| JFK Express | |
|---|---|
Note:Service began at 57th Street prior to 1989 |
|
| Northern end | 21st Street – Queensbridge |
| Southern end | Howard Beach – JFK Airport |
The JFK Express, advertised as The Train to The Plane, was a premium-fare service of the New York City Subway, connecting Midtown Manhattan to John F. Kennedy International Airport.
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The premium fare for the JFK Express was collected by train conductors on board, who punched the tickets that passengers had to purchase prior to boarding.[1] In addition to the conductors, there were transit police officers aboard to provide protection for travelers.
The JFK Express used R46s exclusively for most of its existence, although near its end R44s were used when the R46s began midlife overhauls. All JFK Express trains were 3 or 4 cars.
The JFK Express began operation on September 23, 1978, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority created a few 30-second long television commercials to promote the new service.[2][3] Train ran daily from 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM on 20 minute headways. The route began at 57th Street and ran express on the IND Sixth Avenue Line to West Fourth Street – Washington Square, where it switched to the IND Eighth Avenue Line and ran express to Jay Street – Borough Hall in Downtown Brooklyn. From that point on, it ran non-stop on the IND Fulton Street Line and IND Rockaway Line to Howard Beach – JFK Airport.
At times, regular passengers were allowed on the trains and no fares were charged due to disruptions on other services; this included the 1988 closure of the Williamsburg Bridge, after a painter discovered a hole in a girder. At other times, some passengers paid the extra fare to use the JFK Express to reach Aqueduct Racetrack.[4]
On October 29, 1989, the IND 63rd Street Line opened and the JFK Express was extended to 21st Street – Queensbridge with the B, F, and Q trains. However, this extension was short-lived as service was discontinued on April 15, 1990. The JFK Express proved to be unsuccessful, seeing low ridership in part because the service did not actually serve any airline terminals, but rather transferred passengers to a shuttle bus service that was several hundred yards from the station.[1]
Following the discontinuation of the JFK Express, the A train continues to serve Howard Beach – JFK Airport station. The JFK shuttle bus service remained in operation until AirTrain JFK, a light rail system that is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and also connects with the Long Island Rail Road and subway (E J Z trains) service to Manhattan at Jamaica, replaced it on December 17, 2003.
A current proposal, the Lower Manhattan – Jamaica/JFK Transportation Project, would provide express train service between JFK Airport and Lower Manhattan through Brooklyn. This would be similar to the JFK Express except that the service would be an extension of AirTrain JFK and operate via the LIRR Atlantic Branch, providing a one-seat ride to the airport terminals.
The following lines were used by the JFK Express service:[5]
| Line | Tracks | When |
|---|---|---|
| IND 63rd Street Line (full line) | N/A | always |
| IND Sixth Avenue Line north of West Fourth Street – Washington Square | local | always |
| IND Eighth Avenue Line south of West Fourth Street – Washington Square | local | always |
| IND Fulton Street Line north of Rockaway Boulevard | express | always |
| IND Rockaway Line north of Howard Beach – JFK Airport | local | always |
| Station service legend | |
|---|---|
| Stops all times | |
| Station closed | |
| Time period details | |
| Station | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Queens | |||
| 21st Street – Queensbridge | new terminus after completion of IND 63rd Street Line; opened October 29, 1989 | ||
| Manhattan | |||
| Roosevelt Island | opened October 29, 1989 | ||
| Lexington Avenue – 63rd Street | opened October 29, 1989 | ||
| 57th Street | original terminus before IND 63rd Street Line opened | ||
| 47th–50th Streets – Rockefeller Center | |||
| 42nd Street – Bryant Park | |||
| 34th Street – Herald Square | |||
| West Fourth Street – Washington Square | |||
| Chambers Street | |||
| Broadway – Nassau Street | |||
| Brooklyn | |||
| Jay Street – Borough Hall | |||
| Queens | |||
| Aqueduct Racetrack | Station serves northbound trains only, and is open between 11:00 AM–7:00 PM on racing days at Aqueduct Racetrack. | ||
| Howard Beach – JFK Airport | transfer to Port Authority shuttle bus to airport terminals | ||
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