Second Ave. Sagas

Sandy Update: M, 7 service restored to northern Queens

Written by

Benjamin Kabak

in

The MTA has added more service in Northern Queens, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and MTA Chairman Joe Lhota announced this evening. The 7 train will resume limited service at midnight between Main St. and 74th St. while the M went back into service earlier on Thursday afternoon.

Furthermore, Lhota and Cuomo announced that service between Manhattan and Brooklyn can resume along the Joralemon St. Tunnel (4/5 trains) and the Rutgers St. Tunnel (F train) within two hours of the restoration of power to Lower Manhattan. Con Edison has been notifying customers in the Lower East Side and East Village that power should be back to those areas by 11 p.m. on Saturday night. It is my understanding that service across both the Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges can resume within a similar timeframe once power is restored.

For what it’s worth, PATH trains remain shuttered until further notice. Cuomo estimated upwards of five miles of water in the tunnels, and the Army Corps of Engineers will have to clear the tubes before Port Authority crews can inspect and repair the system. It’s going to be a while.

The following is what subway service will look like after midnight tonight. The Brooklyn Bus Bridge will continue to run throughout the night and into Friday. Additions from the current slate are in bold. I’ll have more later.

  • 1 trains will operate between 242nd St. and Times Square.
  • 2 trains will operate between 241st St. and Times Square, making express stops south of 96th St.
  • 3 train service is suspended.
  • 4 trains will make all local stops between Woodlawn and Grand Central and between Borough Hall & New Lots Avenue.
  • 5 trains will run express in Brooklyn between Atlantic Avenue and Flatbush Avenue.
  • 6 trains will run local between Pelham Bay Park and Grand Central.
  • 7 trains will run local between Flushing-Main St. and 74th St.
  • The 42nd St. Shuttle will run between Times Square and Grand Central.
  • A trains will run local between 168th Street and Penn Station and between Jay Street/MetroTech and Lefferts.
  • B and C train service is suspended.
  • D trains will run local between 205th Street and 34th Street and between Atlantic Avenue and Bay Parkway.
  • E train service is suspended.
  • F trains will run local between 179th Street and 34th Street and between Jay Street-MetroTech and Avenue X.
  • G train service is suspended.
  • J trains will run local between Jamaica Center and Hewes Street.
  • L trains will run local between Broadway Junction and Rockaway Parkway.
  • M trains will run local between Myrtle Avenue-Broadway and Metropolitan Avenue.
  • M trains will run local between Parsons/Archer and 34th St./Herald Square via the 63rd St. Tunnel.
  • N trains will run local between Ditmars Boulevard and 34th Street.
  • Q train service is suspended.
  • R train runs local between Jay Street-MetroTech and 95th Street.
  • Both the Franklin Avenue and Rockaway Park S shuttles are suspended.

Comments

38 responses to “Sandy Update: M, 7 service restored to northern Queens”

  1. Nathanael

    According to various tweets from Cuomo’s account (https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo):

    “Holland Tunnel will be open to BUSES tomorrow — pls leave car at home & take the bus”

    “#LIRR update for FRI: Hrly service on #Babylon & #Huntington (to Penn Station) RESTORED ”

    “update for FRI: Service on New Haven Line will resume btwn New Haven&Stamford/Grand Central Terminal by midday ”

    “update for FRI: Hudson Line trains btwn Croton-Harmon& #GrandCentral Terminal operate on reg weekday sched. ”

    (THAT I find impressive, especially with the Croton-Harmon flooding — but apparently the serious damage, which will require “eight rail cars” of ballast, is between Croton-Harmon and Cortlandt. http://newyork.newsday.com/new…..&qr=1)

    —

    The summary of my trawl across different sources of news about rail service restoration:

    Amtrak is also back on Friday along the entire Northeast Corridor, although there will be reduced service. (A few long-distance trains are curtailed to DC, and a few including the Vermonter need equipment moves so they’re only restored in one direction until Saturday. The Cardinal is still shut down, probably due to the blizzard in WV. All service along the Hudson Line NY-Albany is still closed.)

    On Friday, NJ Transit will restore partial service on the Northeast Corridor (Trenton-Newark Penn), Raritan Valley (Raritan-Newark Penn), and NJ Coast (Woodbridge-Newark Penn). HBLR and Newark Light Rail are still shut. RiverLine (Trenton-Camden) will be running the full distance.

    It appears that JFK AirTrain is still not circulating around the terminals, running only from Federal Circle to Jamaica / Howard Beach / Lefferts. (Odd.) Newark AirTrain is back.

    SIRT is still out.

    Reply
    1. Nathanael

      Ah, a press release summarizing the NY news:
      http://www.governor.ny.gov/pre…..storations

      Reply
  2. Eric

    It would be nice if they even mentioned the G train.

    Reply
    1. al

      G is out due to Newtown Creek tunnel flooding. It is low on the list for pump out.

      Reply
  3. Roy

    Why is the G suspended? I haven’t seen any explanation at all, and it doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense.

    Reply
    1. Eric

      The MTA has finally found an excuse to close the G for good.

      Either that or they stored trains on tracks that aren’t accessible to it.

      Would be nice if they said something, though.

      Reply
    2. Benjamin Kabak

      Sorry. I meant to include a G train update. The G train is suspended due to flooding in the tunnels from the Newtown Creek.

      Reply
      1. John

        They can’t even run partial service, ideally to Metropolitan Av, or at least Bedford-Nostrand? Is there a reason for that?

        Reply
        1. Eric

          I’d like to know the answer to that as well.

          Reply
        2. al

          Switch location to relay trains north of Nassau Ave might be suspect due to low elevation. It might not be able to handle a high turnaround rate due to train fumigation issues and switch operation. Short stub service to Bedford-Nostrand is not useful, unless the MTA adds another bus/HOV pickup location at Fulton St (G) and Lafayette (A).

          Reply
          1. BenW

            Or unless you live in Bed-Stuy or Fort Greene and want to get to downtown Brooklyn, of course…

            Reply
          2. Eric

            Metropolitan Ave is south of Nassau. I understand why they’re not running trains north of there–the tunnel flooded.

            Reply
    3. YJ

      As someone posted here earlier, the G tracks are flooded.

      Reply
  4. Phantom

    Sorry ifs been mentioned already but. Why is the N train shut down on the Sea Beach ( Brooklyn ) segment?

    Flooding? Downed trees?

    Reply
    1. BoerumHillScott

      I saw pictures of flooding in the trench.

      Reply
    2. mike d.

      the flood damage the tracks, signals, power,etc. pics are out there…

      Reply
  5. Matthew

    Both the 1 and 2 trains have been extended one stop to 34th Street – Penn Station.

    Reply
  6. geoffc

    Why is the A not running from 207? Why start it at 168 if it is already so short a run?

    Reply
    1. metsgl

      I heard it flooded

      Reply
    2. mike d.

      the flood damage the tracks, signals, power,etc.

      Reply
    3. pea-jay

      It did flood. The storm surge overtopped the 207 yard and spilled into the connector tunnel that serves the middle two tracks at the Dyckman station. Since Dyckman is the low point it just kind of pooled there to a depth of 8 feet. The station and the entire connector tube back to the yard has to be pumped out. They were still doing it this evening. The trains are being kept further up the tubes where it goes under the Heights.

      Reply
  7. Andrew Smith

    Anyone hear any reports on why the PATH tunnels seem so much more flooded than any of the subway tunnels? Sheer length of Hudson crossing versus East River?

    Any news why NJ Transit can’t get anything into Penn when Amtrak can?

    Reply
    1. Nathanael

      PATH: partly the sheer length; partly, the PATH tunnels flooded from both sides simultaneously as far as I can tell. The depth is an issue too.

      Amtrak is going to be running limited service (less than usual) because only one of the North River tunnels is up and there’s still signal damage. There’s no room for NJT to run trains as well. Amtrak gets first priority because, y’know, it owns the station and the tunnels.

      Reply
      1. Andrew Smith

        Is there any argument why Amtrak should be taking that space when there are 4-hour delays at the Lincoln Tunnel — other than ownership and Amtrak’s clear hatred of NJ Transit?

        Reply
        1. Phantom

          Hatred?

          Come on.

          Reply
          1. Andrew Smith

            NJ Transit wanted to spend billions of extra dollars on a tunnel that would be less useful in order not to have to share it with Amtrak.

            These are two agencies that do not get along.

            Reply
            1. Bolwerk

              I think that had more to do with NYC and MTA/MNRR than with Amtrak. NJT to GCT was a pretty cheap option, too, next to that cavern station. It might have cut the cost to a third.

              But “hatred” is probably not really operative here. I think with all the railroads they have their respective fiefs, and don’t want anyone else interfering (whether the interference is actual or perceived). It even goes to MNRR/LIRR; MNRR probably really could have let the LIRR share GCT.

              What they don’t give a sweet damn about is the rider.

              Reply
        2. Nathanael

          First argument: Getting Amtrak in place first allows much more service to operate, including through service to Boston.

          Second argument: Amtrak’s budgetary condition is always at risk and it can’t particularly afford to just give away revenue to New Jersey. Feel free to take the Amtrak trains from New Jersey to New York, and if you think they’re too expensive, ask Governor Christie to subsidize them. End of story.

          Reply
          1. Andrew Smith

            As to your first argument, I’d be curious about the numbers. If Amtrak really will serve more passengers, then I’d say that’s a pretty decisive argument. The name of the game with crossings so limited should be maximizing people served.

            As for the second argument, I’m not sure if you think it’s a fair argument or simply the argument that is motivating Amtrak, fair or not. Either way, if NJ Transit could make the tunnel serve more people, it’s a stupid argument. Amtrak’s finances do not outweigh the needs of everyone else in a region struck by this storm, particularly given that it is an arm of the federal government with some obligation to the public good rather than a money-making endeavor.

            Reply
        3. al

          One tunnel is good for 3-4tph. Good enough for long distance rail, but not high capacity commuter rail.

          Reply
          1. al

            There was also flooding in the East River tubes east of NY Penn, and possible damage to Sunnyside Yards. That can limit turnaround capacity.

            Reply
      2. Tim

        Well, looks like we’re going to get us a shiny new pair of Amtrak tunnels after this one’s over.

        Reply
  8. mike d.

    “Effective 8:40pm, Thursday, November 1, NYC Transit will begin implementing limited subway service as follows:

    7 train service will operate between Main St and 74 St-Broadway in both directions.”

    Reply
  9. Sandy Updates: Friday morning train service and news & notes :: Second Ave. Sagas

    […] « Sandy Update: M, 7 service restored to northern Queens Nov […]

    Reply
  10. Rick

    Did anyone notice all the rust and corrosion on the tracks and third rail as well as the fastentere that are securing them?

    Reply
    1. al

      Its a coating, but if it isn’t cleaned, it will seriously shorten lifespan.

      Reply
  11. Flatbush Depot

    The updated subway map shows the (5) running from Dyre to 180, but at 180 it still says “E 180 St: 2” instead of “E 180 St: 2-5”. The poster providing textual service information says that the (5) is running from Dyre to 180, so the only error is that the map still says “E 180 St: 2” instead of “E 180 St: 2-5”

    Reply
  12. nyland8

    This may be a good opportunity to push for greater political consideration for the “Triboro-X” project. I think if ever there were a time for that pitch to be made, it is now!

    One of the things that has become glaringly apparent is that protecting lower Manhattan’s low-lying areas from flooding in this type of event might be generations away from happening. And one of the biggest problems with our subway system is that we don’t have a beltway – a multi-boro connection that does NOT go through Manhattan.

    If we had a Triboro-X train up and running, just imagine the increased mobility throughout the system during one of these major shutdowns, where nothing can get through lower Manhattan. A beltway from 2nd Ave and Shore Road in Brooklyn, swinging around a wide arc through Queens, then all the way up to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, and connecting to every subway spur along the way, would completely transform this mass-transit nightmare for tens-of-thousands of New Yorkers.

    The right-of-way is already there, it is high and dry, relatively speaking, with no tunnels under major waterways, and the bang-for-the-buck probably beats any other major subway project. In a sane world, funding this beltway would be a no-brainer. In a worst-case scenario, the only likely problems would be downed trees – something easily cleared when compared to widespread system flooding.

    The closest thing we have to an outer-borough beltway is the “G” train, and its limitations have just been exposed. Moreover, repairing it is considered a “low priority”. But if we had a “Triboro-X” line, normal laws of triage would make it among the first trains back in service.

    It would also very rapidly reduce some of the crowding on the Manhattan trunk lines, because a certain percentage of the riders are going from Brooklyn to the Bronx, Bronx to Queens, Queens to Brooklyn, etc. All those people would be offered an alternative to squeezing through Manhattan.

    If ever there was a time to push for consideration, I don’t know if we’ll find a better one than now.

    Reply

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