C (New York City Subway service)

Eighth Avenue Local
A train made of R160 cars in C service at Fulton Street, bound for Brooklyn.
A train made of R32 cars in C service at 168th Street, bound for Brooklyn.
Northern end	168th Street
Southern end	Euclid Avenue
Stations	40
Rolling stock	64 R32s (8 trains, AM rush) 80 R160As (10 trains) 56 R32s (7 trains, PM rush)
Depot	207th Street Yard
Started service	September 10, 1932 (1932-09-10)
Route map  A  trains continue north  C  (local) 168th Street 163rd Street–Amsterdam Avenue 155th Street  B   D  trains continue to the Bronx 145th Street 135th Street 125th Street 116th Street Cathedral Parkway–110th Street 103rd Street 96th Street 86th Street 81st Street–Museum of Natural History 72nd Street 59th Street–Columbus Circle  B   D  trains continue south  E  trains continue to Queens 50th Street southbound only 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal 34th Street–Penn Station 23rd Street 14th Street West Fourth Street–Washington Square Spring Street Canal Street  E  trains diverge  A  express merges with  C  local  E  Chambers Street Fulton Street Manhattan Brooklyn High Street  F  trains continue to Manhattan Jay Street–MetroTech  F   G  trains continue south no regular service trains continue west Hoyt–Schermerhorn Streets  G  trains continue to Queens  C  local  A  express Lafayette Avenue Clinton–Washington Avenues Franklin Avenue Nostrand Avenue Kingston–Throop Avenues Utica Avenue Ralph Avenue Rockaway Avenue Broadway Junction Liberty Avenue Van Siclen Avenue Shepherd Avenue  C  Euclid Avenue  A  trains continue east Lines used by the  C  Other services sharing tracks with the  C  Unused lines, connections, or service patterns Cross-platform interchange Platforms on different levels

The C Eighth Avenue Local is a 19-mile-long (31 km)^[1] rapid transit service in the B Division of the New York City Subway. Its route emblem, or "bullet", is colored blue since it uses the IND Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan.^[2]

The C operates at all times except late nights between 168th Street in Washington Heights, Manhattan, and Euclid Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn, making local stops along its entire route. During late night hours, the A train, which runs express along the entire C route during daytime hours, makes all stops.

History

The AA and CC services were the predecessors to the current C service. A and AA service began on September 10, 1932 with the opening of the IND Eighth Avenue Line. The Independent Subway System (IND) used single letters to refer to express services and double letters for local services. The A ran express and the AA ran local, from 168th Street to Chambers Street/World Trade Center, known at the time as Hudson Terminal. The AA ran at all times, and it was extended to 207th Street during nights and on Sundays when the A did not run. When the Eighth Avenue Line was extended to Jay Street – Borough Hall on February 1, 1933 the AA was extended there, but only during the times when the A didn't run; it continued to terminate at Chambers Street when the A did run.^[3][4]

The C and CC services began operation on July 1, 1933 when the IND Concourse Line opened. The CC provided local service between Bedford Park Boulevard and Hudson Terminal during rush hours, and was extended to 205th Street during non-rush hours. It replaced the AA as Eighth Avenue Local. The C ran express, from 205th Street to Bergen Street in Brooklyn during rush hours.^[3][5][6]

Beginning August 19, 1933, C service was cut back from Bergen Street, but started operating during non-rush hours. At the same time, CC service was cut back from 205th Street during non-rush hours.^[5]

On January 1, 1936, C service was extended to Jay Street–Borough Hall.^[5] On April 9, 1937, C service was extended to Hoyt–Schermerhorn Streets.^[5] After July 1, 1937, a few C trains continued to run to Bergen Street southbound in the AM rush hour and northbound in the PM rush hour. Also on the same date, weekend C service was discontinued, and CC service was extended to 205th Street to compensate.^[3]

Sixth Avenue Subway Will Be Opened to the Public at 12-01 A.M. Sunday, Dec 15, 1940

On December 15, 1940, the IND Sixth Avenue Line opened. Two new services, the BB (later B) and D, began running. These lines ran on the Eighth Avenue Line in upper Manhattan, switching to the Sixth Avenue Line in Midtown. The BB ran local to 168th Street during rush hours. The D joined the C as the peak direction Concourse Express. CC trains now ran between Hudson Terminal and Bedford Park during rush hours and on Saturdays and during other times, the D made local stops in the Bronx, replacing CC service. On the same date, limited morning rush hour service began between 205th Street, Bronx and Utica Avenue, Brooklyn, making local stops on the IND Fulton Street Line. AA service was reinstated during this time, but only during off-peak hours (non-rush hours, late Saturday afternoons and Sundays) when the BB and CC did not operate.^[5][7] The CC would provide Eighth Avenue Line local service during rush hours, with the AA replacing it during off-peak hours, mostly unchanged until 1988.

Beginning October 10, 1944, C trains no longer ran on Saturdays.^[3] On October 24, 1949, C express service was discontinued. Additional D service was added to offset this loss. The CC, which only ran during rush hours, began terminating at Broadway–Lafayette Street Mondays to Fridays, and on Saturdays CC service continued to operate to Hudson Terminal.^[3][8]

On December 29, 1951, Saturday CC service was discontinued.^[3] On October 30, 1954, weekday CC service returned to its previous terminal at Hudson Terminal.^[3][9]

On August 30, 1976, the CC train replaced the E train as the rush-hour local along the IND Fulton Street Line and IND Rockaway Line, running from Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street in Queens through Brooklyn and Manhattan to Bedford Park Boulevard in the Bronx, making it the only service to run through all four boroughs served by the subway.^[10] The Rockaway Park Shuttle HH was renamed CC. This shuttle ran between Broad Channel and Rockaway Park during off-peak hours, except late nights. With this, all daytime service to/from Rockaway Park was named CC. Late nights, the shuttle ran between Euclid Avenue, Rockaway Park and Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue via Hammels Wye, and was labeled A.^[3][5]

On August 28, 1977, late night AA service was eliminated; the A now runs fully local at night.^[3][4][11]

On May 6, 1985, the IND practice of using double letters to indicate local service was discontinued. The AA was renamed the K and rush hour CC service was renamed C. The off-peak Rockaway Park Shuttle is renamed H.^[3][5][12] This change was not officially reflected in schedules until May 24, 1987.^[4]

On December 10, 1988, the K designation was discontinued; the service was merged into the C, which now runs at all times except late nights. The C ran from Bedford Park Boulevard to Rockaway Park rush hours, 145th Street to Euclid Avenue middays, and from 145th Street to World Trade Center during evenings and weekends. The A now ran express in Brooklyn during middays and the B was extended to 168th Street during middays and early evenings.^[3][5][13]

On October 23, 1992, rush hour C service was cut back from Rockaway Park – Beach 116th Street to Euclid Avenue. Now, five A trips in each direction run from Manhattan to Rockaway Park during rush hours, with the Rockaway Park Shuttle (renamed from H to S) operating between Broad Channel and Rockaway Park at all times.

Beginning April 1995, C service was extended to 168th Street during middays and weekends as construction on the Manhattan Bridge cut B service from Manhattan. In November 1995, midday service was cut back to 145th Street after B service to 168th Street was restored..

On March 1, 1998, the B and C, which both ran local along Central Park West, switched northern terminals, ending the connection between the C and The Bronx. Instead of alternating between three different terminals depending on the time of day, all C service now terminates at 168th Street.^[5][14]

Starting in April 1999, C trains were extended to Euclid Avenue on evenings and weekends; the C now runs local in Brooklyn and Manhattan, and the A express, at all times except late nights.^[3]

In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, World Trade Center station was temporarily unusable as a terminal for the E. C service was suspended until September 24, 2001. Local service along Central Park West was replaced by the A and D, and the E was extended from Canal Street to Euclid Avenue replacing C service in Brooklyn.^[3]

On January 23, 2005, a fire at the Chambers Street signal room crippled A and C service. C service was suspended until February 2. Initial assessments suggested that it would take several years to restore normal service, but the damaged equipment was replaced with available spare parts, and normal service resumed on April 21.^[3][15][16]

Maintenance and rider issues

In August 2012, the Straphangers Campaign rated the C train the worst of the city's subway services for the fourth straight year. No other service has ranked worst for more than three years in a row. The group found that the C performed worst in three of the six categories in its annual State of the Subways Report Card: amount of scheduled service, interior cleanliness, and breakdown rate. It also ranked next-to-worst in car announcement quality, after the 7, but performed above average in regularity of service and crowding.^[17][18] The New York Times called the C the "least loved of New York City subway lines", citing its fleet of R32s, which are the oldest cars in the system at 53 years old.^[17] For the summers of 2011 and 2012, R46 cars ran on this service while R32s were moved to the A to save their older air conditioning units from having to work underground at all times.^[1] Since 2013, some R160A cars have operated on this service, first during the summer months, then permanently; most of the R32s were transferred to the mostly outdoor J/Z for the same reason. By May 2015, more than half of the C train's fleet utilized R160As.^[1]

Route

Service pattern

The following table shows the lines used by the C:^[19]

Stations

For a more detailed station listing, see the articles on the lines listed above.

Station service legend
	Stops all times
	Stops all times except late nights
	Stops weekdays only
	Station closed
	Stops rush hours only (limited service)
	Stops rush hours/weekdays in the peak direction only
Time period details

	Stations		Subway transfers	Connections
Manhattan
Eighth Avenue Line
	168th Street		A  1  (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)
	163rd Street–Amsterdam Avenue
	155th Street
	145th Street		A  B  D  (IND Concourse Line)
	135th Street		B
	125th Street		A  B  D	M60 Select Bus Service to LaGuardia Airport
	116th Street		B
	Cathedral Parkway–110th Street		B
	103rd Street		B
	96th Street		B
	86th Street		B	M86 Select Bus Service
	81st Street–Museum of Natural History		B	M79 Select Bus Service
	72nd Street		B
	59th Street–Columbus Circle		A  B  D  1  (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)
	50th Street	↓	E  (IND Queens Boulevard Line)	Station is ADA-accessible in the southbound direction only.
	42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal		A  E  1  2  3  (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line), 7  <7> (IRT Flushing Line), N  Q  R  W  (BMT Broadway Line), S  (42nd Street Shuttle) at Times Square–42nd Street	Port Authority Bus Terminal M34A Select Bus Service
	34th Street–Penn Station		A  E	M34 / M34A Select Bus Service Amtrak, LIRR, NJ Transit at Pennsylvania Station
	23rd Street		E	M23 Select Bus Service
	14th Street		A  E  L  (BMT Canarsie Line)
	West Fourth Street–Washington Square		A  E  B  D  F  M  (IND Sixth Avenue Line)	PATH at 9th Street
	Spring Street		E
	Canal Street		A  E
	Chambers Street		A  E  2  3  (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line at Park Place)	PATH at World Trade Center
	Fulton Street		A  2  3  (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line) 4  5  (IRT Lexington Avenue Line) J  Z  (BMT Nassau Street Line) Connection to R  W  (BMT Broadway Line) at Cortlandt Street via Dey Street Passageway
Brooklyn
	High Street		A
Fulton Street Line
	Jay Street–MetroTech		A  F  R  W  (BMT Fourth Avenue Line)
	Hoyt–Schermerhorn Streets		A  G  (IND Crosstown Line)
	Lafayette Avenue
	Clinton–Washington Avenues
	Franklin Avenue		S  (BMT Franklin Avenue Line)
	Nostrand Avenue		A	B44 Select Bus Service, LIRR Atlantic Branch at Nostrand Avenue
	Kingston–Throop Avenues			B15 bus to JFK Airport
	Utica Avenue		A	B46 Select Bus Service
	Ralph Avenue
	Rockaway Avenue
	Broadway Junction		A  J  M  Z  (BMT Jamaica Line) L  (BMT Canarsie Line)
	Liberty Avenue
	Van Siclen Avenue
	Shepherd Avenue
	Euclid Avenue		A

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to C (New York City Subway service).

• MTA NYC Transit – C Eighth Avenue Local
• MTA Subway Time – C Train
• "C Subway Timetable, Effective June 25, 2017" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 25, 2017. 
• MTA NYC Transit – A C Line Review
  • Main Document

New York City Subway
Current services	Shuttles 42nd Street Franklin Avenue Rockaway Park
Unused/ defunct services	8 9 AA BB CC EE (Eighth Avenue) EE (Broadway) GG H (Far Rockaway) H/HH (Rockaway Park) HH (Court Street) JJ K (Jamaica) K (Eighth Avenue) KK LL MJ NX P QB QJ QT RJ RR TT U V X Y JFK Express Shuttles 63rd Street Bowling Green Culver Grand Street BMT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Brooklyn Loops East New York Loop Planned
Stations	By borough The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens By type Closed Terminals Transfer Accessible
Divisions	A Division IRT B Division BMT IND
Other lists	Lines Yards Rolling stock R-type contracts
Expansion	Capital projects 7 Subway Extension Second Avenue Subway Other proposals Chrystie Street Connection Dual Contracts Program for Action
History	Early history IRT BMT BRT Dual Contracts Crashes Ninth Avenue derailment Malbone Street Wreck 1928 Times Square derailment 1991 Union Square derailment Miss Subways Strikes 1966 1980 2005 1984 New York City Subway shooting 2000 lawsuit against NYCTA
Infrastructure	58 Joralemon Street Fulton Center Corbin Building Dey Street Passageway Substations 7 18 219 401 IRT Dyckman-Hillside
Arts and culture	Tiles MTA Arts & Design Music Under New York Showtime (busking) In popular culture Subway Series Mass Transit Super Bowl
Miscellaneous	Map Nomenclature Automation and signals Chaining Fares MetroCard Pizza Principle Subway Challenge
Other rapid transit in NYC	AirTrain JFK PATH Staten Island Railway Stations Historical Beach Pneumatic Transit