the assessment charged to neighboring property owners when the street...
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 59th Street and Fourth Avenue, in the Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
neighborhood of Sunset Park
Sunset Park, Brooklyn
Sunset Park is a neighborhood in the western section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. It is bounded by Greenwood Heights to the north, Borough Park to the east, Bay Ridge to the south, and Upper New York Bay to the west...
, it is served by the N
N (New York City Subway service)
The N Broadway Local is a service of the New York City Subway. Its route bullet is colored yellow, which appears on station signs and the NYC Subway map, as it represents a service provided on the BMT Broadway Line through Manhattan....
and R
R (New York City Subway service)
The R Broadway Local is a service of the New York City Subway. It is colored yellow on the route sign and on station signs and the NYC Subway map, as it represents a service provided on the BMT Broadway Line in Manhattan.The R service operates at all times...
trains at all times.
This is a four-track express station with 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. The local tracks continue along Fourth Avenue to Bay Ridge – 95th Street while the express tracks turn east to become the tracks of the BMT Sea Beach Line
BMT Sea Beach Line
The BMT Sea Beach Line is a rapid transit line of the BMT division of the New York City Subway, connecting the BMT Fourth Avenue Line subway at 59th Street via a four-track wide open cut to Coney Island in Brooklyn...
. South of the station are crossovers between the local and express northbound and southbound tracks.
The N normally stops at the express tracks since it provide express service to 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...
via the Manhattan Bridge
Manhattan Bridge
The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan with Brooklyn . It was the last of the three suspension bridges built across the lower East River, following the Brooklyn and the Williamsburg bridges...
, while the R stops at the local ones and provide service to Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
via the Montague Street Tunnel
Montague Street Tunnel
The Montague Street Tunnel carries the trains of the New York City Subway under the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. It opened to revenue service on Sunday, August 1, 1920 at 2 am with a holiday schedule, the same day as the 60th Street Tunnel. Regular service began...
. During late nights, N trains use the crossovers to switch between the local tracks and the Sea Beach tracks (making all stops in place of the R train, through Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
via the Montague Street Tunnel) while northbound R shuttle trains use the crossovers as well to switch from the local track to the express track in order to relay at 36th Street
36th Street (BMT Fourth Avenue Line)
36th Street is an express station on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, located at 36th Street and Fourth Avenue in Sunset Park, Brooklyn....
, which uses that station as its northern terminal.
The street-level entrance is at the southern end of the station, at 60th Street. There is also an exit at the north end of the station. This station was overhauled in the late 1970s.
Immediately south of the station, one can see tunnel stub headings running straight from the local tracks. They run for about 150 feet and would have been for a line to Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
via a tunnel under The Narrows
The Narrows
The Narrows is the tidal strait separating the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City. It connects the Upper New York Bay and Lower New York Bay and forms the principal channel by which the Hudson River empties into the Atlantic Ocean...
. There is a Maintenance of Way shed that was built on the southbound trackway. The northbound trackway is unobstructed, albeit much darker. The northbound trackway ends on a brick wall, with evidence of some sort of space beyond. South of this station, the bridge over the LIRR Bay Ridge Branch
Bay Ridge Branch
The Bay Ridge Branch is a rail line owned by the Long Island Rail Road and operated by the New York and Atlantic Railway in the U.S. State of New York...
has four trackways, with the R train occupying the two western ones. The tracks of the BMT Fourth Avenue Line are under the western half of Fourth Avenue at this point so that two additional tracks could be laid in the future if traffic ever warranted it.
Portions of what was to be two additional tracks for the Fourth Avenue subway south of this station were constructed by the then Brooklyn Edison Company initially for use as circuit breaker chambers.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Brooklyn, New York)
The Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is an architectural landmark in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is located on 5th Avenue between 59th and 60th streets in the Sunset Park neighborhood and occupies about half the square block extending back to 6th Avenue, with the rectory and...
, a major architectural landmark of Brooklyn, is nearby.
External links
- Station Reporter — N Train
- Station Reporter — R Train
- The Subway Nut — 59th Street Pictures
- 59th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
- 60th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View