IND Culver Line
Encyclopedia
The IND Culver Line is a rapid transit
line of the B Division of the New York City Subway
, extending from Downtown Brooklyn
south to Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, United States. From its beginning at an interlocking
north of Jay Street – MetroTech, where Culver Line trains can access the IND Sixth Avenue Line
or IND Eighth Avenue Line
, south to Church Avenue
in Kensington
, the line is mostly a four-track subway, though it rises to cross over the Gowanus Canal
on the only above-ground structure on the original Independent Subway System
. In Kensington, the line rises onto a three-track elevated structure built by the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company as part of the Dual Contracts. When this ramp was opened in 1954, the older route from Kensington northwest to Sunset Park
remained as the Culver Shuttle until it was closed in 1975. The final portion of the line in Coney Island is on the lower level of a double-decked elevated structure, with the BMT Brighton Line
above.
The local tracks of the Culver Line are served by the F service, as well as the G between Bergen Street
and Church Ave. The express tracks are not regularly used .
The elevated part of the Culver Line, operated as part of the BMT division until 1954, now carries only the F, a former IND service, and is chained and signaled as part of the IND. However, BMT radio frequency B1 is used on the elevated portion of the line south of Church Avenue.
The Culver Line is served by the as a local for its entire length. The portion of the route from Bergen Street
south to Church Avenue
is also served by the Brooklyn–Queens Crosstown service. Both routes run all the time.
Despite the fact that there are two express tracks on the northern part of the route and one on the southern, with express stations distributed along the line, there is no express service on the Culver Line at the present time. Hope for early restoration of expresses was thwarted by a serious signal fire at Bergen Street that is still under repair. In fact, the issue came to a head in June 2007, when a petition for express service reached 2,600 signatures and gained media attention. The MTA has stated that the Culver Viaduct will undergo repairs until 2012, rendering the express tracks useless until then. Nevertheless, they are looking into the issue and a possible short-term solution. http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=9&aid=71219
spans the Gowanus Canal
. This structure is now referred to as the Culver Viaduct or Culver Line Viaduct. The line then proceeds east to Park Slope where the local tracks diverge to a station at 15th Street and Prospect Park West while the express tracks take a direct route beneath Prospect Park
. The line then parallels the route of the original Culver Line surface railroad into Church Avenue
station, last stop of the original IND service. Four tail tracks continue underground as a terminal facility, and four more tracks ascend the Culver Ramp.
The IND Culver Line was originally designated the Brooklyn Line but has also been called the Smith Street Linehttp://www.subwaywebnews.com/Photo%20Archive/Jaystation.jpg, Church Avenue Line or South Brooklyn Line. The express tracks beneath Prospect Park
are sometimes referred to as the Prospect Park Line.
The four-tracked Culver Ramp, located on McDonald Avenue between Cortelyou Road and Avenue C, connects the subway portion of the IND Culver Line with the former BMT Culver Line elevated structure. Despite being a part of the IND Division, the Culver elevated portion is controlled by BMT radio dispatch, so train operators change between the IND (B-2) and BMT (B-1) radio frequencies at this point.
At Ditmas Avenue, the Culver Ramp ends and the underground line becomes elevated
. This is a three-track Dual Contracts elevated
on the former BMT line over McDonald (formerly Gravesend) Avenue. After Avenue X station, a ramp diverges to the surface for access to the Culver Yard of the Coney Island Yards complex. At this point the Culver Line narrows to a two-track structure bearing one more station – Neptune Avenue – before curving into West Eighth Street – New York Aquarium station on Coney Island. Formally, the Culver Line ends as the track curve enters the lower level of the double-decked station, and the chaining
track designation changes from IND
tracks B1 and B2 to BMT tracks A1 and A2 of the Brighton Line
. However, there is no longer a connection to the Brighton Line at this point, and for all practical purposes the Culver Line continues into tracks 5 and 6 of the Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue Terminal.
In the 1990s and 2000s, the center express track in this section has occasionally been used for non-revenue testing.
The original Culver Line was opened by the Prospect Park and Coney Island Railroad, along the surface of McDonald Avenue (then Gravesend Avenue) from Greenwood Cemetery (where it connected with horse car lines including the Vanderbilt Avenue Line
, operated by the PP&CI until 1886) to Coney Island, on June 25, 1875. The PP&CI began serving the Union Depot at 36th Street, where transfer could be made to the Fifth Avenue Elevated, on June 7, 1890, by using the Prospect Park and South Brooklyn Railroad from a junction at Parkville. During a period of Long Island Rail Road
control, from 1893 to 1899, a ramp at 36th Street was opened in 1895, allowing Brooklyn Elevated Railroad
trains to operate over the Culver Line to Coney Island. The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT), by then the owner of the Brooklyn Elevated, leased the Culver Line (to the Brooklyn Heights Railroad
) on June 18, 1899, and began using it to take not only elevated trains but also trolleys to Coney Island.
As part of Contract 4 of the Dual Contracts, between the city and the BRT, a three-track elevated railway
was built above the Culver Line from the Fifth Avenue Elevated southeast and south to Coney Island. At Ninth Avenue, the elevated replacements for the Culver Line and West End Line
met, with access from both lines to the Fifth Avenue Elevated and Fourth Avenue Subway
to the northwest. At 3:00 a.m. on March 16, 1919, the first portion of the new elevated structure opened from Ninth Avenue southeast and south to Kings Highway. Except for the omission of a station at 15th Avenue, all of the station locations from the surface line were preserved as elevated stations. The Culver Line was operated as a branch of the Fifth Avenue Elevated, with a free transfer at Ninth Avenue to the West End Line into the Fourth Avenue Subway. An extension to Avenue X was opened at noon on May 10, 1919. The line, the last of the four to Coney Island, was completed on May 1, 1920, at which time the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company was forced to cut the fare from ten to five cents. This construction tied into the existing lower level of the BMT Brighton Line
east of West Eighth Street – New York Aquarium. Some Culver Line (5) trains began using the Fourth Avenue Subway to the Nassau Street Loop in Lower Manhattan
when that line opened on May 30, 1931; the Fifth Avenue Elevated was closed on May 31, 1940. Trolleys continued to use the surface tracks on McDonald Avenue until 1956.
One of the goals of Mayor John Hylan's Independent Subway System
(IND) was a line to Coney Island, reached by a recapture of the BMT Culver Line. To connect this line to the Eighth Avenue Line
– the main trunk of the IND – a subway line, variously known as the Jay–Smith–Ninth Street Line, Church Avenue Line, Brooklyn Line, or South Brooklyn Line, was to run from Brooklyn Borough Hall
south under Jay Street, Smith Street, Ninth Street, and several other streets to Church Avenue
, where a ramp would lead onto the elevated BMT Culver Line. The first short section of the line opened on March 20, 1933, taking Eighth Avenue Express A trains south to Bergen Street
. The rest of the line opened to the "temporary" terminal at Church Avenue on October 7, 1933. A bridge over the Gowanus Canal
replaced earlier plans for a tunnel due to cost considerations, resulting in the only above-ground section of the original IND.
service to Coney Island was a high priority of New York City planners. Recapture proved unnecessary since the Culver Line and the rest of the BMT and IRT passed into City hands in 1940 as a fruit of Unification, the takeover of the privately-owned BMT and IRT
by the City, which built and owned the IND
.
Construction of the Culver Ramp between the Church Avenue
and Ditmas Avenue stations began in 1941, but had to be abandoned because of the advent of World War II
, delaying completion and opening until 1954.
On October 30, 1954, the connection between the IND Brooklyn Line at Church Avenue and the BMT Culver Line at Ditmas Avenue opened. This allowed IND
trains to operate all the way to the Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue terminal in a service announced as Concourse–Culver and advertised as direct Bronx–Coney Island service.
. It was finally completed and opened on Saturday, October 30, 1954, and the IND Culver Line name was extended to Coney Island. The D
Bronx Concourse Express train was sent over the new connection, as the first IND service to reach Coney Island. BMT Culver Line (5) trains were truncated to Ditmas Avenue
, the south end of the connection, operating through to Manhattan (Nassau Street Loop) during the day, and terminating at Ninth Avenue at other times. This Culver Shuttle became full-time on May 28, 1959, and was closed on May 10, 1975, replaced by a transfer to the B35 bus route. The elevated portion has been re-chained
as part of the B2 division, but still uses B1 division radio frequencies.
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 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...
, extending from Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown 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...
south to Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, United States. From its beginning at an interlocking
Interlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...
north of Jay Street – MetroTech, where Culver Line trains can access 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...
or 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...
, south to Church Avenue
Church Avenue (IND Culver Line)
Church Avenue is an express station on the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway. Located at Church and McDonald Avenues in Kensington, Brooklyn, it is served by the F and G trains at all times, the latter of which terminates here....
in Kensington
Kensington, Brooklyn
Kensington is a neighborhood in the center of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is the area south of Prospect Park and the Green-Wood Cemetery. It is bordered by Coney Island Avenue to the east, Fort Hamilton Parkway and Caton Avenue to the north, McDonald Avenue and 37th Street to the...
, the line is mostly a four-track subway, though it rises to cross over the Gowanus Canal
Gowanus Canal
The Gowanus Canal, also known as the Gowanus Creek Canal, is a canal in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, geographically on the westernmost portion of Long Island...
on the only above-ground structure on the original Independent Subway System
Independent Subway System
The Independent Subway System , formerly known as the Independent City-Owned Subway System or the Independent City-Owned Rapid Transit Railroad, was a rapid transit rail system in New York City that is now part of the New York City Subway...
. In Kensington, the line rises onto a three-track elevated structure built by the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company as part of the Dual Contracts. When this ramp was opened in 1954, the older route from Kensington northwest to 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...
remained as the Culver Shuttle until it was closed in 1975. The final portion of the line in Coney Island is on the lower level of a double-decked elevated structure, with the BMT Brighton Line
BMT Brighton Line
The BMT Brighton Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Local service is provided at all times by the Q train. The Q is joined by the B express train on weekdays...
above.
The local tracks of the Culver Line are served by the F service, as well as the G between Bergen Street
Bergen Street (IND Culver Line)
Bergen Street is an express station on the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of Bergen Street and Smith Street in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. It is served by the F and G trains at all times....
and Church Ave. The express tracks are not regularly used .
The elevated part of the Culver Line, operated as part of the BMT division until 1954, now carries only the F, a former IND service, and is chained and signaled as part of the IND. However, BMT radio frequency B1 is used on the elevated portion of the line south of Church Avenue.
Jay Street to Church Avenue
Bergen Street (IND Culver Line)
Bergen Street is an express station on the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of Bergen Street and Smith Street in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. It is served by the F and G trains at all times....
south to Church Avenue
Church Avenue (IND Culver Line)
Church Avenue is an express station on the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway. Located at Church and McDonald Avenues in Kensington, Brooklyn, it is served by the F and G trains at all times, the latter of which terminates here....
is also served by the Brooklyn–Queens Crosstown service. Both routes run all the time.
Despite the fact that there are two express tracks on the northern part of the route and one on the southern, with express stations distributed along the line, there is no express service on the Culver Line at the present time. Hope for early restoration of expresses was thwarted by a serious signal fire at Bergen Street that is still under repair. In fact, the issue came to a head in June 2007, when a petition for express service reached 2,600 signatures and gained media attention. The MTA has stated that the Culver Viaduct will undergo repairs until 2012, rendering the express tracks useless until then. Nevertheless, they are looking into the issue and a possible short-term solution. http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=9&aid=71219
Culver Viaduct
The north part of the Culver Line is a four-track line, entirely underground except for Smith–Ninth Streets and 4th Avenue stations, the only above-ground section of the original IND system. A massive steel and concrete viaductViaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
spans the Gowanus Canal
Gowanus Canal
The Gowanus Canal, also known as the Gowanus Creek Canal, is a canal in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, geographically on the westernmost portion of Long Island...
. This structure is now referred to as the Culver Viaduct or Culver Line Viaduct. The line then proceeds east to Park Slope where the local tracks diverge to a station at 15th Street and Prospect Park West while the express tracks take a direct route beneath Prospect Park
Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
Prospect Park is a 585-acre public park in the New York City borough of Brooklyn located between Park Slope, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Kensington, Windsor Terrace and Flatbush Avenue, Grand Army Plaza and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden...
. The line then parallels the route of the original Culver Line surface railroad into Church Avenue
Church Avenue (IND Culver Line)
Church Avenue is an express station on the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway. Located at Church and McDonald Avenues in Kensington, Brooklyn, it is served by the F and G trains at all times, the latter of which terminates here....
station, last stop of the original IND service. Four tail tracks continue underground as a terminal facility, and four more tracks ascend the Culver Ramp.
The IND Culver Line was originally designated the Brooklyn Line but has also been called the Smith Street Linehttp://www.subwaywebnews.com/Photo%20Archive/Jaystation.jpg, Church Avenue Line or South Brooklyn Line. The express tracks beneath Prospect Park
Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
Prospect Park is a 585-acre public park in the New York City borough of Brooklyn located between Park Slope, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Kensington, Windsor Terrace and Flatbush Avenue, Grand Army Plaza and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden...
are sometimes referred to as the Prospect Park Line.
The four-tracked Culver Ramp, located on McDonald Avenue between Cortelyou Road and Avenue C, connects the subway portion of the IND Culver Line with the former BMT Culver Line elevated structure. Despite being a part of the IND Division, the Culver elevated portion is controlled by BMT radio dispatch, so train operators change between the IND (B-2) and BMT (B-1) radio frequencies at this point.
Ditmas Avenue to Coney Island
Elevated railway
An elevated railway is a form of rapid transit railway with the tracks built above street level on some form of viaduct or other steel or concrete structure. The railway concerned may be constructed according to the standard gauge, narrow gauge, light rail, monorail or suspension railway system...
. This is a three-track Dual Contracts elevated
Elevated railway
An elevated railway is a form of rapid transit railway with the tracks built above street level on some form of viaduct or other steel or concrete structure. The railway concerned may be constructed according to the standard gauge, narrow gauge, light rail, monorail or suspension railway system...
on the former BMT line over McDonald (formerly Gravesend) Avenue. After Avenue X station, a ramp diverges to the surface for access to the Culver Yard of the Coney Island Yards complex. At this point the Culver Line narrows to a two-track structure bearing one more station – Neptune Avenue – before curving into West Eighth Street – New York Aquarium station on Coney Island. Formally, the Culver Line ends as the track curve enters the lower level of the double-decked station, and the chaining
New York City Subway chaining
New 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...
track designation changes from IND
Independent Subway System
The Independent Subway System , formerly known as the Independent City-Owned Subway System or the Independent City-Owned Rapid Transit Railroad, was a rapid transit rail system in New York City that is now part of the New York City Subway...
tracks B1 and B2 to BMT tracks A1 and A2 of the Brighton Line
BMT Brighton Line
The BMT Brighton Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Local service is provided at all times by the Q train. The Q is joined by the B express train on weekdays...
. However, there is no longer a connection to the Brighton Line at this point, and for all practical purposes the Culver Line continues into tracks 5 and 6 of the Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue Terminal.
In the 1990s and 2000s, the center express track in this section has occasionally been used for non-revenue testing.
BMT Culver Line (1875–1954)
Vanderbilt Avenue Line
The Vanderbilt Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, running along 7th Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue between Kensington and Dumbo...
, operated by the PP&CI until 1886) to Coney Island, on June 25, 1875. The PP&CI began serving the Union Depot at 36th Street, where transfer could be made to the Fifth Avenue Elevated, on June 7, 1890, by using the Prospect Park and South Brooklyn Railroad from a junction at Parkville. During a period of 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...
control, from 1893 to 1899, a ramp at 36th Street was opened in 1895, allowing Brooklyn Elevated Railroad
Brooklyn Elevated Railroad
The Brooklyn Elevated Railroad was an elevated railroad company in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, operated from 1885 until 1899, when it was merged into the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company-controlled Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad.-Lines:...
trains to operate over the Culver Line to Coney Island. The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT), by then the owner of the Brooklyn Elevated, leased the Culver Line (to the Brooklyn Heights Railroad
Brooklyn Heights Railroad
The Brooklyn Heights Railroad was a street railway company in the U.S. state of New York. It leased and operated the streetcar lines of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, but started out with the Montague Street Line, a short cable car line connecting the Wall Street Ferry with downtown Brooklyn...
) on June 18, 1899, and began using it to take not only elevated trains but also trolleys to Coney Island.
As part of Contract 4 of the Dual Contracts, between the city and the BRT, a three-track elevated railway
Elevated railway
An elevated railway is a form of rapid transit railway with the tracks built above street level on some form of viaduct or other steel or concrete structure. The railway concerned may be constructed according to the standard gauge, narrow gauge, light rail, monorail or suspension railway system...
was built above the Culver Line from the Fifth Avenue Elevated southeast and south to Coney Island. At Ninth Avenue, the elevated replacements for the Culver Line and West End Line
BMT West End Line
The BMT West End Line is a line of the New York City Subway, serving the Brooklyn, communities of Borough Park, New Utrecht, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Coney Island. The D train operates on the line at all times, providing service to Manhattan and the Bronx via the IND Sixth Avenue Line...
met, with access from both lines to the Fifth Avenue Elevated and Fourth Avenue Subway
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...
to the northwest. At 3:00 a.m. on March 16, 1919, the first portion of the new elevated structure opened from Ninth Avenue southeast and south to Kings Highway. Except for the omission of a station at 15th Avenue, all of the station locations from the surface line were preserved as elevated stations. The Culver Line was operated as a branch of the Fifth Avenue Elevated, with a free transfer at Ninth Avenue to the West End Line into the Fourth Avenue Subway. An extension to Avenue X was opened at noon on May 10, 1919. The line, the last of the four to Coney Island, was completed on May 1, 1920, at which time the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company was forced to cut the fare from ten to five cents. This construction tied into the existing lower level of the BMT Brighton Line
BMT Brighton Line
The BMT Brighton Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Local service is provided at all times by the Q train. The Q is joined by the B express train on weekdays...
east of West Eighth Street – New York Aquarium. Some Culver Line (5) trains began using the Fourth Avenue Subway to the Nassau Street Loop in 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...
when that line opened on May 30, 1931; the Fifth Avenue Elevated was closed on May 31, 1940. Trolleys continued to use the surface tracks on McDonald Avenue until 1956.
IND Brooklyn Line (1933–1954)
Independent Subway System
The Independent Subway System , formerly known as the Independent City-Owned Subway System or the Independent City-Owned Rapid Transit Railroad, was a rapid transit rail system in New York City that is now part of the New York City Subway...
(IND) was a line to Coney Island, reached by a recapture of the BMT Culver Line. To connect this line to the 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...
– the main trunk of the IND – a subway line, variously known as the Jay–Smith–Ninth Street Line, Church Avenue Line, Brooklyn Line, or South Brooklyn Line, was to run from Brooklyn Borough Hall
Brooklyn Borough Hall
Brooklyn Borough Hall was designed in 1835 by architect Gamaliel King, and constructed under the supervision of superintendent Stephen Haynes. It was completed in 1849 to be used as the City Hall of the City of Brooklyn...
south under Jay Street, Smith Street, Ninth Street, and several other streets to Church Avenue
Church Avenue (IND Culver Line)
Church Avenue is an express station on the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway. Located at Church and McDonald Avenues in Kensington, Brooklyn, it is served by the F and G trains at all times, the latter of which terminates here....
, where a ramp would lead onto the elevated BMT Culver Line. The first short section of the line opened on March 20, 1933, taking Eighth Avenue Express A trains south to Bergen Street
Bergen Street (IND Culver Line)
Bergen Street is an express station on the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of Bergen Street and Smith Street in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. It is served by the F and G trains at all times....
. The rest of the line opened to the "temporary" terminal at Church Avenue on October 7, 1933. A bridge over the Gowanus Canal
Gowanus Canal
The Gowanus Canal, also known as the Gowanus Creek Canal, is a canal in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, geographically on the westernmost portion of Long Island...
replaced earlier plans for a tunnel due to cost considerations, resulting in the only above-ground section of the original IND.
Culver Ramp
Recapture of the BMT Culver Line elevated structure in order to institute INDIndependent Subway System
The Independent Subway System , formerly known as the Independent City-Owned Subway System or the Independent City-Owned Rapid Transit Railroad, was a rapid transit rail system in New York City that is now part of the New York City Subway...
service to Coney Island was a high priority of New York City planners. Recapture proved unnecessary since the Culver Line and the rest of the BMT and IRT passed into City hands in 1940 as a fruit of Unification, the takeover of the privately-owned BMT and IRT
Interborough Rapid Transit Company
The Interborough Rapid Transit Company was the private operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT was purchased by the City in June 1940...
by the City, which built and owned the IND
Independent Subway System
The Independent Subway System , formerly known as the Independent City-Owned Subway System or the Independent City-Owned Rapid Transit Railroad, was a rapid transit rail system in New York City that is now part of the New York City Subway...
.
Construction of the Culver Ramp between the Church Avenue
Church Avenue (IND Culver Line)
Church Avenue is an express station on the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway. Located at Church and McDonald Avenues in Kensington, Brooklyn, it is served by the F and G trains at all times, the latter of which terminates here....
and Ditmas Avenue stations began in 1941, but had to be abandoned because of the advent of 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...
, delaying completion and opening until 1954.
On October 30, 1954, the connection between the IND Brooklyn Line at Church Avenue and the BMT Culver Line at Ditmas Avenue opened. This allowed IND
Independent Subway System
The Independent Subway System , formerly known as the Independent City-Owned Subway System or the Independent City-Owned Rapid Transit Railroad, was a rapid transit rail system in New York City that is now part of the New York City Subway...
trains to operate all the way to the Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue terminal in a service announced as Concourse–Culver and advertised as direct Bronx–Coney Island service.
IND Culver Line (1954–present)
The city acquired the BMT as part of the 1940 unification of the three systems into one. Construction of the Culver Line Connection began in 1941, but was delayed by World War IIWorld 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...
. It was finally completed and opened on Saturday, October 30, 1954, and the IND Culver Line name was extended to Coney Island. The D
D (New York City Subway service)
The D Sixth Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored orange on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map, since it uses the IND Sixth Avenue Line through Manhattan....
Bronx Concourse Express train was sent over the new connection, as the first IND service to reach Coney Island. BMT Culver Line (5) trains were truncated to Ditmas Avenue
Ditmas Avenue (BMT Culver Line)
Ditmas Avenue is a local station on the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Ditmas and McDonald Avenues in Kensington, Brooklyn, it is served by the F train at all times.-Layout:...
, the south end of the connection, operating through to Manhattan (Nassau Street Loop) during the day, and terminating at Ninth Avenue at other times. This Culver Shuttle became full-time on May 28, 1959, and was closed on May 10, 1975, replaced by a transfer to the B35 bus route. The elevated portion has been re-chained
New York City Subway chaining
New 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...
as part of the B2 division, but still uses B1 division radio frequencies.
Station listing
| Neighborhood (approximate) |
Station | Tracks | Services | Opened | Transfers and notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| begins as continuation of 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... local tracks |
||||||
| Downtown Brooklyn Downtown 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... |
Jay Street – MetroTech | all | February 1, 1933 | 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... 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... |
||
| Express Tracks begin (No regular service) | ||||||
| Merge from the IND Crosstown Line IND Crosstown Line -External links:*... into local tracks |
||||||
| Cobble Hill Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Cobble Hill is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. Bordered by Atlantic Avenue on the north, Hicks Street to the west, Smith Street on the east and Degraw Street to the south, Cobble Hill sits adjacent to Boerum Hill and Brooklyn Heights with Carroll Gardens to the south... |
Bergen Street Bergen Street (IND Culver Line) Bergen Street is an express station on the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of Bergen Street and Smith Street in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. It is served by the F and G trains at all times.... |
all | March 20, 1933 | upper level – Local (in service) lower level – Express (not currently in service) |
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| Carroll Gardens Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn Carroll Gardens is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. The area is named for Charles Carroll, a revolutionary war veteran who was also the only Roman Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence... |
Carroll Street Carroll Street (IND Culver Line) Carroll Street is a local station on the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway, located in the neighborhood of Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, at Carroll and Smith Streets. It is served by the F and G trains at all times.... |
local | October 7, 1933 | |||
| Gowanus Gowanus, Brooklyn Gowanus is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 6.The Gowanus area has been an active center of industrial and shipping activity since the 1860s... |
Smith–Ninth Streets | local | October 7, 1933 | Station closed for reconstruction | ||
| Fourth Avenue | local | October 7, 1933 | 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... at Ninth Street |
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| Park Slope Park Slope, Brooklyn Park Slope is a neighborhood in western Brooklyn, New York City's most populous borough. Park Slope is roughly bounded by Prospect Park West to the east, Fourth Avenue to the west, Flatbush Avenue to the north, and 15th Street to the south, though other definitions are sometimes offered. Generally... |
Seventh Avenue Seventh Avenue (IND Culver Line) Seventh Avenue, occasionally referred to as Seventh Avenue – Park Slope, is an express station on the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway, located at Seventh Avenue and Ninth Street in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn... |
all | October 7, 1933 | |||
| Windsor Terrace Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn Windsor Terrace is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bounded by Prospect Park to the northeast and Green-Wood Cemetery, a National Historic Landmark, to the southwest. Its southeastern boundary is Caton Avenue, while to the northwest it is bordered by Prospect Park West... |
15th Street – Prospect Park | local | October 7, 1933 | All Coney Island and Church Avenue Church Avenue (IND Culver Line) Church Avenue is an express station on the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway. Located at Church and McDonald Avenues in Kensington, Brooklyn, it is served by the F and G trains at all times, the latter of which terminates here.... -bound trains skip this station due to reconstruction. |
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| Fort Hamilton Parkway Fort Hamilton Parkway (IND Culver Line) Fort Hamilton Parkway is a local station on the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway. It is served by the F and G trains at all times.There are two local tracks and two side platforms... |
local | October 7, 1933 | All Coney Island and Church Avenue Church Avenue (IND Culver Line) Church Avenue is an express station on the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway. Located at Church and McDonald Avenues in Kensington, Brooklyn, it is served by the F and G trains at all times, the latter of which terminates here.... -bound trains skip this station due to reconstruction. |
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| Kensington Kensington, Brooklyn Kensington is a neighborhood in the center of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is the area south of Prospect Park and the Green-Wood Cemetery. It is bordered by Coney Island Avenue to the east, Fort Hamilton Parkway and Caton Avenue to the north, McDonald Avenue and 37th Street to the... |
Church Avenue Church Avenue (IND Culver Line) Church Avenue is an express station on the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway. Located at Church and McDonald Avenues in Kensington, Brooklyn, it is served by the F and G trains at all times, the latter of which terminates here.... |
all | October 7, 1933 | southern terminal of train | ||
| Connecting tracks to Church Avenue Yard | ||||||
| Southbound express track merges into southbound local track and bi-directional express track creating a 3 track line (formerly the BMT Culver Line) | ||||||
| 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... |
Ninth Avenue Ninth Avenue (BMT West End Line) Ninth Avenue is a bi-level express station on the BMT West End Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of Ninth Avenue and 39th Street in Brooklyn. Each level has three tracks and two island platforms. The upper level serves the BMT West End Line while the lower level formerly... |
all | Culver Shuttle | March 16, 1919] | Stopped on lower level, which closed on May 11, 1975. Transfer was available to the BMT West End Line BMT West End Line The BMT West End Line is a line of the New York City Subway, serving the Brooklyn, communities of Borough Park, New Utrecht, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Coney Island. The D train operates on the line at all times, providing service to Manhattan and the Bronx via the IND Sixth Avenue Line... . |
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| Fort Hamilton Parkway Fort Hamilton Parkway (BMT Culver Line) Fort Hamilton Parkway was a station on the demolished section of the BMT Culver Line. It originally had three tracks and 2 side platforms, although near the end of its life only utilized one track and 1 of the side platforms, due to the other 2 tracks being removed... |
local | Culver Shuttle | March 16, 1919 | Closed on May 11, 1975, Demolished 1985. | ||
| Kensington Kensington, Brooklyn Kensington is a neighborhood in the center of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is the area south of Prospect Park and the Green-Wood Cemetery. It is bordered by Coney Island Avenue to the east, Fort Hamilton Parkway and Caton Avenue to the north, McDonald Avenue and 37th Street to the... |
13th Avenue 13th Avenue (BMT Culver Line) 13th Avenue was a station on the demolished section of the BMT Culver Line. It originally had three tracks and 2 side platforms, although near the end of its life only used one track and 1 of the side platforms, due to the other 2 tracks being removed... |
local | Culver Shuttle | March 16, 1919 | Closed on May 11, 1975, Demolished 1985. | |
| Ditmas Avenue | local | March 16, 1919 | ||||
| Borough Park Borough Park, Brooklyn Borough Park , is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City in the United States.... |
18th Avenue | all | March 16, 1919 | |||
| Avenue I | local | March 16, 1919 | ||||
| Bay Parkway | local | March 16, 1919 | ||||
| Avenue N | local | March 16, 1919 | ||||
| Gravesend Gravesend, Brooklyn Gravesend is a neighborhood in the south-central section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA.The derivation of the name is unclear. Some speculate that it was named after the English seaport of Gravesend, Kent. An alternative explanation suggests that it was named by Willem Kieft for the... |
Avenue P | local | March 16, 1919 | |||
| Kings Highway | all | March 16, 1919 | southern terminal of some trains during rush hours | |||
| Avenue U | local | May 10, 1919 | ||||
| Avenue X | local | May 10, 1919 | ||||
| Express track ends merging into southbound local track and continuing into Coney Island Yard | ||||||
| Coney Island | Neptune Avenue | all | May 1, 1920 | |||
| West Eighth Street – New York Aquarium | all | May 19, 1917 | BMT Brighton Line BMT Brighton Line The BMT Brighton Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Local service is provided at all times by the Q train. The Q is joined by the B express train on weekdays... |
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| Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue | all | May 30, 1919 | BMT Brighton Line BMT Brighton Line The BMT Brighton Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Local service is provided at all times by the Q train. The Q is joined by the B express train on weekdays... 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... BMT West End Line BMT West End Line The BMT West End Line is a line of the New York City Subway, serving the Brooklyn, communities of Borough Park, New Utrecht, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Coney Island. The D train operates on the line at all times, providing service to Manhattan and the Bronx via the IND Sixth Avenue Line... |
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