East River

Service Increases to Be Implemented During L Train Shutdown

What to Know

  • One thousand new roundtrips each week will be implemented for certain lines during the looming L train shutdown, according to the MTA.
  • Extra services are planned for the A, E, F and G lines
  • For 15 months starting in April 2019, L train service will be suspended across the East River and within Manhattan to repair damage

One thousand new roundtrips each week will be implemented during the looming L train shutdown, according to the MTA.

Members of the Transit Committee will be presented Monday with details on the service increases for specific train lines, which are set to take place in April 2019.

The temporary route changes are proposed for weekdays and include two additional A roundtrips would be operated between approximately 10 p.m. and midnight; 26 additional E roundtrips; and 12 more F roundtrips.

Additionally, 66 more G roundtrips would operate with some peak period trips operating only between Court Square-23 Street and Bedford-Nostrand avenues, as well as some peak periods trips terminating at 18 Avenue because of terminal capacity constraints at Church Avenue.

Sixteen additional J and Z roundtrips, with one trip during each peak hour being cut and 18 trips would be added in other hours. J and Z trains would also make all stops along the Broadway Junction and Marcy Avenue segment at all times due to demand. Peak hour J and Z skip-stop service would operate between Jamaica Center and Broadway Junction only.

Additionally, there will be 88 fewer L roundtrips operated on weekdays, with service between Bedford Avenue and Canarsie-Rockaway Parkway.

Furthermore, 62 additional M roundtrips on weekdays will also be implemented. To accommodate late night maintenance on Queens Boulevard, M service would operate between Middle Village-Metropolitan Avenue and 96 Street – 2 Avenue from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Another change that will take place during the L train shutdown is that three fewer R roundtrips would operate on weekdays: two during morning peak hours and one during afternoon peak hours. This change would be to accommodate additional M service along Queens Boulevard, which is needed to accommodate riders who transfer from the G train. However, morning and afternoon peak R service to and from the 4th Avenue line in Brooklyn would not be impacted.

For 15 months starting in April 2019, L train service will be suspended across the East River and within Manhattan to repair damage caused by Superstorm Sandy. However, the line will still run in Brooklyn, servicing all stops.

The temporary closure will directly affect 275,000 of the L Train's 400,000 daily riders, and indirectly affect many more throughout the city, according to the city’s Department of Transportation.

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