Work to install new tracks and infrastructure have been completed on the express tracks of the Queens Boulevard Line and the local tracks of the Lexington Avenue Line in lower Manhattan, ending weeks of reduced rush hour service and slower train speeds in work zones that have affected the commutes of thousands of customers.
Regular service resumed on all lines Tuesday morning in time for the return of customers from the long holiday weekend. The work was scheduled for the last weeks of summer because it is typically one of the lowest-ridership periods during the year.
In Queens, customers saw regular express and local service return in the vicinity of Forest Hills-71 Av EFMR station during the morning peak period. Since Monday, August 17, travel speed for EF trains on the express tracks had been limited to 10 mph through work zones, while some trains were switched to the local tracks. The switch limited service on local tracks and reduced speed on express tracks, allowing for fewer trains in Queens for the city’s second-busiest subway line.
“This important work, part of our State-of-Good repair program, is now completed, and the number of trains traveling along these busy stretches of our subway network will return to normal levels,” said Joseph Leader, senior vice president of Subways at New York City Transit. “We truly thank our customers for their patience while our in-house forces performed this vital work which will help improve service delivery and reliability.”
In lower Manhattan, customers who use Lexington Avenue 6 local service will see improved service in the area through Canal St after the installation of new infrastructure on the downtown track, which required trains to run at slower speeds for weeks. Crews installed 578 rail fasteners and plates; 442 track tie blocks each measuring 36 inches; and 68 stone ties each measuring 9 feet long. They also removed 520 feet of roadbed for water proofing work and installed a new track bed in its place.
The Queens Boulevard Line track work involved replacing 480 feet of ballasted track on the express tracks in the vicinity of Forest Hills-71 Av with new Type-II track; installing 525 rail fasteners and plates; 393 track tie blocks measuring either 42 inches or 36 inches; and 10 stone ties measuring 9 feet long.
This track infrastructure work was needed to keep those lines in a state of good repair. New track tie blocks hold tracks in place, while rail fasteners and plates reduce vibrations that cause wear to track components and create noise.
While these types of repairs and infrastructure improvements may temporarily inconvenience customers, they are necessary to maintain critical parts of infrastructure that keep the NYC Transit subway system working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, throughout the year and during severe weather events. The work is supported through the MTA Capital Program, which identifies investments needed to renew, enhance and expand the entire MTA network of subways, buses and commuter railroads. The MTA is currently working to fully fund the program for the next five years by asking partners on the city, state and federal levels to invest in the system.
