| BMT Myrtle Avenue Line | |
|---|---|
The M train serves the entire BMT Myrtle Avenue Line at all times |
|
| Overview | |
| Type | Rapid transit |
| System | New York City Subway |
| Termini | Metropolitan Avenue Central Avenue |
| Stations | 7 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1889-1915 |
| Owner | City of New York |
| Operator(s) | New York City Transit Authority |
| Character | Street level(Metropolitan Avenue only) Elevated |
| Technical | |
| No. of tracks | 2 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Electrification | 600V DC third rail |
The Myrtle Avenue Line, also called the Myrtle Avenue Elevated[1], is a fully elevated line of the New York City Subway as part of the BMT division. The extant line is the final remnant of one of the original Brooklyn elevated railroads. The remnant line operates as a spur branch from the Jamaica Line to Bushwick, Ridgewood and Middle Village, terminating at its original Eastern terminal across the street from Lutheran Cemetery. Until 1969, the line continued west into Downtown Brooklyn and until 1944, over the Brooklyn Bridge to a terminal at Park Row in Manhattan.
Contents |
The Myrtle Avenue Line is currently served by the M service. The line begins at Middle Village – Metropolitan Avenue in Queens. It heads southwest along a private right-of-way, eventually joining an elevated structure above Palmetto Street and Myrtle Avenue. Just before reaching Broadway (on which the BMT Jamaica Line operates), the line curves to the left and merges into the Jamaica Line tracks just east of Myrtle Avenue. The upper level of the station (called "Broadway") opened in 1889 and closed on October 4, 1969, still exists. During late nights and weekends, the M shuttle service terminates here. During this period, the M operates as OPTO (one person train operation) with only four car trains. Like the other lines in the BMT Eastern Division, the station platforms on the Myrtle Avenue Line can only hold 480 feet long trains (eight 60 feet cars), 120 feet shorter than the standard 600 feet length (eight 75 feet cars or ten 60 feet cars) of other "B" Division stations.
The first section of the line ran over Myrtle Avenue from Johnson and Adams Streets to a junction with what was then known as the Main Line at Grand Avenue and was opened on April 10, 1888 by the Union Elevated Railroad. Trains continued along Grand Avenue and Lexington Avenue to Broadway, where the line joined the Broadway Elevated, and then along Broadway to East New York. On September 1, 1888, the line was extended westward along Adams Street and Sands Street, to a terminal at Washington Street for the Brooklyn Bridge. On April 27, 1889, the line was extended east along Myrtle Avenue to Broadway.
The west end of the line was extended north along Adams Street to an elevated station over Sands Street and High Street in 1896. The connection to the Brooklyn Bridge tracks opened on June 18, 1898, along a private right-of-way halfway between Concord Street and Cathedral Place. The first trains to use it came from the Fifth Avenue Elevated (using the Myrtle Avenue El west of Hudson Avenue).
The line was later extended east to Wyckoff Avenue (at the Brooklyn/Queens border). In 1906 the el was connected via a ramp to the Lutheran Cemetery Line, a former steam dummy line to Metropolitan Avenue that had opened on September 3, 1881. That section was elevated as part of the Dual Contracts on February 22, 1915.
On July 29, 1914, the connection to the Broadway (Brooklyn) Line was opened, allowing Myrtle Avenue Line trains to operate via the Williamsburg Bridge. This service became BMT 10 in 1924, and the original Myrtle Avenue Line service to Park Row became BMT 11, later referred to as M and MJ.
As part of the Dual Contracts rebuilding of the Myrtle Avenue El, a third track was installed north of Myrtle Avenue. This track started from a point south of Central Avenue through Myrtle – Wyckoff Avenues to a bumper just south of Seneca Avenue. The only switches were at the southern end so the center track could only be used for layups. It was never used in revenue service and removed sometime after World War II.
On March 5, 1944, the line west of Bridge–Jay Streets was closed coincident with the end of elevated service over the Brooklyn Bridge. The rest of the line from Broadway to Jay Street closed on October 4, 1969 and demolished soon after, ending the MJ service.
| Station service legend | |
|---|---|
| Stops all times | |
| Time period details | |
| Station | Services | Opened | Transfers and notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Village – Metropolitan Avenue | M | October 1, 1906 | Service extended to pre-existing Lutheran Line station. Current station is ~100 feet west of the 1906 one. |
|
| connecting track to Fresh Pond Yard | ||||
| Fresh Pond Road | M | February 22, 1915 | ||
| Forest Avenue | M | February 22, 1915 | ||
| Seneca Avenue | M | February 22, 1915 | ||
| Myrtle–Wyckoff Avenues | M | July 21, 1889[2] | BMT Canarsie Line (L ) Station rebuilt to 3 tracks July 29, 1914; center track subsequently removed. |
|
| Knickerbocker Avenue | M | August 15, 1889[3][4] | Station rebuilt to 3 tracks July 29, 1914; center track subsequently removed. | |
| Central Avenue | M | July 21, 1889 | Station rebuilt to 3 tracks July 29, 1914; center track subsequently removed. | |
| merges into BMT Jamaica Line (M ) just east of Myrtle Avenue (connector added July 29, 1914) | ||||
| Closed section | ||||
| Broadway | April 27, 1889[5] | Station still in place; tracks removed; closed October 4, 1969 | ||
| Structure removed west of Reid Avenue | ||||
| Sumner Avenue | April 27, 1889[5] | Closed October 4, 1969 | ||
| Tompkins Avenue | April 27, 1889[5] | Closed October 4, 1969 | ||
| Nostrand Avenue | April 27, 1889[5] | Closed October 4, 1969 | ||
| Franklin Avenue | April 27, 1889[5] | Closed October 4, 1969 | ||
| Grand Avenue | April 27, 1889[5] | Closed January 21, 1953 | ||
| Washington Avenue | December 4, 1888[6] | Closed October 4, 1969 | ||
| Vanderbilt Avenue | April 10, 1888 | Closed October 4, 1969 | ||
| Navy Street | April 10, 1888 | Closed October 4, 1969 | ||
| Bridge–Jay Streets | April 10, 1888 | Earlier known as Bridge Street. Closed October 4, 1969 | ||
| Adams Street | April 10, 1888[7] | Closed March 5, 1944 | ||
| Sands Street | September 1, 1888[8] | Closed March 5, 1944 | ||
| Park Row | June 18, 1898 | Closed March 5, 1944 | ||
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