5 (New York City Subway service)
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The 5 Lexington Avenue Express is a service of the New York City Subway. It is colored green on station signs and the NYC Subway map, since it uses the Lexington Avenue Line through Manhattan. Trains of the 5 service run at all times, though the service is significantly cut back during late nights. The usual pattern is express through Manhattan and local elsewhere. The service is extended into Brooklyn during rush hours; standard rush-hour service operates express to Flatbush Avenue–Brooklyn College, with some special trips to Utica Avenue or New Lots Avenue. During rush hours, trains run express in the Bronx in the peak direction; about half the trains in the peak direction run to Nereid Avenue–238th Street. (Those trips were signed with a diamond until the end of May 2005.[1]) Limited rush hour service operates on the IRT Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line—two trains heading to Brooklyn during morning rush hours and four trains heading to the Bronx via the IRT White Plains Road Line to 241st Street during evening rush hours—to clear congestion. During middays, some trains run reverse peak express (northbound only) to East 180th Street. Some rush hour trains run express to Gun Hill Road (White Plains Road) and terminate there. During late nights, the service is cut back to its northernmost section in the Bronx, north of East 180th Street; service over the rest of the route is provided by the 2 and 4 trains.
The following lines are used by the 5 service:
| Line | Tracks | When |
|---|---|---|
| IRT White Plains Road Line from Nereid Avenue–238th Street to Gun Hill Road | local | rush hours in peak direction only |
| IRT White Plains Road Line from Gun Hill Road to East 180th Street | local (express some PM rush hour trips) | rush hours in peak direction only |
| IRT Dyre Avenue Line (full line) | N/A | always |
| IRT White Plains Road Line from East 180th Street to 149th Street–Grand Concourse | local (express rush hours in peak direction and some midday northbound trains) | all but late nights |
| IRT Jerome Avenue Line south of 149th Street–Grand Concourse | local | all but late nights |
| IRT Lexington Avenue Line (full line) | express | all but late nights |
| IRT Joralemon Street Tunnel | N/A | rush hours only |
| IRT Eastern Parkway Line north of Franklin Avenue | express | rush hours only |
| IRT Nostrand Avenue Line (full line) | N/A | rush hours only |
| IRT Eastern Parkway Line south of Franklin Avenue | express | some rush-hour trips |
Contents |
[edit] Background
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The section from East 180th Street to Dyre Avenue was once the mainline of the New York, Westchester and Boston Railway, a standard gauge electric commuter railroad built by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Upon its closure in 1937, the entire property was put up for sale. In 1940, the City of New York purchased the section and began integrating the line into the system. The railroad north of the city line to White Plains and Port Chester was quickly dismantled. The section below East 180th Street to Greens Farm Junction was once used to interchange with the New Haven (and later Penn Central and Conrail) to bring subway cars and other equipment on and off the system. This section has since been removed, isolating this part of the subway from interchange.
Until the early 2000s, much of the 5 service's car fleet was made up of Redbird cars built in the mid 1950s and very early 1960s; these cars were retired by 2002. The trains included rollsigns with the numbers 8, 10 and 12, possibly to replace the diamond <5> express route. Today, the entire fleet is composed of the Bombardier-built R142s which feature digital signs, though space for only one digit is possible. However, there are no plans to change the line's nomenclature.
[edit] Service history
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1967-1979 bullet
(in a circle) |
The connection between the IRT White Plains Road Line and the IRT Jerome Avenue Line opened around the same time as that stretch of the IRT Lexington Avenue Line (1918).
As of 1934, service operated from 241st Street or East 180th Street to Atlantic Avenue middays and weekend mornings; other times except midnights, to Utica Avenue.
From July 24–September 18, 1918, Sunday service ran to New Lots Avenue.
On April 28, 1930, Saturday service began running to Utica Avenue.
On July 10, 1939, Sunday afternoon service began running to New Lots Avenue.
On December 22, 1946, every other trains began running to New Lots Avenue on Sunday mornings.
On March 5, 1950, trains began running to Utica Avenue all day Sunday.
On May 3, 1957 several rush hour trains began running to Flatbush Avenue (replacing the 4). This was reversed on April 8, 1960. At this time, the 5 began running on the Dyre Avenue Line.
On May 24, 1976 midday service was cut from Atlantic Avenue to Bowling Green, and reextended to Atlantic Avenue in 1980.
On July 10, 1983 Most rush hour trains began to operate to Flatbush Avenue. Some put-ins/layups (includes most early evening and special rush hour trips) run to Utica Avenue or New Lots Avenue.
On January 18, 1988, midday service was cut back to Bowling Green again, to allow the 4 train to run to Utica Avenue.
In 1995, rush hour service to 241st Street was cut back to Nereid Avenue-238th Street.
[edit] Subway Service Information
| Station Service Legend | |
|---|---|
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Stops all times |
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Stops all times except late nights |
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Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction |
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Stops rush hours only |
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Stops rush hours in the peak direction only |
| Time period details | |
- *Some rush hour trips to/from Utica or New Lots Avenues, Brooklyn.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- MTA NYC Transit - 5 Lexington Avenue Express (normal circle service)
- MTA NYC Transit - 5 Eastern Parkway/Lexington Avenue/Bronx Thru Express (rush-hour diamond service)
- MTA NYC Transit - 5 schedule PDF (230 KiB)
- New York, Westchester & Boston Railway history
