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178-579: The Archer Avenue lines are two rapid transit lines of the New York City Subway , mostly running under Archer Avenue in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens . The two lines are built on separate levels: trains from the IND Queens Boulevard Line ( E train) serve the upper level, and trains from the BMT Jamaica Line ( J and ​ Z trains) serve the lower. The two lines are separate, and do not share track connections, and therefore have different chainings and radio frequencies. The B2 ( IND Division ) Archer Avenue line uses

356-467: A diamond crossover switch at the end of the tunnel (under 160th Street). On the upper level, the tracks curve south to run under 160th Street and stop at about Tuskegee Airmen Way (formerly South Road), also ending at bumper blocks. The plan was for this line to use the LIRR Atlantic Branch right-of-way and run to Springfield Boulevard or Rosedale . Where the upper level tracks stub end, there

534-408: A flying junction , with connections to both the local and express tracks. Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer was not intended to be the lines' northern terminal, as there are spurs on both levels for possible future extensions. On the lower level, they continue one train length and end at bumper blocks . This was a planned extension toward Hollis. Where the lower level tracks end, there is a provision for

712-746: A 1,145 feet (349 m)-long section of Route 133 underneath the LIRR tracks and the Van Wyck Expressway. The first tunnel between the Jamaica Avenue Elevated and the Archer Avenue subway was holed through in October 1977. The second tunnel connection holing through of the Archer Avenue subway tunnels occurred on December 14, 1977. On October 26, 1979, the groundbreaking for Section 2, which stretched from 144th Street to 147th Place, took place. This section

890-638: A barrier between the metal surfaces to prevent ice from forming between them (i.e. having frozen together by ice). Such approaches however, may not always be effective for extreme climates since these chemicals will be washed away over time, especially for heavily thrown switches that experience hundreds of throws daily. Heating alone may not always be enough to keep switches functioning under snowy conditions. Wet snow conditions, which generate particularly sticky snow and whiteout conditions, may occur at temperatures just below freezing, causing chunks of ice to accumulate on trains. When trains traverse over some switches,

1068-425: A body of water), which are potential congestion sites but also offer an opportunity for transfers between lines. Ring lines provide good coverage, connect between the radial lines and serve tangential trips that would otherwise need to cross the typically congested core of the network. A rough grid pattern can offer a wide variety of routes while still maintaining reasonable speed and frequency of service. A study of

1246-450: A code for its stations. Unlike that of Singapore's MRT, it is mostly numbers. Based on the line number, for example Sinyongsan station, is coded as station 429. Being on Line 4, the first number of the station code is 4. The last two numbers are the station number on that line. Interchange stations can have multiple codes. Like City Hall station in Seoul which is served by Line 1 and Line 2. It has

1424-646: A code of 132 and 201 respectively. The Line 2 is a circle line and the first stop is City Hall, therefore, City Hall has the station code of 201. For lines without a number like Bundang line it will have an alphanumeric code. Lines without a number that are operated by KORAIL will start with the letter 'K'. With widespread use of the Internet and cell phones globally, transit operators now use these technologies to present information to their users. In addition to online maps and timetables, some transit operators now offer real-time information which allows passengers to know when

1602-565: A conventional track is often provided in case of flat tires and for switching . There are also some rubber-tired systems that use a central guide rail , such as the Sapporo Municipal Subway and the NeoVal system in Rennes , France. Advocates of this system note that it is much quieter than conventional steel-wheeled trains, and allows for greater inclines given the increased traction of

1780-542: A cost of nearly five times its original budgeted cost and cut back to a length of 2 miles (3 km). It consisted of the first stations added to the subway system since the 57th Street station opened in 1968, the first stations in the entire subway system designed to be fully accessible, and the first stations in Queens since the IND Rockaway Line opened in 1956. The project's final cost was $ 465 million. The line's opening

1958-601: A crossover can be used either to detour "wrong-rail" around an obstruction or to reverse direction. A crossover can also join two tracks of the same direction, possibly a pair of local and express tracks, and allow trains to switch from one to the other. On a crowded system, routine use of crossovers (or switches in general) will reduce throughput, as use of the switch blocks multiple tracks. For this reason, on some high-capacity rapid transit systems, crossovers between local and express tracks are not used during normal rush hour service, and service patterns are planned around use of

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2136-405: A dedicated right-of-way are typically used only outside dense areas, since they create a physical barrier in the urban fabric that hinders the flow of people and vehicles across their path and have a larger physical footprint. This method of construction is the cheapest as long as land values are low. It is often used for new systems in areas that are planned to fill up with buildings after the line

2314-452: A double fare to get to Manhattan. As part of the project, several new engineering designs were employed, such as the use of graffiti resistant tiles, the use of welded steel rails on rubber pads to cut down on noise, and the use of blowers within the trackbed to disperse the heat generated by the trains' air conditioning systems. In addition, noise-dampening acoustical tiles were installed on station walls and ceilings to reduce noise levels. In

2492-684: A fire broke out in the tunnel under 150th Street, temporarily severing telephone service in the area. The fire started when waterproofing tar being sprayed on the tunnel walls was ignited. In July 1974, the federal government announced its approval of a $ 51.1 million grant for the project. The Jamaica–Van Wyck station was estimated to have 1,200 passengers during rush hours, while the Sutphin Boulevard and Parsons Boulevard stations were expected to be used by 5,300 and 8,700 passengers during that period, respectively. Mayor Abraham Beame , on December 13 of that year, announced that he had decided to prioritize

2670-418: A large number of factors, including geographical barriers, existing or expected travel patterns, construction costs, politics, and historical constraints. A transit system is expected to serve an area of land with a set of lines , which consist of shapes summarized as "I", "L", "U", "S", and "O" shapes or loops. Geographical barriers may cause chokepoints where transit lines must converge (for example, to cross

2848-629: A large part of the network, for example, in outer suburbs, runs at ground level. In most of Britain , a subway is a pedestrian underpass . The terms Underground and Tube are used for the London Underground . The North East England Tyne and Wear Metro , mostly overground, is known as the Metro . In Scotland , the Glasgow Subway underground rapid transit system is known as the Subway . In Ireland ,

3026-452: A line is obtained by multiplying the car capacity, the train length, and the service frequency . Heavy rapid transit trains might have six to twelve cars, while lighter systems may use four or fewer. Cars have a capacity of 100 to 150 passengers, varying with the seated to standing ratio  – more standing gives higher capacity. The minimum time interval between trains is shorter for rapid transit than for mainline railways owing to

3204-602: A metro. In Spain, such systems are present in Madrid , Barcelona , Bilbao and Valencia . In Portugal, Lisbon has a metro. The Italian cities of Catania , Genoa , Milan , Naples , Rome and Turin also have metro lines. In Germany and Austria they rapid transit is known as U-Bahn , which are often supported by S-Bahn systems. In Germany, U-Bahn systems exist in Berlin , Hamburg , Munich and Nuremberg , while in Austria such

3382-652: A portal near 89th Road and 130th Street and paralleling the Main Line of the LIRR before turning west onto the elevated structure of the BMT Jamaica Line at about 127th Street. The upper level tracks ( E train) turn compass north under the Van Wyck Expressway , with another station at Jamaica Avenue . Just north of Hillside Avenue , they meet the four tracks of the IND Queens Boulevard Line at

3560-444: A rapid transit setting. Diamond crossover A railroad switch ( AE ), turnout , or [ set of ] points ( CE ) is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another, such as at a railway junction or where a spur or siding branches off. The most common type of switch consists of a pair of linked tapering rails, known as points ( switch rails or point blades ), lying between

3738-427: A regular crossing. Double outside slip switches are only used in rare, specific cases. A crossover is a pair of switches that connects two parallel rail tracks , allowing a train on one track to cross over to the other. Like the switches themselves, crossovers can be described as either facing or trailing . When two crossovers are present in opposite directions, one after the other, the four-switch configuration

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3916-412: A short section of track, sometimes with switches going both to the right and left (although it is better to keep these separated as much as feasible). Sometimes a switch merely divides one track into two; at others, it serves as a connection between two or more parallel tracks, allowing a train to switch between them. In many cases, where a switch is supplied to leave a track, a second is supplied to allow

4094-511: A single iron blade, hinged on a vertical pin that was tapered to lie against the plateway. By 1808, Curr's basic design was in common use. The use of a sprung rail, giving a smooth transition, was patented by Charles Fox in 1838. Prior to the widespread availability of electricity , switches at heavily traveled junctions were operated from a signal box constructed near the tracks through an elaborate system of rods and levers . The levers were also used to control railway signals to control

4272-558: A specialized transit police may be established. These security measures are normally integrated with measures to protect revenue by checking that passengers are not travelling without paying. Some subway systems, such as the Beijing Subway , which is ranked by Worldwide Rapid Transit Data as the "World's Safest Rapid Transit Network" in 2015, incorporates airport-style security checkpoints at every station. Rapid transit systems have been subject to terrorism with many casualties, such as

4450-552: A spokesman for the Mayor said that work on the line would proceed even though a report found that the Mayor's plan to save the existing fare and construct new lines was off by as much $ 1 billion. On June 3, 1975, Queens Borough President Donald Manes and other Jamaica leaders pressed for the formal transfer of half of the $ 74 million in federal funds approved for the Second Avenue Subway to the Archer Avenue project. On March 5, 1975,

4628-427: A straight "through" track (such as the main-line) and a diverging route. The handedness of the installation is described by the side that the diverging track leaves. Right-hand switches have a diverging path to the right of the straight track, when coming from the point blades, and a left-handed switch has the diverging track leaving to the opposite side. In many cases, such as rail yards, many switches can be found in

4806-592: A system exists in Vienna . In addition, the small, car-free town of Serfaus in the Austrian state of Tyrol also features a short U-Bahn line. There are no U-Bahn systems in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, but the city of Lausanne has its own, small metro system. In Zurich, Switzerland's largest city, a project for a U-Bahn network was stopped by a referendum in the 1970s and instead its S-Bahn system

4984-500: A terminal station was done during the two prior days, with J trains cut back to Eastern Parkway , replaced by the Q49. Until the opening of the Archer Avenue line in 1988, J trains alternately terminated at 111th Street and 121st Street, with peak period headways to 121st Street being ten minutes. This temporary service pattern was estimated to be in effect for six or seven months. Queens Community Board 9 members and businessmen complained about

5162-401: A train coming from either of the converging directions will pass through the switch regardless of the position of the points, as the vehicle's wheels will force the points to move. Passage through a switch in this direction is known as a trailing-point movement and switches that allow this type of movement without damage to the mechanism are called trailable switches . A switch generally has

5340-411: A train coming from the opposite direction to use a switch would be to stop, and reverse through the switch onto the other line, and then continue forwards (or stop, if it is being used as a siding). A straight track is not always present; for example, both tracks may curve, one to the left and one to the right (such as for a wye switch ), or both tracks may curve, with differing radii , while still in

5518-483: A train could potentially split the points (end up going down both tracks) if the points were to move underneath the train. During trailing moves, the wheels of a train will force the points into the correct position if they attempt to move, although this may cause considerable damage. This act is known as a "run through". In the United Kingdom, FPLs were common from an early date, due to laws being passed which forced

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5696-548: A zone-express service, which would have split Jamaica services into a short-turn local service and a full-length express services. The zone-express option was dismissed in favor of the skip-stop option because its operation has to be very precisely timed so as to not hinder reliability, because service in the outer zone past the boundary of zone express service at Crescent Street or 111th Street would be too infrequent, and because many stations would lose half their service. Outer-zone expresses after Crescent Street would skip stops on

5874-417: Is a lever and accompanying linkages to align the points of a switch by hand. The lever and its accompanying hardware is usually mounted to a pair of long ties (sleepers) that extend from the switch at the points. They are often used in a place of a switch motor on less frequently used switches. In some places, the lever may be some distance from the points, as part of a lever frame or ground frame. To prevent

6052-508: Is a provision for a portal to go outside if the line going to Southeastern Queens is ever built. The tail tracks on both levels are currently used for storage. What is now the Archer Avenue subway was originally conceived as an extension of the IND Queens Boulevard Line under the IND Second System in the 1920s and 1930s. The original plans had a line diverging south of Van Wyck Boulevard station (now called Briarwood), running down what

6230-425: Is a short piece of rail placed alongside the main (stock) rail opposite the crossing. These ensure that the wheels follow the appropriate flangeway through the frog and that the train does not derail. Check rails are often used on very sharp curves, even where there are no switches. A switch motor or switch machine (point motor or point machine) is an electric, hydraulic or pneumatic mechanism that aligns

6408-770: Is a shortened reference to a metropolitan area . Rapid transit systems such as the Washington Metrorail , Los Angeles Metro Rail , the Miami Metrorail , and the Montreal Metro are generally called the Metro . In Philadelphia , the term "El" is used for the Market–Frankford Line which runs mostly on an elevated track, while the term "subway" applies to the Broad Street Line which is almost entirely underground. Chicago 's commuter rail system that serves

6586-608: Is a single corporate image for the entire transit authority, but the rapid transit uses its own logo that fits into the profile. A transit map is a topological map or schematic diagram used to show the routes and stations in a public transport system. The main components are color-coded lines to indicate each line or service, with named icons to indicate stations. Maps may show only rapid transit or also include other modes of public transport. Transit maps can be found in transit vehicles, on platforms , elsewhere in stations, and in printed timetables . Maps help users understand

6764-506: Is built. Most rapid transit trains are electric multiple units with lengths from three to over ten cars. Crew sizes have decreased throughout history, with some modern systems now running completely unstaffed trains. Other trains continue to have drivers, even if their only role in normal operation is to open and close the doors of the trains at stations. Power is commonly delivered by a third rail or by overhead wires . The whole London Underground network uses fourth rail and others use

6942-410: Is called a double crossover . If the crossovers in different directions overlap to form an ×, it is dubbed a scissors crossover , scissors crossing , or just scissors ; or, due to the diamond in the center, a diamond crossover . This makes for a very compact track layout at the expense of using a level junction . In a setup where each of the two tracks normally carries trains of only one direction,

7120-433: Is measured as the number of units of length for a single unit of separation. In North America this is generally referred to as a switch's "number". For example, on a "number 12" switch, the rails are one unit apart at a distance of twelve units from the center of the frog. In the United Kingdom points and crossings using chaired bullhead rail would be referred to using a letter and number combination. The letter would define

7298-416: Is necessary, rolling stock with a smaller loading gauge from one sub network may be transported along other lines that use larger trains. On some networks such operations are part of normal services. Most rapid transit systems use conventional standard gauge railway track . Since tracks in subway tunnels are not exposed to rain , snow , or other forms of precipitation , they are often fixed directly to

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7476-417: Is now the Van Wyck Expressway to Rockaway Boulevard near modern John F. Kennedy International Airport . A bellmouth with two additional trackways was built to the east of the station to facilitate this extension, which was never constructed due to lack of funding. The current Archer Avenue plans emerged in the 1960s under the city and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s Program for Action . It

7654-425: Is possible to modify the simpler types of switch to allow trains to pass at high speed. More complicated switch systems, such as double slips, are restricted to low-speed operation. On European high-speed lines, it is not uncommon to find switches where a speed of 200 km/h (124 mph) or more is allowed on the diverging branch. Switches were passed over at a speed of 560 km/h (348 mph) (straight) during

7832-548: Is referred to simply as "the subway", despite 40% of the system running above ground. The term "L" or "El" is not used for elevated lines in general as the lines in the system are already designated with letters and numbers. The "L" train or L (New York City Subway service) refers specifically to the 14th Street–Canarsie Local line, and not other elevated trains. Similarly, the Toronto Subway is referred to as "the subway", with some of its system also running above ground. These are

8010-412: Is serviced by at least one specific route with trains stopping at all or some of the line's stations. Most systems operate several routes, and distinguish them by colors, names, numbering, or a combination thereof. Some lines may share track with each other for a portion of their route or operate solely on their own right-of-way. Often a line running through the city center forks into two or more branches in

8188-733: Is the most commonly used term for underground rapid transit systems used by non-native English speakers. Rapid transit systems may be named after the medium by which passengers travel in busy central business districts ; the use of tunnels inspires names such as subway , underground , Untergrundbahn ( U-Bahn ) in German, or the Tunnelbana (T-bana) in Swedish. The use of viaducts inspires names such as elevated ( L or el ), skytrain , overhead , overground or Hochbahn in German. One of these terms may apply to an entire system, even if

8366-513: The AirTrain JFK . The following services use the Archer Avenue lines: The two Archer Avenue lines begin at a northern (geographic eastern) terminal, Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer ( E ​, ​ J , and ​ Z trains), as a bi-level subway, each level having two tracks. The upper level is used by the B2 ( IND Division ) Archer Avenue line, and uses IND radio frequencies, while

8544-605: The Dublin Area Rapid Transit is despite the name considered a commuter rail due to usage of mainline railways. In France, large cities, such as Paris , Marseille and Lyon , feature a Métro . Also the smaller cities of Lille Rennes have a light metro. Furthermore, Brussels in Belgium, and Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands have metro systems in place. Several Southern European contries also have

8722-724: The Hudson and Manhattan Railroad K-series cars from 1958, the New York City Subway R38 and R42 cars from the late-1960s, and the Nagoya Municipal Subway 3000 series , Osaka Municipal Subway 10 series and MTR M-Train EMUs from the 1970s, were generally only made possible largely due to the relatively generous loading gauges of these systems and also adequate open-air sections to dissipate hot air from these air conditioning units. Especially in some rapid transit systems such as

8900-429: The London Underground . In 1868, New York opened the elevated West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway , initially a cable-hauled line using stationary steam engines . As of 2021 , China has the largest number of rapid transit systems in the world  – 40 in number, running on over 4,500 km (2,800 mi) of track – and was responsible for most of the world's rapid-transit expansion in

9078-722: The Metropolitan Railway opened publicly in London in 1863. High capacity monorails with larger and longer trains can be classified as rapid transit systems. Such monorail systems recently started operating in Chongqing and São Paulo . Light metro is a subclass of rapid transit that has the speed and grade separation of a "full metro" but is designed for smaller passenger numbers. It often has smaller loading gauges, lighter train cars and smaller consists of typically two to four cars. Light metros are typically used as feeder lines into

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9256-578: The Montreal Metro (opened 1966) and Sapporo Municipal Subway (opened 1971), their entirely enclosed nature due to their use of rubber-tyred technology to cope with heavy snowfall experienced by both cities in winter precludes any air-conditioning retrofits of rolling stock due to the risk of heating the tunnels to temperatures that would be too hot for passengers and for train operations. In many cities, metro networks consist of lines operating different sizes and types of vehicles. Although these sub-networks may not often be connected by track, in cases when it

9434-526: The New York City fiscal crisis in 1975, the subway line was truncated to Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer . In May 1985, the line was slated to be opened by December 1986. Construction on the project was suspended indefinitely, the MTA announced on July 29, 1985, because of water leakage into the tunnel. The tunnel flooded in summer 1984 during a heavy rainstorm, and even though structural improvements were made to fix

9612-577: The Prague Metro . The London Underground and Paris Métro are densely built systems with a matrix of crisscrossing lines throughout the cities. The Chicago 'L' has most of its lines converging on The Loop , the main business, financial, and cultural area. Some systems have a circular line around the city center connecting to radially arranged outward lines, such as the Moscow Metro 's Koltsevaya Line and Beijing Subway 's Line 10 . The capacity of

9790-656: The Singapore MRT , Changi Airport MRT station has the alphanumeric code CG2, indicating its position as the 2nd station on the Changi Airport branch of the East West Line. Interchange stations have at least two codes, for example, Raffles Place MRT station has two codes, NS26 and EW14, the 26th station on the North South Line and the 14th station on the East West Line. The Seoul Metro is another example that utilizes

9968-450: The deep tube lines . Historically, rapid transit trains used ceiling fans and openable windows to provide fresh air and piston-effect wind cooling to riders. From the 1950s to the 1990s (and in most of Europe until the 2000s), many rapid transit trains from that era were also fitted with forced-air ventilation systems in carriage ceiling units for passenger comfort. Early rapid transit rolling stock fitted with air conditioning , such as

10146-409: The linear motor for propulsion. Some urban rail lines are built to a loading gauge as large as that of main-line railways ; others are built to a smaller one and have tunnels that restrict the size and sometimes the shape of the train compartments. One example is most of the London Underground , which has acquired the informal term "tube train" due to the cylindrical shape of the trains used on

10324-472: The $ 1.23 billion spent on the two projects. In June 1986, CTL issued a final report that found that the tunnels of the Archer Avenue and 63rd Street Lines were structurally sound. The report had been ordered by the MTA after UMTA stopped payments on $ 75 million in grants for the projects, which were 90 percent complete. While the grants were frozen, for a year, the MTA spent $ 22 million of its own funds to complete existing contracts and to maintain them. The study

10502-432: The 15 world largest subway systems suggested a universal shape composed of a dense core with branches radiating from it. Rapid transit operators have often built up strong brands , often focused on easy recognition – to allow quick identification even in the vast array of signage found in large cities – combined with the desire to communicate speed, safety, and authority. In many cities, there

10680-480: The 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack and the 2005 " 7/7 " terrorist bombings on the London Underground. Some rapid transport trains have extra features such as wall sockets, cellular reception, typically using a leaky feeder in tunnels and DAS antennas in stations, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity. The first metro system in the world to enable full mobile phone reception in underground stations and tunnels

10858-598: The 2010s. The world's longest single-operator rapid transit system by route length is the Shanghai Metro . The world's largest single rapid transit service provider by number of stations (472 stations in total) is the New York City Subway . The busiest rapid transit systems in the world by annual ridership are the Shanghai Metro, Tokyo subway system , Seoul Metro and the Moscow Metro . The term Metro

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11036-528: The 21st century, most new expansions and systems are located in Asia, with China becoming the world's leader in metro expansion, operating some of the largest and busiest systems while possessing almost 60 cities that are operating, constructing or planning a rapid transit system . Rapid transit is used for local transport in cities , agglomerations , and metropolitan areas to transport large numbers of people often short distances at high frequency . The extent of

11214-579: The Archer Avenue Line during late nights, a G train shuttle would have run between Jamaica Center and Van Wyck Boulevard . One of the goals of the project was to make Jamaica Avenue service as attractive as possible, and as a result, the NYCTA planned to provide a form of express service. The two options considered to speed up Jamaica Line service were skip-stop service, which would have split Jamaica services into two patterns that served alternate stops, and

11392-469: The February 25, 1988 public hearing. The first would have split rush-hour E service between the two branches, with late night service to 179th Street provided by the R, while the second would have had all E trains run via Archer Avenue and would have extended R locals to 179th Street. A modified version of the second plan was decided upon. When the Archer Avenue line opened in 1988, the E ran to Jamaica Center via

11570-491: The French world speed run of April 2007. The US Federal Railroad Administration has published the speed limits for higher-speed turnouts with No.  26.5 turnout that has speed limit of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) and No.  32.7 with speed limit of 80 miles per hour (129 km/h). Under cold weather conditions, snow and ice can prevent the proper movement of switch or frog point rails, essentially inhibiting

11748-489: The IND Queens Boulevard Line until 1987, when the N and R swapped northern terminals in Queens.) The N train was to run between Jamaica Center and Coney Island during weekdays while G trains were to terminate at 71st Avenue . During weekends and evenings the G train was to run between Jamaica Center and Smith–Ninth Streets , while N trains would terminate at 57th Street–Seventh Avenue or 71st Avenue. To serve

11926-613: The IND line's reconstruction was completed in December 2020. Two years later, the MTA announced it would reconstruct 12,500 feet (3,800 m) of track on the BMT Archer Avenue Line. Starting on July 1, 2022, J service was cut back to 121st Street, and Z service was temporarily discontinued. The work continued until September 2022. A shuttle bus, the J99, ran from 121st Street to Jamaica–Van Wyck for

12104-575: The J/Z ran every five minutes, an improvement over their previous headway of eight minutes. Skip-stop service ran to Manhattan in the morning between 7:15 and 8:15 a.m. and to Jamaica between 4:45 and 5:45 p.m. Midday express service was added with J service continuing to run express in the peak direction between Marcy and Myrtle. Surveys of ridership at local stops found that service could be adequately provided by midday M service. The running time for skip-stop service from Parsons Boulevard to Broad Street

12282-632: The Jamaica Line, that R service be extended to 179th Street, the restoration of 24-hour F service to 179th Street, and cutting back the G to 71st Avenue. Shulman also wanted consistency on the E and F routings, with all E service to Archer Avenue and all F service to 179th Street, and suggested the reopening of the Union Hall Street station on the LIRR. The opening of the Archer Avenue line was expected to reroute 17,500 riders from Hillside Avenue to Archer Avenue. Two service plans were identified prior to

12460-529: The MTA announced that it would reconstruct 5,500 feet (1,700 m) of track and 7,800 feet (2,400 m) of third rail on the IND Archer Avenue Line, which had become deteriorated. During the first phase of reconstruction, for six weeks between September 19 and November 2, E service was cut back to Jamaica–Van Wyck, with a shuttle bus connecting to Sutphin Boulevard and Jamaica Center. The second phase of

12638-647: The MTA announced that the line should open by 1981. An August MTA letter stated that the line would not open until 1984. Construction of two 200-foot (61 m) tunnels under the nine tracks of the LIRR Main Line in Jamaica began in January 1976, and were part of a line sections starting at Archer Avenue near 159th Street and ending about 150 feet (46 m) south of South Road near the Atlantic Branch, passing underneath

12816-457: The MTA was suspended, except for the already-built portions of the 63rd Street and Archer Avenue lines, which were allowed to continue. Progress of the Archer Avenue line temporarily stopped in March 1982, when on March 4, part of the tunnel caved in around the vicinity of Archer Avenue and 138th Street, where one construction worker was killed, and three others narrowly escaped injury. In September 1983,

12994-706: The Q17A, and the Q31 were rerouted to serve the Jamaica Center and Sutphin Boulevard stations, having been extended from Jamaica Avenue and 169th Street. The Q17 bus was extended from the 165th Street Bus Terminal to Archer Avenue and Merrick Boulevard, and the Q75 was extended to the Jamaica Bus Terminal. The B22 bus, renamed the Q24, was extended to 171st Street and Jamaica Avenue. The B53 bus

13172-710: The Queens Boulevard Line would use the original Van Wyck Boulevard bellmouths. Design work on the line began in 1969. The lines and the Jamaica El removal were part of urban renewal efforts in the Downtown Jamaica area. This included the construction of the York College campus, which was planned to be built in conjunction with the LIRR Atlantic Branch connection. The connection to the Jamaica Line, Route 133,

13350-428: The Queens Boulevard Line's express tracks. One E train began at 71st Avenue during the morning rush hour. The R was extended to 179th Street to serve local stations east of 71st Avenue and to allow F trains to continue running express to 179th Street. F trains no longer stopped at 169th Street between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. The change in the plan was the operation of some E trains from 179th Street as expresses during

13528-620: The UK and most other Commonwealth countries, the term points refers to the entire mechanism. In professional parlance, the term refers only to the movable rails and the entire mechanism is named turnout or points and crossings . Turnout and switch are terms used in North America in all contexts. In some cases, the switch blades can be heat treated for improvement of their service life. There are different kinds of heat treatment processes such as edge hardening or complete hardening. The cross-section of

13706-632: The arrangement may also be called a double switch , or more colloquially, a puzzle switch . The Great Western Railway in the United Kingdom used the term double compound points , and the switch is also known as a double compound in Victoria (Australia) . In Italian, the term for a double switch is deviatoio inglese , which means English switch . Likewise, it is called Engels(e) Wissel in Dutch and, occasionally, Engländer ("english one", literally "Englishman") in German. A single slip switch works on

13884-474: The beginning of rapid transit. Initial experiences with steam engines, despite ventilation, were unpleasant. Experiments with pneumatic railways failed in their extended adoption by cities. In 1890, the City & South London Railway was the first electric-traction rapid transit railway, which was also fully underground. Prior to opening, the line was to be called the "City and South London Subway", thus introducing

14062-464: The bus fares so that the combined bus-subway fare would not be greater than the cost of taking the bus directly into Manhattan. Rapid transit Modern services on rapid transit systems are provided on designated lines between stations typically using electric multiple units on railway tracks . Some systems use guided rubber tires , magnetic levitation ( maglev ), or monorail . The stations typically have high platforms, without steps inside

14240-461: The case. A mechanism is provided to move the points from one position to the other ( change the points ). Historically, this would require a lever to be moved by a human operator, and some switches are still controlled this way. However, most are now operated by a remotely controlled actuator called a point machine ; this may employ an electric motor or a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator . This both allows for remote control and monitoring and for

14418-532: The center of the York College campus. The two tunnels were built by MacLean, Grove and Company for $ 4.35 million, while the entire segment, Section 5, cost $ 24,810,955. This section was constructed using the tunneling shield method. The LIRR Main Line structure was heavily reinforced with metal beams and cables to prevent movement, which could have forced a temporary shutdown of the busy line. A continuous monitoring system

14596-459: The company since 1976. The company had agreed to reduce its pumping at wells near the subway by the amount received by the NYCTA under previous agreement, but did not do so due to an increase in consumer demand. Subsequently, a new agreement was negotiated for work at the Sutphin Boulevard stop, which required more water pumping because more time was needed for the project–a sewer underneath Sutphin Boulevard had to be reinstalled. On October 17, 1979,

14774-666: The construction of the Southeast Queens Line while postponing construction of the Second Avenue Subway for six years, and as a result, he faced opposition among some members of the New York City Board of Estimate . Prior to making this decision, in October, Beame had considered deferring the construction of all new lines, including this line, due to the lack of federal aid. On October 31, the MTA Chairman David Yunich had announced this decision. On January 16, 1975,

14952-431: The crossing are often connected to move in unison, so the crossing can be worked by just two levers or point motors. This gives the same functionality of two points placed end to end. These compact (albeit complex) switches usually are found only in locations where space is limited, such as station throats (i.e. approaches) where a few main lines spread out to reach any of numerous platform tracks. In North American English,

15130-402: The diamond instead of inside. An advantage over an inside slip switch is that trains can pass the slips with higher speeds. A disadvantage over an inside slip switch is that they are longer and need more space. An outside slip switch can be so long that its slips do not overlap at all, as in the example pictured. In such a case a single, outside slip switch is the same as two regular switches and

15308-414: The display of the transit network. Often this has the effect of compressing the distance between stations in the outer area of the system, and expanding distances between those close to the center. Some systems assign unique alphanumeric codes to each of their stations to help commuters identify them, which briefly encodes information about the line it is on, and its position on the line. For example, on

15486-435: The diverging outer rails (the stock rails ). These points can be moved laterally into one of two positions to direct a train coming from the point blades toward the straight path or the diverging path. A train moving from the narrow end toward the point blades (i.e. it will be directed to one of the two paths, depending on the position of the points) is said to be executing a facing-point movement . For many types of switch,

15664-484: The duration of the work. The lower level was always intended for use by J/Z skip-stop service; however, there have been varying proposals for the services that were to serve the upper level. In the original service plan, the G and N local trains were to serve the Archer Avenue upper level, while the E and F express trains would have remained on the Queens Boulevard mainline towards 179th Street . (The N ran on

15842-404: The earlier type of interlocking. A railroad car 's wheels are primarily guided along the tracks by coning of the wheels, rather than relying on the flanges on the insides of the wheels. When the wheels reach the switch, the wheels are guided along the route determined by which of the two points is connected to the track facing the switch. In the illustration, if the left point is connected,

16020-495: The eastern Montauk Branch , which already provided parallel service through St. Albans to Jamaica. The lower level (now the J and ​ Z trains) would have been extended eastward toward Hollis (near the Hollis LIRR station ). Due to a lack of funding as well as some political opposition, these plans were never implemented. The line's opening was intended to end the need for residents of Southeast Queens to pay

16198-497: The elevated's frame was expected to take six to eight months. Demolition on this section was expected to begin early in 1978. In April 1978, work was scheduled to begin on May 1 and be completed in mid-July. However, the work started on June 28, 1978, and was scheduled to be completed by early fall 1978—six to ten weeks later. The $ 927,000 contract to demolish the structure was awarded to the Wrecking Corp. of America. The demolition of

16376-584: The entire metropolitan area is called Metra (short for Met ropolitan Ra il), while its rapid transit system that serves the city is called the "L" . Boston's subway system is known locally as "The T". In Atlanta , the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority goes by the acronym "MARTA." In the San Francisco Bay Area , residents refer to Bay Area Rapid Transit by its acronym "BART". The New York City Subway

16554-492: The extension of Q17 to 168th Street and Archer Avenue, and the extension of the Q17A and Q31 to Archer Avenue and Sutphin Boulevard. Proposal 2 would have created a new shuttle bus route from Baisley Boulevard and Merrick Boulevard to 168th Street and Hillside Avenue. Proposal 3 would have extended all Merrick Boulevard buses to Archer Avenue with the exception of the Q42, which would be left unchanged. The NYCTA studied proposals to lower

16732-505: The floor rather than resting on ballast , such as normal railway tracks. An alternate technology, using rubber tires on narrow concrete or steel roll ways , was pioneered on certain lines of the Paris Métro and Mexico City Metro , and the first completely new system to use it was in Montreal , Canada. On most of these networks, additional horizontal wheels are required for guidance, and

16910-481: The following corresponding radii: Switches are necessary for the operation of a railway, but they do pose a number of risks: Switch-related accidents caused by one or more of these risks have occurred, including: The switch rails or points ( point blades ) are the movable rails which guide the wheels towards either the straight or the diverging track. They are tapered, except on stub switches in industrial sidings, which have square ends. In popular parlance in

17088-418: The frequency of trains, or applying anti-icing chemicals such as ethylene glycol to the trains. The divergence and length of a switch is determined by the angle of the frog (the point in the switch where two rails cross, see below) and the angle or curvature of the switch blades. The length and placement of the other components are determined from this using established formulas and standards. This divergence

17266-566: The groundbreaking for Section 7, a 1,300 feet (396 m) cut-and-cover section of the Archer Avenue line, took place. This section included the Hillside Avenue Connector, which connected the line with the IND Queens Boulevard Line , and included the Jamaica–Van Wyck station . This section extended north from 89th Avenue to a point 250 feet (76 m) past Hillside Avenue, and was expected to be completed in 43 months. This section

17444-439: The interconnections between different parts of the system; for example, they show the interchange stations where passengers can transfer between lines. Unlike conventional maps, transit maps are usually not geographically accurate, but emphasize the topological connections among the different stations. The graphic presentation may use straight lines and fixed angles, and often a fixed minimum distance between stations, to simplify

17622-481: The issue, groundwater leaks continued, scattering puddles along 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of the line. On August 3, 1985, Senator Al D'Amato of New York stated that the project was unsafe and called for the suspension of $ 44 million in federal aid for the project, citing a preliminary report by the United States Department of Transportation inspector general. The report claimed that the NYCTA failed to test

17800-408: The left wheel will be guided along the rail of that point, and the train will diverge to the right. If the right point is connected, the right wheel's flange will be guided along the rail of that point, and the train will continue along the straight track. Only one of the points may be connected to the facing track at any time; the two points are mechanically locked together to ensure that this is always

17978-462: The length (and hence the radius) of the switch blades and the number would define the angle of the crossing (frog). Thus an A7 turnout would be very short and likely only to be found in tight places like dockyards whereas an E12 would be found as a fairly high speed turnout on a mainline. On the London, Midland and Scottish Railway , switch curvatures were specified from A (sharpest) to F (shallowest), with

18156-492: The line started in 1973, and the project was expected to be completed in 1980. However, due to financial issues and concern about the quality of the construction, the lines did not open until December 11, 1988. On that date, several bus routes serving the 169th Street station were diverted to the new bus terminal at Jamaica Center. This line is also used by passengers transferring to or from the Long Island Rail Road and

18334-422: The line to be built was between 147th Place and 151st Street under Archer Avenue. $ 162 million of the $ 242 million project was paid for by the city, with the state footing the remainder of the bill. Construction on the Archer Avenue subway began on October 23, 1973, at 159th Street and Beaver Road, just south of Archer Avenue. It was then expected that the subway would be complete by 1980 or 1981. On March 27, 1974,

18512-501: The line would have been extended south several hundred yards, going up a ramp, and onto the Atlantic Branch's right-of-way at an embankment at Liberty Avenue . Work on this section was expected to begin in the late 1980s, and would have used the Atlantic Branch to Springfield Boulevard, diverting trains to the Montauk Branch. In the interim, the agency planned to use the tracks for train storage. On March 17, 1976, construction began on

18690-587: The lines of the Lyon Metro includes a section of rack (cog) railway , while the Carmelit , in Haifa, is an underground funicular . For elevated lines, another alternative is the monorail , which can be built either as straddle-beam monorails or as a suspended monorail . While monorails have never gained wide acceptance outside Japan, there are some such as Chongqing Rail Transit 's monorail lines which are widely used in

18868-752: The local track until Eastern Parkway, from where it would run on the express track, stopping at Myrtle Avenue before going straight to Essex Street in Manhattan, skipping Marcy Avenue . Outer-zone expresses and inner-zone locals would have each been limited to frequencies of 10 minutes. The TA decided to implement skip-stop service with two services labeled "J" and "Z", with lightly-used stops designated as "J" or "Z" stops, and those with higher ridership being all-stop stations. In addition, J and Z trains skipped Bowery in Manhattan at all times except evenings, nights and weekends. To further speed up service, J and Z trains would run express between Myrtle and Marcy. Trains on

19046-635: The lower level is used by the B1 ( BMT Division ) Archer Avenue line, and uses BMT radio frequencies. The two lines run compass west along Archer Avenue to another station at Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport , where connections can be made to the Long Island Rail Road and AirTrain JFK . West of this station, the two levels diverge. The lower level tracks ( J and ​ Z trains) continue roughly compass northwest, emerging from

19224-545: The main rapid transit system. For instance, the Wenhu Line of the Taipei Metro serves many relatively sparse neighbourhoods and feeds into and complements the high capacity metro lines. Some systems have been built from scratch, others are reclaimed from former commuter rail or suburban tramway systems that have been upgraded, and often supplemented with an underground or elevated downtown section. Ground-level alignments with

19402-562: The modifications made was the installation of a 350 feet (110 m)-long double crossover to the west of the station. Work on the double crossover was completed at the NYCTA's new track plant at Linden Shops , saving four months. It was installed over the course of two weekends. Q49 buses (distinct from the modern Q49 route) replaced Jamaica elevated service, and free transfers were provided to subway service at Queens Boulevard. Bus service ran every two to three minutes during rush hours, and met every train during late nights. The removal of

19580-534: The morning rush hour to provide an appropriate level of E service to Archer Avenue during the morning rush, to maintain the same level of service to 179th Street while providing express service, and to provide greater choice for riders at the Parsons Boulevard and 179th Street stations on Hillside Avenue. It was decided not to divert some E trains to 179th Street during the afternoon rush hour so that Queens-bound riders would not be confused about where their E train

19758-407: The movable switch blades were connected to the fixed closure rails with loose joints, but since steel is somewhat flexible it is possible to obviate this looseness by thinning a short section of the rail's bottom itself. This can be called a heelless switch . Turnouts were originally built with straight switch blades, which ended at the pointed end with a sharp angle. These switches cause a bump when

19936-452: The movement of trains over the points. Eventually, mechanical systems known as interlockings were introduced to make sure that a signal could only be set to allow a train to proceed over points when it was safe to do so. Purely mechanical interlockings were eventually developed into integrated systems with electric control. On some low-traffic branch lines, in self-contained marshalling yards , or on heritage railways , switches may still have

20114-418: The network map "readable" by illiterate people, this system has since become an "icon" of the system. Compared to other modes of transport, rapid transit has a good safety record, with few accidents. Rail transport is subject to strict safety regulations , with requirements for procedure and maintenance to minimize risk. Head-on collisions are rare due to use of double track, and low operating speeds reduce

20292-677: The new Jamaica Center station, including the Q3A and Q4A, which were renumbered the Q83 and Q84, respectively, the Q5, Q42 and the Q85 (renamed/combined Q5A and Q5AB). A canopy was constructed soon after the opening to protect passengers from inclement weather. Limited-stop service was added to the Q4 in the evening rush-hour, supplementing that service in the morning, and was added to the Q5 and Q83 in both rush hours. The Q30, renumbered from

20470-402: The next vehicle will arrive, and expected travel times. The standardized GTFS data format for transit information allows many third-party software developers to produce web and smartphone app programs which give passengers customized updates regarding specific transit lines and stations of interest. Mexico City Metro uses a unique pictogram for each station. Originally intended to help make

20648-949: The occurrence and severity of rear-end collisions and derailments . Fire is more of a danger underground, such as the King's Cross fire in London in November 1987, which killed 31 people. Systems are generally built to allow evacuation of trains at many places throughout the system. High platforms , usually over 1 meter / 3 feet, are a safety risk, as people falling onto the tracks have trouble climbing back. Platform screen doors are used on some systems to eliminate this danger. Rapid transit facilities are public spaces and may suffer from security problems: petty crimes , such as pickpocketing and baggage theft, and more serious violent crimes , as well as sexual assaults on tightly packed trains and platforms. Security measures include video surveillance , security guards , and conductors . In some countries

20826-537: The only sections of the structure left were at 155th Street and 160th Street. In April 1979, the Jamaica Water Supply Company, which supplied water to 118,000 residents of western Nassau County and southeastern Queens, sent a report to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation . The report stated that the NYCTA would excessively pump too much water out of the ground during

21004-588: The only two North American systems that are primarily called "subways". In most of Southeast Asia and in Taiwan , rapid transit systems are primarily known by the acronym MRT . The meaning varies from one country to another. In Indonesia , the acronym stands for Moda Raya Terpadu or Integrated Mass [Transit] Mode in English. In the Philippines , it stands for Metro Rail Transit . Two underground lines use

21182-405: The other, alternatively to going straight across. A train approaching the arrangement may leave by either of the two tracks on the opposite side of the crossing. To reach the third possible exit, the train must change tracks on the slip and then reverse. The arrangement gives the possibility of setting four routes, but because only one route can be traversed at a time, the four blades at each end of

21360-582: The outset. Budapest , Chicago , Glasgow , Boston and New York City all converted or purpose-designed and built electric rail services. Advancements in technology have allowed new automated services. Hybrid solutions have also evolved, such as tram-train and premetro , which incorporate some of the features of rapid transit systems. In response to cost, engineering considerations and topological challenges some cities have opted to construct tram systems, particularly those in Australia, where density in cities

21538-597: The points with one of the possible routes. The motor is usually controlled remotely by the dispatcher (signaller in the UK). The switch motor also includes electrical contacts to detect that the switch has completely set and locked. If the switch fails to do this, the governing signal is kept at red (stop). There is also usually some kind of manual handle for operating the switch in emergencies, such as power failures, or for maintenance purposes. A patent by W. B. Purvis dates from 1897. A switch stand ( points lever or ground throw )

21716-520: The project was 80% complete, and was expected to be in operation in fall 1985. Shortly after midnight on April 15, 1985, the BMT Jamaica Line was cut back to 121st Street , closing the Metropolitan Avenue and Queens Boulevard stations. The Q49 bus was extended to 121st Street to replace service. Track and signal modifications needed to accommodate the temporary operation of 121st Street as

21894-581: The proper operation of railroad switches. Historically, railway companies have employees keep their railroad switches clear of snow and ice by sweeping the snow away using switch brooms (Basically wire brooms with a chisel attached onto the opposite end of the broom – quite similar to ice scrapers used today), or gas torches for melting ice and snow. Such operation are still used in some countries, especially for branch routes with only limited traffic (e.g. seasonal lines). Modern switches for heavily trafficked lines are typically equipped with switch heaters installed in

22072-476: The proper position without damage. Examples include variable switches, spring switches, and weighted switches. If the points are rigidly connected to the switch control mechanism, the control mechanism's linkages may be bent, requiring repair before the switch is again usable. For this reason, switches are normally set to the proper position before performing a trailing-point movement. Generally, switches are designed to be safely traversed at low speed. However, it

22250-410: The provision of FPLs for any routes traveled by passenger trains – it was, and still is, illegal for a passenger train to make a facing move over points without them being locked, either by a point lock, or temporarily clamped in one position or another. Joints are used where the moving points meet the fixed rails of the switch. They allow the points to hinge easily between their positions. Originally

22428-458: The quality of 94% of the concrete poured in the project and that no follow-up work was done even though 23% of the concrete had failed tests after being reexamined. In addition, the report stated that 48,000 cubic yards of concrete had been paid for without evidence of its delivery. UMTA suspended the payments at his request on August 17. It stated that it would consider restoring the funds if the MTA hired an independent consultant completed studies on

22606-908: The rapid transit system varies greatly between cities, with several transport strategies. Some systems may extend only to the limits of the inner city, or to its inner ring of suburbs with trains making frequent station stops. The outer suburbs may then be reached by a separate commuter rail network where more widely spaced stations allow higher speeds. In some cases the differences between urban rapid transit and suburban systems are not clear. Rapid transit systems may be supplemented by other systems such as trolleybuses , regular buses , trams , or commuter rail. This combination of transit modes serves to offset certain limitations of rapid transit such as limited stops and long walking distances between outside access points. Bus or tram feeder systems transport people to rapid transit stops. Each rapid transit system consists of one or more lines , or circuits. Each line

22784-509: The removal of stalactites, filling air pockets in some sections of concrete, the removal of debris, waterproofing, and the use of weak electrical charges to prevent corrosion of steel beams. In August 1986, a study by Knight Associates, which cost $ 300,000, was scheduled to be released. The study analyzed damage done to the switches, signals, lights, pumps, ventilation fans, substations, third rail and escalator and elevator equipment that resulted from years of moisture, vandalism and neglect. Damage

22962-424: The removal of ten parking spots from the south side of Jamaica Avenue and of three spaces on the north side, all between 121st Street and 120th Street for the bus shuttle. In October 1986, the elevated section from 127th Street to Sutphin Boulevard was turned over to New York City to be demolished. The demolition of the structure and the reconstruction of Jamaica Avenue was estimated to cost $ 1.6 million. The removal of

23140-525: The rubber tires. However, they have higher maintenance costs and are less energy efficient. They also lose traction when weather conditions are wet or icy, preventing above-ground use of the Montréal Metro and limiting it on the Sapporo Municipal Subway, but not rubber-tired systems in other cities. Some cities with steep hills incorporate mountain railway technologies in their metros. One of

23318-409: The same direction. Switches consume a relatively high proportion of a railway maintenance budget. Simple single-bladed switches were used on early wooden railways to move wagons between tracks. As iron-railed plateways became more common in the eighteenth century, cast iron components were made to build switches with check rails. In 1797, John Curr described the system that he developed which used

23496-421: The same principle as a double slip, but provides for only one switching possibility. Trains approaching on one of the two crossing tracks can either continue over the crossing, or switch tracks to the other line. However, trains from the other track can only continue over the crossing, and cannot switch tracks. This is normally used to allow access to sidings and improve safety by avoiding having switch blades facing

23674-456: The share of the project funded by UMTA to $ 210 million. An additional $ 120 million in funding was required to complete the project. The project's opening date at this juncture was October 1984. In October 1980, the MTA considered stopping work on the line and on the 63rd Street Line, due to its budget crisis and the bad state of the existing subway system. This decision was supported by City Council President and MTA Board Member Carol Bellamy . It

23852-451: The shock, vibration, possibly in combination with slight heating caused by braking or a city microclimate, may cause the chunks of ice to fall off, jamming the switches. The heaters need time to melt the ice, so if service frequency is extremely high, there may not be enough time for the ice to melt before the next train arrives, which will then result in service disruptions. Possible solutions include installing higher capacity heaters, reducing

24030-455: The station's construction, which could lower the water table to the level at which salt water would infiltrate and destroy its shallowest aquifer, which produced a quarter of its water supply. These charges were denied by the NYCTA, which said that it would recharge water it pumped from the ground, like in past projects, and that it would replace water flushed into the city sewer system. 2 billion gallons of water worth $ 1.4 million had been given to

24208-476: The stations at 168th Street, 160th Street , and Sutphin Boulevard . The demolition of the elevated line was originally planned to be done upon the completion of the Archer Avenue line, but was pushed up at the request of Mayor Abe Beame, who wanted to accelerate the redevelopment plan for Downtown Jamaica. The reconstruction of the Queens Boulevard station to become the line's terminal and the transferring of equipment took 12 to 15 months and cost $ 2.2 million. One of

24386-420: The structure was slated to begin in mid-1990. Despite the delays, disagreements over the condition of the line and the speed of construction, and the federal Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA)'s reluctance to provide funding to complete the line due to concerns over the quality of concrete and the leakage of water into the tunnels, construction was completed a year ahead of schedule, in 1983. Due to

24564-399: The structure, with the exception of the station platforms, was completed overnight to minimize potential impacts to businesses and traffic. Work to reconstruct the street, install new traffic lights and overhead utility lines was expected to take an additional year. Work tearing down the structure began at 168th Street and proceeded to just west of the Queens Boulevard station. In November 1978,

24742-636: The suburbs, allowing a higher service frequency in the center. This arrangement is used by many systems, such as the Copenhagen Metro , the Milan Metro , the Oslo Metro , the Istanbul Metro and the New York City Subway . Alternatively, there may be a single central terminal (often shared with the central railway station), or multiple interchange stations between lines in the city center, for instance in

24920-460: The switch blades also influences performance. New tangential blades perform better than old-style blades. The crossing is the component that enables passage of wheels on either route through the turnout. It can be assembled out of several appropriately cut and bent pieces of rail or can be a single casting of manganese steel. On lines with heavy use, the casting may be treated with explosive shock hardening to increase service life. A guard rail

25098-423: The switch rails being about 25 mm (0.98 in) less high, and stockier in the middle. Apart from the standard right-hand and left-hand switches, switches commonly come in various combinations of configurations. A double slip switch ( double slip ) is a narrow-angled diagonal flat crossing of two lines combined with four pairs of points in such a way as to allow vehicles to change from one straight track to

25276-405: The tampering of switches by outside means, these switches are locked when not in use. A facing point lock ( FPL ), or point lock , is a device which, as the name implies, locks a set of points in position, as well as mechanically proving that they are in the correct position. The facing point part of the name refers to the fact that they prevent movement of the points during facing moves, where

25454-706: The term subway . In Thailand , it stands for Metropolitan Rapid Transit , previously using the Mass Rapid Transit name. Outside of Southeast Asia, Kaohsiung and Taoyuan, Taiwan , have their own MRT systems which stands for Mass Rapid Transit , as with Singapore and Malaysia . In general rapid transit is a synonym for "metro" type transit, though sometimes rapid transit is defined to include "metro", commuter trains and grade separated light rail . Also high-capacity bus-based transit systems can have features similar to "metro" systems. The opening of London's steam-hauled Metropolitan Railway in 1863 marked

25632-519: The term Subway into railway terminology. Both railways, alongside others, were eventually merged into London Underground . The 1893 Liverpool Overhead Railway was designed to use electric traction from the outset. The technology quickly spread to other cities in Europe , the United States, Argentina, and Canada, with some railways being converted from steam and others being designed to be electric from

25810-617: The three stations, 21 escalators were installed in addition to electronic train arrival signs, backlighted station signage, and platform-edge strips. The stations were built to be nearly free of columns and have 213,000 square feet of high suspended ceiling. The mezzanine area of the Jamaica-Van Wyck station was designed to allow natural light to enter the station to the platform area, and has 5,000 square feet of windows. The Archer Avenue subway's groundbreaking took place on August 15, 1972, at Archer Avenue and 151st Street. The first section of

25988-399: The train to reenter the track some distance down the line; this allows the track to serve as a siding, allowing a train to get off the track to allow traffic to pass (this siding can either be a dedicated short length of track, or formed from a section of a second, continuous, parallel line), and also allows trains coming from either direction to switch between lines; otherwise, the only way for

26166-492: The train traverses in the turnout direction. The switch blades could be made with a curved point which meets the stockrail at a tangent, causing less of a bump, but the disadvantage is that the metal at the point is thin and necessarily weak. A solution to these conflicting requirements was found in the 1920s on the German Reichsbahn. The first step was to have different rail profile for the stock rails and switch rails, with

26344-511: The trains, requiring custom-made trains in order to minimize gaps between train and platform. They are typically integrated with other public transport and often operated by the same public transport authorities . Some rapid transit systems have at-grade intersections between a rapid transit line and a road or between two rapid transit lines. The world's first rapid transit system was the partially underground Metropolitan Railway which opened in 1863 using steam locomotives , and now forms part of

26522-565: The tunnel. According to the engineer in charge of the project, the water could reach a depth of 40 feet (12 m) in a heavy rain without them. On December 20, 1979, the New York City Board of Estimate passed a measure approving the selection and acquisition of easements in private property at the Van Wyck Expressway and 89th Avenue for an entrance to the Jamaica–Van Wyck station. On September 26, 1980, $ 40 million of federal funding

26700-409: The tunnels' structural integrity. On August 26, 1985, the MTA hired an independent consultant, Construction Technology Laboratories (CTL), to inspect the tunnel. A preliminary visual inspection by CTL found corrosion on the steel beams and minor cracks in concrete walls. On August 23, the MTA agreed to commit $ 39 million of its own funds to fix the Archer Avenue and 63rd Street Lines, of which $ 14 million

26878-629: The upper level, and the B1 ( BMT Division ) Archer Avenue line uses the lower level. These lines were conceived as part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s 1968 expansion plans , and along with the 63rd Street lines and a small section of the Second Avenue Subway , they were the only portions of the plan to be completed before it was scaled back due to fiscal issues. These lines were originally planned to be extended further east into Queens. Construction on

27056-591: The use of communications-based train control : the minimum headway can reach 90 seconds, but many systems typically use 120 seconds to allow for recovery from delays. Typical capacity lines allow 1,200 people per train, giving 36,000 passengers per hour per direction . However, much higher capacities are attained in East Asia with ranges of 75,000 to 85,000 people per hour achieved by MTR Corporation 's urban lines in Hong Kong. Rapid transit topologies are determined by

27234-406: The use of stiffer, strong switches that would be too difficult to move by hand, yet allow for higher speeds. In a trailing-point movement (running through the switch in the wrong direction while they are set to turn off the track), the flanges on the wheels will force the points to the proper position. This is sometimes known as running through the switch . Some switches are designed to be forced to

27412-414: The usual direction of traffic. To reach the sidings from what would be a facing direction, trains must continue over the crossing, then reverse along the curved route (usually onto the other line of a double track) and can then move forward over the crossing into the siding. An outside slip switch is similar to the double or single slip switches described above, except that the switch blades are outside of

27590-404: The usually flying junctions at each end of the local-express line. A stub switch lacks the tapered points (point blades) of a typical switch. Instead, both the movable rails and the ends of the rails of the diverging routes have their ends cut off square. The switch mechanism aligns the movable rails with the rails of one of the diverging routes. In 19th century US railroad use, the stub switch

27768-535: The vicinity of their point rails so that the point rails will not be frozen onto the stock rail and can no longer move. These heaters may take the form of electric heating elements or gas burners mounted on the rail, a lineside burner blowing hot air through ducts, or other innovative methods (e.g. geothermal heat sink, etc.) to keep the point & stock rails above freezing temperatures. Where gas or electric heaters cannot be used due to logistic or economic constraints, anti-icing chemicals can sometimes be applied to create

27946-417: Was 48 minutes, compared to 54.5 minutes for all-local service and 52 for the E. It was expected that 2,250 Queens Boulevard riders would switch to the J and Z. To make J/Z service more attractive, all trains on those lines consisted of refurbished subway cars that were quieter, graffiti-free, and had improved lighting and new floors. All cars on the J/Z were expected to have air-conditioning by summer 1989, which

28124-540: Was Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, which launched its first underground mobile phone network using AMPS in 1989. Many metro systems, such as the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway (MTR) and the Berlin U-Bahn, provide mobile data connections in their tunnels for various network operators. The technology used for public, mass rapid transit has undergone significant changes in the years since

28302-465: Was awarded to Slattery Associate Incorporated and Agrett Enterprise Corporation for $ 45,251,350, and was constructed using cut-and-cover. This section was expected to be completed in four years, and included the Sutphin Boulevard station. Work on the station was planned to begin in spring 1980. On September 10, 1977, the Jamaica elevated was cut back from 168th Street to Queens Boulevard , closing

28480-450: Was called Standard Place in planning documents), Linden Boulevard, Baisley Boulevard, and Springfield Boulevard. The line would have served a large-scale housing development at Rochdale Village ; such a line would have required conversion involving modifying existing platforms at Locust Manor and Laurelton to accommodate the IND loading gauge, as well as constructing new stations to serve Southeast Queens. It would have also run parallel to

28658-513: Was conceived as an expansion of Queens Boulevard service to a Southeast Queens Line along the right-of-way of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Atlantic Branch towards Locust Manor , and as a replacement for the dilapidated eastern portions of the Jamaica Avenue elevated within the Jamaica business district which business owners and residents sought removal of; both would meet at the double-decked line under Archer Avenue. The two-track spur from

28836-558: Was constructed by Schiavone Construction Company for $ 37,728,140. Most of the project was constructed via cut-and-cover methods, with portions of the lines excavated with tunneling shield methods. The line was constructed through the sandy soil of south Jamaica, and therefore, slurry walls were used to construct the line, a relatively new construction method in New York City. This method replaced blasting and shorting. Pumps and waterproofing were used to keep ground water from getting into

29014-845: Was developed further. Other Central European countries also have metro lines, for example in the cities of Budapest (Hungary), Prague (Czech Republic) and Warsaw (Poland). In Eastern Europe , metro systems are in operation in Minsk (Belarus), Kyiv (Ukraine) and Moscow (Russia). In Southeastern European countries, there are metro systems in Athens and Thessaloniki (Greece), Belgrade (Serbia), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Istanbul (Turkey). In Northern Europe , rapid transit systems exist in Copenhagen (Denmark), Oslo (Norway), Stockholm (Sweden) and Helsinki (Finland). Various terms are used for rapid transit systems around North America . The term metro

29192-454: Was dismissed in order to provide 24 hour express service to the Archer Avenue line. By 1992, R service was cut back to 71st–Continental Avenue at all times. In its place, the F ran local between 71st Avenue and 179th Street at all times. In conjunction with the opening of the Archer Avenue line, major modifications were made to bus service. To reduce severe overcrowding at the 169th Street station, Merrick Boulevard bus routes were rerouted to

29370-515: Was expected to begin in September 1975. The first tunnel, the eastern one, was expected to be completed by late February early March 1976. On May 23, 1976, MTA Chairman David Yunich announced that the construction of the two tunnels under the Long Island Rail Road in Jamaica were completed. Work on the entire section was expected to be completed by September 1976. South of these tunnel segments,

29548-487: Was expected to make it a more attractive alternative to the E. Queens Borough President Claire Shulman made multiple recommendations about revisions to the service plan for the extension at the MTA's February 1988 board meeting. She recommended that trains should use the express track between Myrtle Avenue and Eastern Parkway to reduce travel times, that the Chrystie Street Connection be reused for service to

29726-485: Was given to the Archer Avenue project. Had the UMTA funds not been restored, the MTA would have absorbed the cost by cutting back other projects in its $ 8.5 billion capital program. On April 9, 1986, the head of UMTA stated that if the 63rd Street and Archer Avenue lines were not completed, he would demand that the NYCTA refund more than $ 700 million in federal aid used on the projects. The federal government paid for two-thirds of

29904-399: Was hailed as a catalyst in the redevelopment of Jamaica, ending the neighborhood's urban blight. A study completed in December 1988, before the line's opening, found that many riders getting to the stations in Jamaica used unregulated dollar vans to get there. It found that 20,000 people rode these vans on an average weekday to get to Jamaica subway stations along Hillside Avenue. In 2020,

30082-461: Was headed. It was decided to serve Archer with the E as opposed to the F to minimize disruption to passengers who continued to use Hillside Avenue, to maximize Jamaica Avenue ridership and the length of the peak ridership period, which is longer on the F. The NYCTA had found that most riders using buses diverted to Archer used the E, while passengers on buses to 179th used the F. Having E trains run local between Continental Avenue and Van Wyck Boulevard

30260-681: Was low and suburbs tended to spread out . Since the 1970s, the viability of underground train systems in Australian cities, particularly Sydney and Melbourne , has been reconsidered and proposed as a solution to over-capacity. Melbourne had tunnels and stations developed in the 1970s and opened in 1980. The first line of the Sydney Metro was opened in 2019. Since the 1960s, many new systems have been introduced in Europe , Asia and Latin America . In

30438-405: Was put into place and direct communication was maintained with LIRR personnel at track level. This section is 45 feet (14 m) below street level and 60 feet (18 m) below the LIRR tracks, and was deemed by the MTA's chief engineer to be the most costly and difficult portion of this section of the line. The average width of the two tunnels was 35 feet (11 m). The driving of the two tunnels

30616-929: Was renamed the Q54; the B56, the Q56; the B58, the Q58 ; the B59, the Q59 ; and the Q5S, the Q86. The Q49 shuttle bus was discontinued. Initially three options were considered for modifications to bus service. Under all three options, the B22 was going to be extended to 171st Street and Jamaica Avenue and the Q49 shuttle was discontinued. Under Proposal 1 and 2, all Merrick Boulevard buses were to be rerouted to Archer Avenue. Proposal 1 would have also included

30794-446: Was requested to show that it was possible to fix leaks and cracks in both projects and an improperly altered ceiling girder in the 63rd Street Tunnel. If the study was approved, work projected to resume in January. It found that there were minor flaws in the projects, such as flaking concrete on a portion of the Archer Avenue tunnel wall, and uneven welds in the altered girder in the 63rd Street Tunnel. The report recommended some rewelding,

30972-519: Was to begin at Jamaica Avenue and 127th Street and continue as an elevated to the LIRR embankment and then go underground at 91st Avenue before connecting with the Archer Avenue line at 132nd Street. Route 133 was to be over 4,000 feet (1,200 m) long. The original plan for the upper level (now the E train) was for it to continue as a two-track line along the LIRR Atlantic Branch. It would have run through Locust Manor and Laurelton stations, with stops at Sutphin Boulevard, Parsons Boulevard (which

31150-420: Was transferred to the MTA to build the connection to the Jamaica Line, to complete the Parsons Boulevard station, and the installation of track along the line, including the section south of that station to South Road and 158th Street. Work continued on the connection to the Queens Boulevard Line. In October, the contract for the section between 89th Avenue and Archer Avenue was supposed to be let. This grant raised

31328-482: Was typically used in conjunction with a harp switch stand . The rails leading up to a stub switch are not secured to the sleepers for several feet, and rail alignment across the gap is not positively enforced. Stub switches also require some flexibility in the rails (meaning lighter rails), or an extra joint at which they hinge. Therefore, these switches cannot be traversed at high speed or by heavy traffic and so are not suitable for main line use. A further disadvantage

31506-502: Was unclear whether the federal government would allow the MTA to transfer the funds to system maintenance. At the time, the line was scheduled to be opened in late 1984, with the project's cost ballooning to $ 455 million, of which contracts worth $ 268 million had been awarded. Originally set to be opened in 1980, the line kept getting delayed, and by the late 1970s, the opening was delayed to 1983, then to 1985 or 1986. In 1981, due to lack of money, all bidding on new subway and bus projects for

31684-517: Was worse in the Archer Avenue line, where electrical equipment was damaged by a rainstorm in 1984. On February 6, 1987, NYCTA President David Gunn announced a proposal to spend $ 41 million on the two projects, and request $ 29 million for design work on the 63rd Street Connector. UMTA released $ 60 million in funds to complete the Archer Avenue and 63rd Street Lines on July 1, 1987. The MTA announced that they would open in December 1988 and October 1989, respectively. The line opened on December 11, 1988, at

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