BMT Nassau Street Line
Encyclopedia
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. The line is a continuation of the BMT Jamaica Line
in Brooklyn after crossing the Williamsburg Bridge
; it continues to a junction of the BMT Broadway Line
near the Montague Street Tunnel
where it reenters Brooklyn.
The line is served at all times by the J train, although on weekends, the two southernmost stations are closed. The Z provides supplemental rush hour service, operating in the peak direction.
While the line is officially recognized as the Nassau Street Line, it only serves one station on Nassau Street: Fulton Street.
The M
service has historically served the Nassau Street Line. Since June 27, 2010, the M has been rerouted via the Chrystie Street Connection
to run on the IND Sixth Avenue Line
, as a replacement for the V
. The M continues to serve one Nassau Street Line station: the Essex Street station.
and Van Cortlandt Park
, but the other two - the Centre Street Loop Subway (or Brooklyn Loop Subway) and Fourth Avenue Subway (in Brooklyn) - were separate lines for which construction had not progressed as far. The Centre Street Loop, approved on January 25, 1907 as a four-track line (earlier proposed as two tracks), was to connect the Brooklyn Bridge
, Manhattan Bridge
, and Williamsburg Bridge
via Centre Street
, Canal Street
, and Delancey Street. An extension south from the Brooklyn Bridge under William Street
to Wall Street was also part of the plan, as were several loops towards the Hudson River
and a loop connecting the bridges through Brooklyn. Construction contracts for the main line in Manhattan were awarded in early 1907, despite no determination of the operator once completed. The line was assigned to a proposed Tri-borough system in early 1908 and to the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) in the Dual Contracts, adopted on March 4, 1913.
The BRT began operating through a short piece of subway, coming off the Williamsburg Bridge under Delancey Street to Essex Street, on September 16, 1908. The Centre Street Loop was opened to Chambers Street (at the Brooklyn Bridge) on August 4, 1913, with temporary operation at first on the two west tracks. The south tracks on the Manhattan Bridge, also running into Chambers Street, were placed in service on June 22, 1915. An extension south from Chambers Street to the Montague Street Tunnel
, known as the Nassau Street Loop, was not completed until May 30, 1931.
Plans for the Chambers Street area changed several times during construction, always including a never-completed connection to the Brooklyn Bridge
tracks. By 1910, only the west two tracks were to rise onto the bridge, and the east two were to continue south to the Montague Street Tunnel. As actually built for the 1931 opening south of Chambers Street, the two outer tracks ran south to the tunnel, while the two inner tracks continued several blocks in a lower level stub tunnel to allow trains to reverse direction.
On September 20, 2004, northbound trains began running on the second track from the west, and the former northbound platforms at Canal Street and Bowery
were closed off. The second track from the east was removed.
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 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...
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 in Manhattan. It is served by the and trains which are colored brown on maps and signage. The line is a continuation of 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...
in Brooklyn after crossing 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...
; it continues to a junction of the 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...
near 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...
where it reenters Brooklyn.
The line is served at all times by the J train, although on weekends, the two southernmost stations are closed. The Z provides supplemental rush hour service, operating in the peak direction.
While the line is officially recognized as the Nassau Street Line, it only serves one station on Nassau Street: Fulton Street.
The M
M (New York City Subway service)
The M Sixth Avenue Local is a rapid transit service of the B Division of the New York City Subway. It is colored orange on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map, since it runs on the IND Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan....
service has historically served the Nassau Street Line. Since June 27, 2010, the M has been rerouted via the Chrystie Street Connection
Chrystie Street Connection
The Chrystie Street Connection is a major connecting line of the New York City Subway, and is one of the few connections between lines of the BMT and IND divisions...
to run on the 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...
, as a replacement for the V
V (New York City Subway service)
The V Sixth Avenue Local was a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It was colored orange on route and station signs as well as the NYC Subway map, as it represented a service provided on the IND Sixth Avenue Line through Midtown, Manhattan....
. The M continues to serve one Nassau Street Line station: the Essex Street station.
History
After the original IRT opened, the city began planning new lines. Two of these were extensions of that system, to Downtown BrooklynDowntown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City , and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn...
and Van Cortlandt Park
Van Cortlandt Park
Van Cortlandt Park is a park located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the fourth largest park in New York City, behind Pelham Bay Park, Flushing Meadows Park and Staten Island Greenbelt....
, but the other two - the Centre Street Loop Subway (or Brooklyn Loop Subway) and Fourth Avenue Subway (in Brooklyn) - were separate lines for which construction had not progressed as far. The Centre Street Loop, approved on January 25, 1907 as a four-track line (earlier proposed as two tracks), was to connect the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
, 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...
, and 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...
via Centre Street
Centre Street (Manhattan)
Centre Street runs north-south in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Centre Street runs from Park Row and continues north to Delancey Street where it merges with Lafayette Street....
, Canal Street
Canal Street (Manhattan)
Canal Street is a major street in New York City, crossing lower Manhattan to join New Jersey in the west to Brooklyn in the east . It forms the main spine of Chinatown, and separates it from Little Italy...
, and Delancey Street. An extension south from the Brooklyn Bridge under William Street
William Street (Manhattan)
William Street is a city street in the Financial District of lower Manhattan in New York City in the United States of America. It runs generally southwest to northeast, crossing Wall Street and terminating at Broad Street and Spruce Street, respectively. Between Beaver Street and Broad Street,...
to Wall Street was also part of the plan, as were several loops towards the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
and a loop connecting the bridges through Brooklyn. Construction contracts for the main line in Manhattan were awarded in early 1907, despite no determination of the operator once completed. The line was assigned to a proposed Tri-borough system in early 1908 and to the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) in the Dual Contracts, adopted on March 4, 1913.
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...
, known as the Nassau Street Loop, was not completed until May 30, 1931.
Plans for the Chambers Street area changed several times during construction, always including a never-completed connection to the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
tracks. By 1910, only the west two tracks were to rise onto the bridge, and the east two were to continue south to the Montague Street Tunnel. As actually built for the 1931 opening south of Chambers Street, the two outer tracks ran south to the tunnel, while the two inner tracks continued several blocks in a lower level stub tunnel to allow trains to reverse direction.
On September 20, 2004, northbound trains began running on the second track from the west, and the former northbound platforms at Canal Street and Bowery
Bowery (BMT Nassau Street Line)
Bowery is a station on the BMT Nassau Street Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of the Bowery and Delancey Street in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, it is served by the J train at all times and the Z train during rush hours in peak direction.Construction of this...
were closed off. The second track from the east was removed.
Station listing
| Station | Services | Opened | Transfers and notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Begins as 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... comes off 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... |
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| Essex Street | September 16, 1908 | 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 Delancey Street |
||
| Split to Chrystie Street Connection Chrystie Street Connection The Chrystie Street Connection is a major connecting line of the New York City Subway, and is one of the few connections between lines of the BMT and IND divisions... |
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| Bowery Bowery (BMT Nassau Street Line) Bowery is a station on the BMT Nassau Street Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of the Bowery and Delancey Street in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, it is served by the J train at all times and the Z train during rush hours in peak direction.Construction of this... |
August 4, 1913 | |||
| Canal Street | August 4, 1913 | 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... |
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| Former Connection to 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... south tracks |
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| Chambers Street | August 4, 1913 | 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... at Brooklyn Bridge – City Hall |
||
| Fulton Street | May 30, 1931 | IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line 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... 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... 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 World Trade Center World Trade Center (PATH station) The World Trade Center PATH station originally opened on July 19, 1909 as the Hudson Terminal. When the Hudson Terminal was torn down to make way for the World Trade Center, a new station was built, which opened in 1971... |
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| Broad Street Broad Street (BMT Nassau Street Line) Broad Street is a station on the BMT Nassau Street Line of the New York City Subway located at the intersection of Broad and Wall Streets in the Financial District of Manhattan.... |
May 30, 1931 | |||
| Terminus of all service | ||||
| Line merges with the 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... and becomes 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... 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... |
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