IRT New Lots Line

IRT New Lots Line
The 2, 3, 4 and 5 trains serve the entire IRT New Lots Line.
Overview
Type	Rapid transit
System	New York City Subway
Status	Operating
Locale	Brooklyn
Termini	Sutter Avenue – Rutland Road New Lots Avenue
Stations	7
Daily ridership	73,760[1]
Operation
Opened	1920-1922
Owner	City of New York
Operator(s)	New York City Transit Authority
Character	Elevated
Technical
Number of tracks	2-3
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	600V DC third rail

IRT New Lots Line
Legend
IRT Eastern Parkway Line IRT Eastern Parkway Line express tracks dead-end at Ralph Avenue Sutter Avenue – Rutland Road Saratoga Avenue Rockaway Avenue Junius Street Linden Shops Long Island Rail Road Livonia Ave BMT Canarsie Line Pennsylvania Avenue Van Siclen Avenue New Lots Avenue Livonia Yard

The IRT New Lots Line or Livonia Avenue Line is a rapid transit line in the IRT A Division of the New York City Subway. Located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, the line is served by the 3 train at all times except late nights, when the 4 train takes over service. Some rush hour 2 and 5 trains also run on this line because of capacity issues at their usual terminal at Flatbush Avenue – Brooklyn College on the IRT Nostrand Avenue Line. The New Lots Line is the only elevated structure on the Brooklyn IRT. The line begins just east of Utica Avenue in Crown Heights and continues to New Lots Avenue in East New York.^[2][3][4] The line includes an unused trackway in the middle for a third track. On the roof of the mezzanines at each station are cross ties but no rails. In some areas, the space is used for mechanical and signal rooms. A center track exists only at Junius Street, where it crosses the southbound track at grade towards the Linden Shops. This un-electrified track is one of only two connections to the national rail system. The BMT West End Line is the other connection, via the New York Connecting Railroad; the Linden Shops are connected to the Long Island Rail Road and from there to the rest of the national network. There are plans to renovate the elevated structure, including new mezzanines and stairs.

History

This line was built as a part of the Dual Contracts. It was opened as far east as Pennsylvania Avenue on Christmas Eve in 1920, and expanded to its namesake on October 16, 1922. 2 and 3 trains kept on switching their southern terminals until July 10, 1983, when the 2 was sent to Flatbush Avenue and the 3 to New Lots Avenue, which remains the current service pattern. The purpose of this switch was so that the 3 would readily have access to the shops at Livonia Yard. 4 trains were added on December 20, 1946, and 5 trains were gradually added between 1938 and 1950.

Extent and service

All services serve the entire line and make all stops.

	Time period
	rush hours	middays, evenings, and weekends	late nights
	service	no service
	service		no service
	service	no service	service
	service	no service

Crossing over BMT Canarsie Line.

Route description

Branching off from the IRT Eastern Parkway Line and emerging from a tunnel on the southeast corner along the eastern edge of Lincoln Terrace Park, the IRT New Lots Line crosses a bridge over East New York Avenue and then runs over East 98th Street with only one station, until it approaches the intersection with Livonia Avenue, where the line moves over that road, and remains as such almost entirely. Right after Junius Street Station, Livonia Avenue is bisected by the Long Island Rail Road Bay Ridge Branch as well as the Linden Shops, both of which run between Junius Street and Van Sinderin Avenue, the latter of which if flanked by the BMT Canarsie Line, also an elevated line, but runs underneath the New Lots Line. The last station on the line is New Lots Avenue, which is actually two blocks west of the eastern terminus of Livonia Avenue at the street the station is named for. The New Lots Line crosses over New Lots Avenue and then Elton Street, curving to the south and terminating within the Livonia Yard.

Station listing

Station service legend
	Stops all times except late nights
	Stops late nights only
	Stops rush hours only
Time period details

Neighborhood (approximate)		Station	Services	Opened	Transfers and notes
Begins as continuation of IRT Eastern Parkway Line local tracks (2  3  4  5 )
Brownsville		Sutter Avenue – Rutland Road	2  3  4  5	December 24, 1920
		Saratoga Avenue	2  3  4  5	December 24, 1920	Station is closed for renovations until the Fall of 2016.
		Rockaway Avenue	2  3  4  5	December 24, 1920
		Junius Street	2  3  4  5	December 24, 1920
connecting track to Linden Shops (non-electrified)
East New York		Pennsylvania Avenue	2  3  4  5	December 24, 1920	Station is closed for renovations until the Fall of 2016.
		Van Siclen Avenue	2  3  4  5	October 16, 1922
		New Lots Avenue	2  3  4  5	October 16, 1922	B15 bus to JFK Airport
	Terminus of all service
	Connecting tracks to Livonia Yard

References

1. MTA. "Average weekday subway ridership". Retrieved 2 April 2014.
2. Metropolitan Transportation Authority, 2005 Adopted Budget - February Financial Plan 2005–2008, Section VII: MTA Capital Program Information PDF (91.7 KiB): shows Utica Avenue on "EPK" and Sutter Avenue on "NLT"
3. Metropolitan Transportation Authority, 2005 Final Proposed Budget - November Financial Plan 2005–2008, Section VI: MTA Capital Program Information PDF (1.02 MiB): "Sutter Avenue Portal to end"
4. In a 1981 list of "most deteriorated subway stations", the MTA listed Borough Hall and Court Street stations as part of the New Lots Line:
   New York Times, Agency Lists Its 69 Most Deteriorated Subway Stations, June 11, 1981, section B, page 5

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

• Media related to IRT New Lots Line at Wikimedia Commons