BMT Canarsie Line
Encyclopedia
The Canarsie Line is a rapid transit
line of the BMT
Division of the New York City Subway
system, named after its terminus in the Canarsie
neighborhood of Brooklyn
. It is served by the L
train at all times, which is shown in the color gray on the NYC Subway map and on station signs.
It is also occasionally referred to as the Eastern District Line. This refers to Williamsburg
, which was described as Brooklyn's "Eastern District" when the City of Williamsburg was annexed by the former City of Brooklyn. This was the location where the original Brooklyn subway portions of the line were laid out. Only later was the line connected to the tracks leading to Canarsie. Eastern District High School preserves this toponym.
The Canarsie Line runs from Eighth Avenue
and 14th Street
in Manhattan
to Rockaway Parkway in Canarsie, Brooklyn. It is double-tracked along its entire length, except for short stretches of layup track in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The current line is a two-track subway from its Manhattan terminal to Broadway Junction in the East New York
section of Brooklyn, with the exception of a short stretch at Wilson Avenue where it is a double-decked structure with the southbound track outdoors directly above the underground northbound track. There are no express tracks on the Canarsie line; thus, all trains run local service throughout their route.
Just before Broadway Junction, the line emerges onto an elevated structure, passing over the BMT Jamaica Line
. Between Broadway Junction and Atlantic Avenue are the Canarsie Line's only track connections to the rest of the system, via flyover ramps connecting the Canarsie line to the Jamaica Line and East New York Yard (and, until 1956, the Fulton Street Elevated). The Canarsie Line used to share the structure at Atlantic Avenue with the connection from the Broadway and Fulton Street elevated lines to the Liberty Avenue Elevated (still extant further east as part of the IND Fulton Street Line
).
East of Pitkin Avenue, the Canarsie Line enters the two-track elevated structure on which the line was originally grade-separated in 1906, entering Sutter Avenue station. At the next station, Livonia Avenue, the Livonia Avenue Elevated of the IRT New Lots Line
passes overhead, and just beyond this point is a single track connection to the Linden Shops, which is now a track and structures facility. Besides the connection at Broadway Junction, this non-electrified
yard connection is the only other connection to the rest of the subway system, as it is indirectly a connection to the Eastern Parkway Line. B Division
-sized equipment cannot access this line, however, because of A Division width restrictions.
Beyond the next station, New Lots Avenue, the elevated structure ends, and an incline brings the Canarsie down to the original 1865 surface right-of-way
, the second-oldest such right-of-way on the New York City Transit Authority
system. The line operates on this ground-level route to the end of the line at Rockaway Parkway.
non-shuttle
subway lines that hosts only a single service and does not share operating trackage with any other line or service; the other is the IRT Flushing Line
, carrying the trains. Because of this, it was chosen as the location of the first fully automated line of the New York City Subway. In spring 2005, the current automation-enabled R143
-class equipment was expected to run under full automation with a single operator (known as OPTO, or One Person Train Operation) acting as an attendant to monitor the train's operation and take over manual operation if necessary. However, technical mishaps including the test train rolling away by itself delayed the start of Automatic train operation
, also known as Communication Based Train Control (CBTC).
The project caused numerous service disruptions on the L
service on nights and weekends. Frequently, service was shut down in separate sections of the line, usually from Eighth Avenue to Lorimer Street, Lorimer to Broadway Junction, or Broadway Junction to Rockaway Parkway. During this time, shuttle buses served suspended areas. This project also required the temporary closing of some stations, either in one direction or both directions, and for the line to be operated in two sections.
In June 2005, the Canarsie Line ran with a single operator on weekends. However, as this was a violation of contract, the MTA was ordered to resume two-person operation at all times.
Currently, the system is operational as of February 24, 2009 with the R143's assigned to the line and despite the fact that the R160A's on the line were not CBTC-compatible until August 2010. L train will begin full-fledged Automatic train operation in early 2012.
elevated line, and was then extended into Manhattan via subway.
line. It was first owned by the Brooklyn and Rockaway Beach Railroad, chartered December 24, 1863 and opened October 21, 1865, from the Long Island Rail Road
in East New York
to a pier at Canarsie Landing, very close to the current junction of Rockaway Parkway and the Belt Parkway
, where ferries continued on to Rockaway
. The line was single-tracked until 1894.
The Canarsie Railroad was chartered on May 8, 1906 as a BRT
subsidiary (leased to the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad) and acquired the line on May 31, 1906. The line was partly elevated, and electrified with third rail
on the elevated part and trolley wire
on the rest, south of New Lots Avenue. The Long Island Rail Road, which had used the line north of New Lots to access their Bay Ridge Branch
, built a new line just to the west. The East New York terminus was extended several blocks along a section of line formerly used for "East New York Loop
" service to the Fulton Street Elevated and the Broadway Elevated (now the BMT Jamaica Line
), at a point known as Manhattan Junction (now Broadway Junction).
Service, first run on July 28, 1906, ran from Canarsie Landing to the Broadway Ferry
at the foot of Broadway in Williamsburg
, at the East River
. This route still exists as the BMT Jamaica Line, except for the last piece to the East River, where the Jamaica Line runs over the Williamsburg Bridge
. The route was later extended over the bridge and along the BMT Nassau Street Line
to Canal Street and then Chambers Street.
subway expansion scheme around World War I
saw the rebuilding of the complex train junction at Manhattan Junction into an even more complex flyover junction now known as Broadway Junction. The expansion extended south to the point at which the Canarsie and Fulton Street Elevateds diverged, including a six-track, three-platform station at Atlantic Avenue. The complex was rebuilt under traffic and opened in stages, reaching completion in 1919.
At the same time, the BRT moved to eliminate remaining operations that required elevated trains to operate under overhead wire. In most cases this meant using third rail
on fully grade-separated lines. When third rail was extended on the Canarsie Line it was decided to extend this power mode only as far as the important station at Rockaway Parkway and Glenwood Road. Beyond that point, frequent grade crossings made third rail impractical. This portion of the line was converted to the Canarsie Shuttle using elevated cars in 1917 and converted to trolley cars in 1920.
One grade crossing was retained at East 105th Street despite the third rail, and was the last public rapid transit
grade crossing in New York City
. The crossing was removed in 1973.
in Manhattan
, from Sixth Avenue
under the East River
and through Williamsburg
to Montrose Avenue and Bushwick Avenues. A temporary ramp was built up to the street, onto streetcar tracks and around the corner to the Long Island Rail Road
's Bushwick Yard to get trains onto the line, which had no other connections to subway lines.
Four years later, on July 14, 1928, the line was extended further east beneath Wyckoff Avenue and then south paralleling the New York Connecting Railroad
to a new station at Broadway Junction, above the existing station on the Broadway Elevated (Jamaica Line
). At this time, it was connected to the Canarsie Line.
At noon on May 30, 1931, a two-block extension to Eighth Avenue in Manhattan was opened, connecting the Canarsie Line to the new IND Eighth Avenue Line
. This station was built to look like the other Independent Subway stations. At this point, the Canarsie Line's route took the shape that it still has to this day.
After World War II
, the Canarsie Shuttle trolley line to Canarsie Landing was replaced by the B42 bus; the right-of-way was abandoned. Parts were built over, and other parts can still be seen as broad alleys or narrow parking lots. This right-of-way ran between East 95th and East 96th Streets as far south as Seaview Avenue.
), through Manhattan Junction and on to Canarsie. Then when the subway opened, two services ran from Canarsie to Manhattan: the original route on the Broadway Elevated and the route to 14th Street as the 14th Street-Canarsie Line.
In 1936, due to the institution of new lightweight subway-elevated equipment, a new rush-hour-only service was inaugurated from Eighth Avenue and 14th Street to Lefferts Boulevard at the east end of the Liberty Avenue Elevated (the continuation of the Fulton Street Elevated). The Eighth Avenue–Canarsie route was given BMT
marker 16, and trains running to Lefferts Boulevard usually were marked as 13
. When the Fulton Street El was torn down, some rush-hour Broadway trains ran through from the Broadway Elevated (Jamaica Line
) to Canarsie via the flyover at Broadway Junction; these were marked as 14. In 1967, when all BMT
lines were given letters, the 16, which used the full Canarsie Line, was designated as LL. The rush-hour Broadway service (14) was designated JJ, and ran until 1968 when it was replaced by the KK which stayed on the Jamaica Line
instead of switching to the Canarsie Line at Broadway Junction. The flyover connection has been used only sporadically for revenue service since then.
For more information, see the BMT 13
, BMT 14 and BMT 16 articles.
The portion of the 14th Street–Canarsie Line built or rehabilitated under the Dual Contracts and opened in 1924 and 1928 was designated BMT Q beginning at Sixth Avenue and 14th Street in Manhattan and extending to the beginning of BMT P chaining at Pitkin Avenue. Chaining zero for the BMT Q chaining line was also at Sixth Avenue.
When the line was extended to Eighth Avenue in 1931, chaining zero for the BMT Q chaining line was not moved. Rather than change all the signal designations and chaining stations on the line, the new section was extended west from the same zero and designated chaining line BMT QW.
When the installation of automated train operation required the complete replacement of the signal system, the MTA decided to make the entire line BMT Q and move chaining zero to the current compass western end of the line. Therefore the chaining station of every location on the line had to be changed, a situation rarely seen since the Dual Contracts changes on the old BRT
circa 1920.
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
line of the BMT
Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation
The Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation was an urban transit holding company, based in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, and incorporated in 1923. The system was sold to the city in 1940 and today, together with the IND subway system, form the B Division of the New York City Subway...
Division 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...
system, named after its terminus in the Canarsie
Canarsie, Brooklyn
Canarsie is a neighborhood in the southeastern portion of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City, United States. The area is part of Brooklyn Community Board 18....
neighborhood of 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...
. It is served by the L
L (New York City Subway service)
The L 14th Street – Canarsie Local is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway, providing service along the entire length of the two-tracked BMT Canarsie Line...
train at all times, which is shown in the color gray on the NYC Subway map and on station signs.
It is also occasionally referred to as the Eastern District Line. This refers to Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
, which was described as Brooklyn's "Eastern District" when the City of Williamsburg was annexed by the former City of Brooklyn. This was the location where the original Brooklyn subway portions of the line were laid out. Only later was the line connected to the tracks leading to Canarsie. Eastern District High School preserves this toponym.
Extent and service
Eighth Avenue (Manhattan)
Eighth Avenue is a north-south avenue on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City, carrying northbound traffic. Eighth Avenue begins in the West Village neighborhood at Abingdon Square and runs north for 44 blocks through Chelsea, the Garment District, Hell's Kitchen's east end, Midtown and the...
and 14th Street
14th Street (Manhattan)
14th Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The street rivals the size of some of the well-known avenues of the city and is an important business location....
in 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...
to Rockaway Parkway in Canarsie, Brooklyn. It is double-tracked along its entire length, except for short stretches of layup track in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The current line is a two-track subway from its Manhattan terminal to Broadway Junction in the East New York
East New York, Brooklyn
East New York is a residential neighborhood located in the Eastern section of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, United States. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 5...
section of Brooklyn, with the exception of a short stretch at Wilson Avenue where it is a double-decked structure with the southbound track outdoors directly above the underground northbound track. There are no express tracks on the Canarsie line; thus, all trains run local service throughout their route.
Just before Broadway Junction, the line emerges onto an elevated structure, passing over the BMT Jamaica Line
BMT Jamaica Line
The Jamaica Line is an elevated rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It runs from the Williamsburg Bridge southeast over Broadway to East New York, Brooklyn, and then east over Fulton Street and Jamaica Avenue to...
. Between Broadway Junction and Atlantic Avenue are the Canarsie Line's only track connections to the rest of the system, via flyover ramps connecting the Canarsie line to the Jamaica Line and East New York Yard (and, until 1956, the Fulton Street Elevated). The Canarsie Line used to share the structure at Atlantic Avenue with the connection from the Broadway and Fulton Street elevated lines to the Liberty Avenue Elevated (still extant further east as part of the IND Fulton Street Line
IND Fulton Street Line
The IND Fulton Street Line is a rapid transit line of the IND Division of the New York City Subway, extending from the Cranberry Street Tunnel under the East River through all of central Brooklyn to a terminus in Ozone Park, Queens. The IND Rockaway Line branches from it. It forms part of the A...
).
East of Pitkin Avenue, the Canarsie Line enters the two-track elevated structure on which the line was originally grade-separated in 1906, entering Sutter Avenue station. At the next station, Livonia Avenue, the Livonia Avenue Elevated of the IRT New Lots Line
IRT New Lots Line
The New Lots Line or Livonia Avenue Line is one of the lines of the IRT division of the New York City Subway, consisting of an elevated structure that begins just east of Crown Heights – Utica Avenue, and continuing to New Lots Avenue in New Lots, Brooklyn.The line includes an unused trackway in...
passes overhead, and just beyond this point is a single track connection to the Linden Shops, which is now a track and structures facility. Besides the connection at Broadway Junction, this non-electrified
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
yard connection is the only other connection to the rest of the subway system, as it is indirectly a connection to the Eastern Parkway Line. B Division
B Division (New York City Subway)
The B Division is a division of the New York City Subway, consisting of the lines operated with services designated by letters , in addition to the Franklin Avenue Shuttle and Rockaway Park Shuttle...
-sized equipment cannot access this line, however, because of A Division width restrictions.
Beyond the next station, New Lots Avenue, the elevated structure ends, and an incline brings the Canarsie down to the original 1865 surface right-of-way
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
, the second-oldest such right-of-way on the New York City Transit Authority
New York City Transit Authority
The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City...
system. The line operates on this ground-level route to the end of the line at Rockaway Parkway.
Automation
The Canarsie Line is one of only two New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
non-shuttle
S (New York City Subway service)
Three services in the New York City Subway are designated as S . These are short services that connect passengers to longer services:* Franklin Avenue Shuttle...
subway lines that hosts only a single service and does not share operating trackage with any other line or service; the other is the IRT Flushing Line
IRT Flushing Line
The Flushing Line is a rapid transit route of the New York City Subway system, operated as part of the IRT Division and designated the 7 route...
, carrying the trains. Because of this, it was chosen as the location of the first fully automated line of the New York City Subway. In spring 2005, the current automation-enabled R143
R143 (New York City Subway car)
The R143 is a standard gauge subway car design used on the B Division of the New York City Subway in the United States. The cars are primarily used on the L service. The New York City Transit Authority owns 212 R143 cars, numbered 8101 to 8312, and built for an average cost of about $1.5 million...
-class equipment was expected to run under full automation with a single operator (known as OPTO, or One Person Train Operation) acting as an attendant to monitor the train's operation and take over manual operation if necessary. However, technical mishaps including the test train rolling away by itself delayed the start of Automatic train operation
Automatic train operation
Automatic train operation ensures partial or complete automatic train piloting and driverless functions.Most systems elect to maintain a driver to mitigate risks associated with failures or emergencies....
, also known as Communication Based Train Control (CBTC).
The project caused numerous service disruptions on the L
L (New York City Subway service)
The L 14th Street – Canarsie Local is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway, providing service along the entire length of the two-tracked BMT Canarsie Line...
service on nights and weekends. Frequently, service was shut down in separate sections of the line, usually from Eighth Avenue to Lorimer Street, Lorimer to Broadway Junction, or Broadway Junction to Rockaway Parkway. During this time, shuttle buses served suspended areas. This project also required the temporary closing of some stations, either in one direction or both directions, and for the line to be operated in two sections.
In June 2005, the Canarsie Line ran with a single operator on weekends. However, as this was a violation of contract, the MTA was ordered to resume two-person operation at all times.
Currently, the system is operational as of February 24, 2009 with the R143's assigned to the line and despite the fact that the R160A's on the line were not CBTC-compatible until August 2010. L train will begin full-fledged Automatic train operation in early 2012.
Background
The history of the Canarsie Line has three distinct phases. It was first a steam railroad, then a BRTBrooklyn Rapid Transit
The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company was a public transit holding company formed in 1896 to acquire and consolidate lines in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It was a prominent corporation and industry leader using the single-letter symbol B on the New York Stock Exchange...
elevated line, and was then extended into Manhattan via subway.
Steam and elevated era
Before becoming a BRT elevated line in 1906, the Canarsie Line operated as a steam dummySteam dummy
A steam dummy or dummy engine, in the United States of America and Canada, was a steam engine enclosed in a wooden box structure made to resemble a railroad passenger coach....
line. It was first owned by the Brooklyn and Rockaway Beach Railroad, chartered December 24, 1863 and opened October 21, 1865, from the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
in East New York
East New York, Brooklyn
East New York is a residential neighborhood located in the Eastern section of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, United States. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 5...
to a pier at Canarsie Landing, very close to the current junction of Rockaway Parkway and the Belt Parkway
Belt Parkway
The Belt System is a series of connected limited-access highways that form a belt-like circle around the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The system comprises four officially separate parkways; however, three of the four are signed as the Belt Parkway...
, where ferries continued on to Rockaway
Rockaway, Queens
The Rockaway Peninsula, informally The Rockaways, is the name of a peninsula of Long Island, all of which is located within the New York City borough of Queens. A popular summer resort area since the 1830s, Rockaway has become a mixture of lower, middle, and upper-class neighborhoods...
. The line was single-tracked until 1894.
The Canarsie Railroad was chartered on May 8, 1906 as a BRT
Brooklyn Rapid Transit
The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company was a public transit holding company formed in 1896 to acquire and consolidate lines in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It was a prominent corporation and industry leader using the single-letter symbol B on the New York Stock Exchange...
subsidiary (leased to the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad) and acquired the line on May 31, 1906. The line was partly elevated, and electrified with third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
on the elevated part and trolley wire
Trolley Wire
Trolley Wire is the magazine of the Sydney Tramway Museum in Loftus, New South Wales but is also co-published by most of the other albeit smaller tramway museums around the nation....
on the rest, south of New Lots Avenue. The Long Island Rail Road, which had used the line north of New Lots to access their 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...
, built a new line just to the west. The East New York terminus was extended several blocks along a section of line formerly used for "East New York Loop
East New York Loop
The East New York Loop was a short rapid transit structure in East New York, Brooklyn, New York City, United States, connecting the Fulton Street Elevated and Broadway Elevated, and its associated service patterns. The changes were unpopular with residents and soon undone; the loop was later used...
" service to the Fulton Street Elevated and the Broadway Elevated (now the BMT Jamaica Line
BMT Jamaica Line
The Jamaica Line is an elevated rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It runs from the Williamsburg Bridge southeast over Broadway to East New York, Brooklyn, and then east over Fulton Street and Jamaica Avenue to...
), at a point known as Manhattan Junction (now Broadway Junction).
Service, first run on July 28, 1906, ran from Canarsie Landing to the Broadway Ferry
Broadway Ferry (BMT Jamaica Line)
Broadway Ferry was a station on the demolished section of the BMT Jamaica Line. It had 2 tracks and 1 island platform. It closed due in part to the mainline BMT Jamaica Line providing direct service to Manhattan via the Williamsburg Bridge after 1908. The next stop to the north was Driggs Avenue.-...
at the foot of Broadway in Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
, at the East River
East River
The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
. This route still exists as the BMT Jamaica Line, except for the last piece to the East River, where the Jamaica Line runs over the Williamsburg Bridge
Williamsburg Bridge
The Williamsburg Bridge is a suspension bridge in New York City across the East River connecting the Lower East Side of Manhattan at Delancey Street with the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn at Broadway near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway...
. The route was later extended over the bridge and along the BMT Nassau Street Line
BMT Nassau Street Line
The BMT Nassau Street Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway system in Manhattan. It is served by the and trains which are colored brown on maps and signage...
to Canal Street and then Chambers Street.
Dual Contracts rebuilding
The Dual ContractsDual Contracts (New York City Subway)
The Dual Contracts of 1913, also known as the Dual Subway System, were contracts for the construction and/or rehabilitation and operation of rapid transit lines in the City of New York. The majority of the lines of the present-day New York Subway were built or reconstructed under these contracts...
subway expansion scheme around World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
saw the rebuilding of the complex train junction at Manhattan Junction into an even more complex flyover junction now known as Broadway Junction. The expansion extended south to the point at which the Canarsie and Fulton Street Elevateds diverged, including a six-track, three-platform station at Atlantic Avenue. The complex was rebuilt under traffic and opened in stages, reaching completion in 1919.
At the same time, the BRT moved to eliminate remaining operations that required elevated trains to operate under overhead wire. In most cases this meant using third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
on fully grade-separated lines. When third rail was extended on the Canarsie Line it was decided to extend this power mode only as far as the important station at Rockaway Parkway and Glenwood Road. Beyond that point, frequent grade crossings made third rail impractical. This portion of the line was converted to the Canarsie Shuttle using elevated cars in 1917 and converted to trolley cars in 1920.
One grade crossing was retained at East 105th Street despite the third rail, and was the last public rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
grade crossing in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The crossing was removed in 1973.
14th Street–Eastern Line built
On June 30, 1924, at what is now the other end of the line, a subway line initially known as the 14th Street-Eastern District Line, usually shortened to 14th Street–Eastern Line, was opened running beneath 14th Street14th Street (Manhattan)
14th Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The street rivals the size of some of the well-known avenues of the city and is an important business location....
in 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...
, from Sixth Avenue
Sixth Avenue (Manhattan)
Sixth Avenue – officially Avenue of the Americas, although this name is seldom used by New Yorkers – is a major thoroughfare in New York City's borough of Manhattan, on which traffic runs northbound, or "uptown"...
under the East River
East River
The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
and through Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
to Montrose Avenue and Bushwick Avenues. A temporary ramp was built up to the street, onto streetcar tracks and around the corner to the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
's Bushwick Yard to get trains onto the line, which had no other connections to subway lines.
Four years later, on July 14, 1928, the line was extended further east beneath Wyckoff Avenue and then south paralleling the New York Connecting Railroad
New York Connecting Railroad
The New York Connecting Railroad or NYCR is a rail line in the borough of Queens in New York City. It links New York City and Long Island by rail directly to the North American mainland. Amtrak, CSX, Canadian Pacific Railway, Providence and Worcester Railroad and New York and Atlantic Railway...
to a new station at Broadway Junction, above the existing station on the Broadway Elevated (Jamaica Line
BMT Jamaica Line
The Jamaica Line is an elevated rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It runs from the Williamsburg Bridge southeast over Broadway to East New York, Brooklyn, and then east over Fulton Street and Jamaica Avenue to...
). At this time, it was connected to the Canarsie Line.
At noon on May 30, 1931, a two-block extension to Eighth Avenue in Manhattan was opened, connecting the Canarsie Line to the new IND Eighth Avenue Line
IND Eighth Avenue Line
The Eighth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line in New York City, United States, and is part of the B Division of the New York City Subway...
. This station was built to look like the other Independent Subway stations. At this point, the Canarsie Line's route took the shape that it still has to this day.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Canarsie Shuttle trolley line to Canarsie Landing was replaced by the B42 bus; the right-of-way was abandoned. Parts were built over, and other parts can still be seen as broad alleys or narrow parking lots. This right-of-way ran between East 95th and East 96th Streets as far south as Seaview Avenue.
Service patterns
Service patterns over this line varied little through the years; initially trains ran over the Broadway Elevated from the ferry in Williamsburg (later extended into ManhattanManhattan
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...
), through Manhattan Junction and on to Canarsie. Then when the subway opened, two services ran from Canarsie to Manhattan: the original route on the Broadway Elevated and the route to 14th Street as the 14th Street-Canarsie Line.
In 1936, due to the institution of new lightweight subway-elevated equipment, a new rush-hour-only service was inaugurated from Eighth Avenue and 14th Street to Lefferts Boulevard at the east end of the Liberty Avenue Elevated (the continuation of the Fulton Street Elevated). The Eighth Avenue–Canarsie route was given BMT
Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation
The Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation was an urban transit holding company, based in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, and incorporated in 1923. The system was sold to the city in 1940 and today, together with the IND subway system, form the B Division of the New York City Subway...
marker 16, and trains running to Lefferts Boulevard usually were marked as 13
BMT 13
13 was the BMT's designation for service on the BMT Fulton Street Line ....
. When the Fulton Street El was torn down, some rush-hour Broadway trains ran through from the Broadway Elevated (Jamaica Line
BMT Jamaica Line
The Jamaica Line is an elevated rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It runs from the Williamsburg Bridge southeast over Broadway to East New York, Brooklyn, and then east over Fulton Street and Jamaica Avenue to...
) to Canarsie via the flyover at Broadway Junction; these were marked as 14. In 1967, when all BMT
Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation
The Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation was an urban transit holding company, based in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, and incorporated in 1923. The system was sold to the city in 1940 and today, together with the IND subway system, form the B Division of the New York City Subway...
lines were given letters, the 16, which used the full Canarsie Line, was designated as LL. The rush-hour Broadway service (14) was designated JJ, and ran until 1968 when it was replaced by the KK which stayed on the Jamaica Line
BMT Jamaica Line
The Jamaica Line is an elevated rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It runs from the Williamsburg Bridge southeast over Broadway to East New York, Brooklyn, and then east over Fulton Street and Jamaica Avenue to...
instead of switching to the Canarsie Line at Broadway Junction. The flyover connection has been used only sporadically for revenue service since then.
For more information, see the BMT 13
BMT 13
13 was the BMT's designation for service on the BMT Fulton Street Line ....
, BMT 14 and BMT 16 articles.
Chaining information
- The entire line is chainedNew York City Subway chainingNew York City Subway chaining is a method to precisely specify locations along the New York City Subway lines. It measures distances from a fixed point, called chaining zero, following the twists and turns of the railroad line, so that the distance described is understood to be the "railroad...
BMT Q. This has no relation whatever to lettered train service that operates on the line, which is designated L.
- The tracks on the line are Q1 towards Canarsie and Q2 towards Manhattan.
- Chaining zero is BMT Q, now located at the compass western end of the line at Eighth Avenue and 14th Street in ManhattanManhattanManhattan 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...
. The entire Canarsie Line is coextensive with chaining letter BMT Q and this chaining letter is used for no other line.
- Railroad northRailroad directionsRailroad directions are used to describe train directions on railroad systems. The terms used may be derived from such sources as compass directions, altitude directions, or other directions...
on this line is towards Manhattan, and corresponds roughly to a northwesterly to westerly compass direction.
Chaining change
Prior to 2004, the chaining on the Canarsie Line reflected its historic origin. The original elevated right-of-way from the point where it split with the old Fulton Street Elevated at Pitkin and Van Sinderen Avenues in 1906 was designated as BRT chaining line P, and chaining zero for that section was at the same location.The portion of the 14th Street–Canarsie Line built or rehabilitated under the Dual Contracts and opened in 1924 and 1928 was designated BMT Q beginning at Sixth Avenue and 14th Street in Manhattan and extending to the beginning of BMT P chaining at Pitkin Avenue. Chaining zero for the BMT Q chaining line was also at Sixth Avenue.
When the line was extended to Eighth Avenue in 1931, chaining zero for the BMT Q chaining line was not moved. Rather than change all the signal designations and chaining stations on the line, the new section was extended west from the same zero and designated chaining line BMT QW.
When the installation of automated train operation required the complete replacement of the signal system, the MTA decided to make the entire line BMT Q and move chaining zero to the current compass western end of the line. Therefore the chaining station of every location on the line had to be changed, a situation rarely seen since the Dual Contracts changes on the old BRT
Brooklyn Rapid Transit
The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company was a public transit holding company formed in 1896 to acquire and consolidate lines in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It was a prominent corporation and industry leader using the single-letter symbol B on the New York Stock Exchange...
circa 1920.
Station listing
Note: Every station has only two tracks, and is served only by the train (not counting free transfers to other services).| Station | Opened | Transfers and notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eighth Avenue | May 30, 1931 | (IND Eighth Avenue Line IND Eighth Avenue Line The Eighth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line in New York City, United States, and is part of the B Division of the New York City Subway... ) |
|
| Sixth Avenue Sixth Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Sixth Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and 14th Street in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
June 30, 1924 | (IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line at 14th Street) (IND Sixth Avenue Line IND Sixth Avenue Line The Sixth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in the United States. It runs mainly under Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, and continues south through the Rutgers Street Tunnel to Brooklyn... at 14th Street 14th Street (IND Sixth Avenue Line) 14th Street is a local station on the IND Sixth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and 14th Street in Manhattan, it is served by the F train at all times, and the M train on weekdays except late nights.This underground station opened on December 15,... ) Connection to PATH Port Authority Trans-Hudson PATH, derived from Port Authority Trans-Hudson, is a rapid transit railroad linking Manhattan, New York City with Newark, Harrison, Hoboken and Jersey City in metropolitan northern New Jersey... at 14th Street 14th Street (PATH station) The 14th Street PATH station, opened on February 25, 1908, is located on 14th Street and Sixth Avenue , at the south end of Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood.- Layout :... |
|
| Union Square | June 30, 1924 | (BMT Broadway Line BMT Broadway Line The BMT Broadway Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Manhattan, New York City, United States. , it is served by three services, all colored yellow: the on the express tracks and the on the local tracks... ) (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... ) |
|
| Third Avenue Third Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Third Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Third Avenue and East 14th Street in East Village, Manhattan, it is served by the L train at all times and there are no connections to other subway lines.This station has two side... |
June 30, 1924 | ||
| First Avenue First Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) First Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of First Avenue and East 14th Street in East Village, Manhattan, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
June 30, 1924 | Northbound M15 Select Bus Service | |
| 14th Street Tunnel 14th Street Tunnel The 14th Street Tunnel carries the train of the New York City Subway under the East River between the First Avenue Station in the borough of Manhattan and the Bedford Avenue Station in Brooklyn.... under the East River East River The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland... |
|||
| Bedford Avenue Bedford Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Bedford Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Bedford Avenue and North Seventh Street in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg, it is served by the L train at all times... |
June 30, 1924 | ||
| Lorimer Street | June 30, 1924 | (IND Crosstown Line IND Crosstown Line -External links:*... at Metropolitan Avenue) |
|
| Graham Avenue Graham Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Graham Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Graham and Metropolitan Avenues in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
June 30, 1924 | ||
| Grand Street Grand Street (BMT Canarsie Line) Grand Street is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Grand Street and Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
June 30, 1924 | ||
| Montrose Avenue Montrose Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Montrose Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Montrose and Bushwick Avenues in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
June 30, 1924 | ||
| Morgan Avenue Morgan Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Morgan Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Morgan Avenue and Harrison Place in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, it is served by the L train at all times.-History:... |
July 14, 1928 | ||
| Jefferson Street Jefferson Street (BMT Canarsie Line) Jefferson Street is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located in Bushwick, Brooklyn at the intersection of Jefferson Street and Wyckoff Avenue, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
July 14, 1928 | ||
| DeKalb Avenue DeKalb Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) DeKalb Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Wyckoff and DeKalb Avenues in Bushwick, Brooklyn, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
July 14, 1928 | ||
| Myrtle–Wyckoff Avenues | July 14, 1928 | (BMT Myrtle Avenue Line BMT Myrtle Avenue Line The Myrtle Avenue Line, also called the Myrtle Avenue Elevated, is a fully elevated line of the New York City Subway as part of the BMT division. The extant line is the final remnant of one of the original Brooklyn elevated railroads... ) originally Wyckoff Avenue |
|
| Halsey Street Halsey Street (BMT Canarsie Line) Halsey Street is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located on the border of Brooklyn and Queens at the intersection of Halsey Street and Wyckoff Avenue, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
July 14, 1928 | ||
| Wilson Avenue Wilson Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Wilson Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Wilson Avenue and Moffat Street in Brooklyn, it is served by the L train at all times.- Layout :The station's design has some unusual features... |
July 14, 1928 | ||
| Bushwick Avenue – Aberdeen Street | July 14, 1928 | ||
| Broadway Junction | July 14, 1928 | (BMT Jamaica Line BMT Jamaica Line The Jamaica Line is an elevated rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It runs from the Williamsburg Bridge southeast over Broadway to East New York, Brooklyn, and then east over Fulton Street and Jamaica Avenue to... ) (IND Fulton Street Line IND Fulton Street Line The IND Fulton Street Line is a rapid transit line of the IND Division of the New York City Subway, extending from the Cranberry Street Tunnel under the East River through all of central Brooklyn to a terminus in Ozone Park, Queens. The IND Rockaway Line branches from it. It forms part of the A... ) originally Eastern Parkway |
|
| connecting tracks to BMT Jamaica Line BMT Jamaica Line The Jamaica Line is an elevated rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It runs from the Williamsburg Bridge southeast over Broadway to East New York, Brooklyn, and then east over Fulton Street and Jamaica Avenue to... |
|||
| connecting track to East New York Yard | |||
| Atlantic Avenue Atlantic Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Atlantic Avenue is a rapid transit station on the BMT Canarsie Line, a part of the New York City Subway system. Built in 1916, it was reconfigured in 2002–04. This station is a good example of the Dual Contracts architecture. Much of the period woodwork and ironwork is intact. The fare control... |
July 28, 1906 | Connection to LIRR Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US... at East New York East New York (LIRR station) East New York is a station on the Long Island Rail Road's Atlantic Branch in East New York, Brooklyn, where that branch passes through the historic Jamaica Pass. It is located at ground level, in the median of Atlantic Avenue, and underneath the elevated main lanes of Atlantic Avenue, with one side... |
|
| Sutter Avenue Sutter Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Sutter Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Van Sinderen and Sutter Avenues, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
July 28, 1906 | ||
| Livonia Avenue Livonia Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Livonia Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Livonia and Van Sinderen Avenue, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
July 28, 1906 | ||
| connecting track to Linden Shops (No third rail Third rail A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost... ; diesel work trains only) |
|||
| New Lots Avenue New Lots Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) New Lots Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of New Lots and Van Sinderen Avenues in East New York, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
July 28, 1906 | originally New Lots Road | |
| East 105th Street East 105th Street (BMT Canarsie Line) East 105th Street is grade-level station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of East 105th Street and Turnbull Avenue in Brooklyn, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
19th century | original surface station, modified to high-level island platform c.1906 | |
| connecting tracks to Canarsie Yard | |||
| Canarsie – Rockaway Parkway | 19th century | original surface station, extensively rebuilt as terminal station | |
| Flatlands Avenue | line abandoned; station demolished | ||
| Avenue L | line abandoned; station demolished | ||
| Canarsie Pier | line abandoned; station demolished | ||
External links
- NYCsubway.org - BMT 14th Street-Canarsie Line (text used with permission)