Rapid transit or mass rapid transit ( MRT ) or heavy rail , commonly referred to as metro , is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas . A grade separated rapid transit line below ground surface through a tunnel can be regionally called a subway , tube , metro or underground . They are sometimes grade-separated on elevated railways , in which case some are referred to as el trains – short for "elevated" – or skytrains . Rapid transit systems are railways , usually electric , that unlike buses or trams operate on an exclusive right-of-way , which cannot be accessed by pedestrians or other vehicles.
111-878: The Independent Subway System ( IND ; formerly the ISS ) was a rapid transit rail system in New York City that is now part of the New York City Subway . It was first constructed as the Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan in 1932. It was originally also known as the Independent City-Owned Subway System ( ICOSS ) or the Independent City-Owned Rapid Transit Railroad ( ICORTR ). One of three subway networks that became part of
222-419: A black background are placed below the trim at regular intervals. The platform has a row of concrete-clad I-beam columns on both sides; these are painted medium Hunter green. There is clear evidence of water damage and mold due to poor drainage in numerous areas along the platform ceiling, the wall tiles, and to a number of the support columns. The station was also notorious for having piles of trash bags on
333-425: 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
444-450: 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
555-646: 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
666-565: 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
777-405: 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
888-406: A four track line, and this required the turning of F trains at Parsons Boulevard, and no storage facilities were provided at the station. Therefore, the line was going to be extended to 184th Place with a station at 179th Street with two island platforms, sufficient entrances and exits, and storage for four ten-car trains. The facilities would allow for the operation of express and local service to
999-418: 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
1110-629: 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 ,
1221-452: 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
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#17328477011621332-602: 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
1443-514: A rapid transit setting. Norwood%E2%80%93205th Street (IND Concourse Line) [REDACTED] The Norwood–205th Street station (formerly 205th Street station ) is the northern terminal station on the IND Concourse Line of the New York City Subway . Located in Norwood, Bronx , it is served by the D train at all times. Due to changes in the street grid of the neighborhood,
1554-511: A relatively small subway car fleet of 300 cars, while the IRT had 2,281 subway and 1,694 elevated cars, and the BMT had 2,472 cars. The new IND Eighth Avenue Line was built using 1,000,000 cubic yards (27,000,000 cu ft) of concrete and 150,000 short tons (140,000,000 kg) of steel . The roadbed of the new subway was expected to last 30 years. At the time of the line's opening, other portions of
1665-558: 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
1776-592: 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
1887-572: A temporary terminal at East Broadway . E trains, which ran from Jackson Heights, Queens to Hudson Terminal , were shifted to the new line to East Broadway. Two express tracks were built on the portion under Houston Street until Essex Street-Avenue A; the tracks were intended to travel under the East River and connect with the never-built IND Worth Street Line in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Just after midnight on April 9, 1936, trains began running under
1998-509: A turnstile bank, token booth, and two staircases going up to the southeast and northwest corners of East 206th Street and Bainbridge Avenue. Because of the varying topography of the surrounding neighborhood, a single escalator was installed in 1937 in this fare control area, traversing an elevation difference of 25 feet (7.6 m) between the mezzanine and platform. Access to fare control otherwise requires walking up three flights of stairs from platform level. The other fare control area, at
2109-770: 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
2220-608: 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
2331-506: 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
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#17328477011622442-430: Is located at East 205th Street and Perry Avenue at its eastern end, and at East 206th Street and Bainbridge Avenue at its western end. East 205th Street turns diagonally southwest at Perry Avenue, while the subway maintains its previous direction, lining up with Van Cortlandt Avenue before turning south onto Grand Concourse . This station has two fare control areas. The full-time side at the west (railroad south) end has
2553-416: 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
2664-525: Is no diamond crossover between the tracks west of this station; here, a center track forms leading west to the Concourse Yard . Because of this, terminating trains arrive on the southern (railroad northbound) track and discharge their passengers before continuing east to the end of the track. They then use the diamond crossover there to return to this station on the northern (railroad southbound) track and begin service to Manhattan and Brooklyn . Due to
2775-548: 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
2886-412: 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
2997-733: 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
3108-605: 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
3219-887: The East River via the Rutgers Street Tunnel, which connected the Houston-Essex Street Line with the north end of the Jay–Smith–Ninth Street Line at a junction with the Eighth Avenue Line north of Jay Street–Borough Hall . E trains were sent through the connection to Church Avenue . Simultaneously, the Fulton Street Line was opened to Rockaway Avenue and the A and C trains, which had used Smith Street, were rerouted to Fulton Street. During construction, streetcar service along Sixth Avenue
3330-578: The Eighth Avenue Line opened from 207th Street to Chambers Street , inaugurating the IND. In February 1933 the Cranberry Street Tunnel opened, along with the Eighth Avenue Line from Chambers Street to Jay Street–Borough Hall . On the northern end of the construction, in the Bronx, the connecting Concourse Line opened on July 1, 1933 from 205th Street to 145th Street . On the IND's opening day, it had
3441-616: The GG (predecessor to current G service) ran as a shuttle service between Queens Plaza and Nassau Avenue on the IND Crosstown Line , which opened on the same day. The Cranberry Street Tunnel , extending the Eighth Avenue express tracks east under Fulton Street to Jay Street–Borough Hall in Brooklyn, was opened for the morning rush hour on February 1, 1933. Until June 24, 1933, High Street
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3552-488: The Great Depression was ushered in, and the plans essentially became history overnight. Various forms of the expansion resurfaced in 1939, 1940, 1951, 1968 , and 1998 but were never realized. This was the time when the IND had planned widespread elevated construction. The Second Avenue Subway , one of the main parts of the plan, is open between 63rd and 96th Streets as of January 1, 2017. The Court Street station on
3663-724: 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
3774-797: The IND Fulton Street Line and E trains from the Queens Boulevard Line replaced them. The first part of the IND Sixth Avenue Line , or what was then known as the Houston–Essex Street Line , began operations at noon on January 1, 1936 with two local tracks from a junction with the Washington Heights, Eighth Avenue and Church Street Line (Eighth Avenue Line) south of West Fourth Street–Washington Square east under Houston Street and south under Essex Street to
3885-777: The IRT White Plains Road Line along Burke Avenue to serve the northeast section of the Bronx. But, with the city's acquisition of the New York, Westchester and Boston Railway and subsequent conversion into the IRT Dyre Avenue Line , such an extension was deemed unnecessary. In the early 1950s, vacant land above the east end of the station was given to the New York Public Library and to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation . The station
3996-429: 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
4107-760: The Long Island City−Jamaica Line , Fifty-third Street−Jamaica Line , and Queens Boulevard−Jamaica Line prior to opening, was an original line of the city-owned Independent Subway System (IND), planned to stretch between the IND Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan and 178th Street and Hillside Avenue in Jamaica, Queens. The first section of the line, west from Roosevelt Avenue to 50th Street , opened on August 19, 1933. E trains ran local to Hudson Terminal (today's World Trade Center) in Manhattan, while
4218-722: 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
4329-578: 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
4440-577: 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
4551-656: 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
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4662-565: The TT shuttle at 36th Street in Brooklyn (nights and Sundays). D service was routed via the connection and onto the Brighton Line instead of via the Culver Line. It only ran express during rush hours. F service was extended from Broadway–Lafayette Street during rush hours, and from 34th Street during other times to Coney Island via the Culver Line. In July 1968, the 57th Street station opened and
4773-450: 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
4884-409: 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
4995-432: 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
5106-496: The 1970s involved extending the Concourse Line to White Plains Road , but financial troubles caused the plan to be aborted. As a result of the planned extension, the two tracks continue east of this station for about 700 feet along 205th Street to Webster Avenue , ending at a concrete wall. This station does not have any crew quarters; crews are changed at Bedford Park Boulevard , the next station south. Additionally, there
5217-480: 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
5328-536: 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
5439-528: 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
5550-537: The 63rd Street Connector was opened for construction reroutes. The Connector came into regular use in December 2001 with the rerouting of F service at all times to 63rd Street. The construction project extended the lower level LIRR tunnel and involved a number of other elements, including the integration of ventilation plants, lowering a sewer siphon 50 feet, rehabilitation of elements of the existing line, mitigating ground water, diverting trains which continued to run through
5661-587: The 8th Avenue/6th Avenue distinction (A, C, E vs. B, D, F) has been maintained. Following consolidation under city ownership, the numbered routes of the former BMT system were also gradually relabeled to letters for consistency with the IND system. 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
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#17328477011625772-669: The BMT's M and R use trackage that was originally built for the IND, while the Q uses the IND Second Avenue Line , which was built after the unification of the three systems. The Rockaway Park Shuttle supplements the A service. For operational purposes, the IND and BMT lines and services are referred to jointly as the B Division . Until 1940, it was known as the Independent City-Owned Subway System (ICOS), Independent Subway System (ISS), or Independent City-Owned Rapid Transit Railroad. It became known as
5883-560: The Bronx . In the early 1950s, a portion of the vacant land above the east end of the station was relinquished by the New York City Board of Transportation in order to construct the New York Public Library 's Mosholu Branch. The site, which had been purchased by the Board of Transportation in the 1930s for the construction of the station, had first been earmarked for a library in 1945. The library opened on August 6, 1954. That year,
5994-485: The D train; both tracks were supposed to have been extended east past Bronx Park and the IRT White Plains Road Line along Burke Avenue to serve the northeast section of the Bronx. This idea was postponed due to lack of funding, and ultimately mothballed when the City of New York bought the right-of-way of the bankrupt New York, Westchester and Boston Railway and converted it for subway use in 1941. Another proposal in
6105-589: The Grand Concourse. The E and F served Queens Boulevard via the 53rd Street Tunnel. A single letter indicated an express service, while a double letter indicated local service. G was used for Brooklyn-Queens "Crosstown" service. H was used for any service on the extended Fulton Street (Brooklyn) line that did not originate in Manhattan. The first designations were as follows: Virtually all possibilities were used at one time or another, either in regular service or as brief special routes. The "G" single-letter service
6216-552: The IND Fulton Street Line was closed on June 1, 1946 due to low ridership. After World War II ended, workers and materials became available for public use again. The badly needed extension to the more efficient terminal at Broadway − East New York (the current Broadway Junction station) opened on December 30, 1946. The extension of the Fulton Street Line, the completion of which had been delayed due to war priorities,
6327-417: The IND after unification of the subway lines in 1940; the name IND was assigned to match the three-letter initialisms that the IRT and BMT used. The first IND line was the Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan , opened on September 10, 1932; for a while the whole system was colloquially known as the Eighth Avenue Subway . The original IND system was entirely underground in the four boroughs that it served, with
6438-400: The IND train identification scheme was based on three things: the Manhattan trunk line served (8th Avenue or 6th Avenue), the northern branch line served (Washington Heights, Grand Concourse/Bronx, or Queens Boulevard), and the service level (Express or Local). The 8th Avenue routes were A, C, and E. The 6th Avenue routes were B, D, and F. The A and B served Washington Heights. The C and D served
6549-528: The Independent Subway System were under construction, including five underwater tunnels: There was some vandalism on the IND Eighth Avenue Line's opening day, as some of the uptown stations were broken into by people who clogged turnstile slots with gum and other objects. Two months after the IND opened for business, three exits from the 96th Street and 103rd Street stations – at 95th and 97th Streets and at 105th Street, respectively – were closed due to theft. The Queens Boulevard Line, also referred to as
6660-492: The Queens Boulevard Line during rush hours, with E trains running express west of 71st–Continental Avenues, and GG trains taking over the local during rush hours. The initial headway for express service was between three and five minutes. The entire Crosstown Line was completed and connected to the IND Culver Line on July 1, 1937, whereupon the GG was extended in both directions to Smith–Ninth Streets and Forest Hills–71st Avenue . From April 30, 1939 to October 28, 1940,
6771-430: The Queens Boulevard Line served the 1939 New York World's Fair via the World's Fair Railroad . The World's Fair line ran via a connection through the Jamaica Yard and through Flushing Meadows–Corona Park along the current right-of-way of the Van Wyck Expressway . Despite calls from public officials such as Queens Borough President George Harvey to make the line a permanent connection to Flushing and northern Queens,
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#17328477011626882-509: The Rockaway Line. In November 1967, the first part of the Chrystie Street Connection opened and Sixth Avenue Line express tracks opened from 34th Street–Herald Square to West Fourth Street–Washington Square . With the opening of the connection to the Manhattan Bridge, BB service was renamed B and was extended via the new express tracks and the connection to the West End Line in Brooklyn. In non-rush hours, B service terminated northbound at either West 4th Street (middays and Saturdays) or as
6993-457: The Sixth Avenue Line at all times. In December 1988 the IND Archer Avenue Line opened from Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer to Jamaica–Van Wyck . A month shy of twenty years after construction began, the IND 63rd Street Line went into service on October 29, 1989, after an expenditure of $ 898 million, extending service from 57th Street with new stations at Lexington Avenue, Roosevelt Island, and 21st Street at 41st Avenue in Queens. The IND line
7104-451: The West Fourth Street subway station to the 47-50th Street subway station with track connections to the IND 53rd Street Line. The Sixth Avenue Line's construction cost $ 59,500,000. The following routes were added with the opening of service: Sixth Avenue express service would not begin until 1967, after the Chrystie Street Connection opened. The Fulton Street Line was opened from Jay Street to Rockaway Avenue on April 9, 1936, including
7215-428: 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
7326-414: 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
7437-434: 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
7548-428: The exception of a short section of the IND Culver Line containing two stations spanning the Gowanus Canal in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn. In the early 1920s, Mayor John Hylan proposed a complex series of city-owned and operated rapid transit lines to compete with the BMT and IRT, especially their elevated lines. The New York City Transit Commission was formed in 1921 to develop a plan to reduce overcrowding on
7659-402: 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
7770-445: The former BMT Fulton Street Line , was connected to the IND Fulton Street Line. IND service was extended from Euclid Avenue out to Lefferts Boulevard via a new station at Grant Avenue . On June 28, 1956, service on the IND Rockaway Line began between Euclid Avenue and Rockaway Park at 6:38 PM and between Euclid Avenue and Wavecrest at 6:48 PM. A new station at Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue opened on January 16, 1958, completing
7881-439: 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
7992-441: The line was demolished in 1941. Mayor John Hylan proposed some never-built lines in 1922 even before the first leg of the IND was completed. These lines included: A major expansion of the IND was first planned in 1929. It would have added over 100 miles of new routes in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, merging with, intersecting or extending the existing IND rights-of way. It was claimed that this expansion, combined with
8103-587: 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
8214-545: 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
8325-471: The modern New York City Subway, the IND was intended to be fully owned and operated by the municipal government, in contrast to the privately operated or jointly funded Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT) companies. It was merged with these two networks when the subway system was unified in 1940 . The original IND services are the modern subway's A , B , C , D , E , F , and G services. In addition,
8436-418: 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
8547-402: 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
8658-949: 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
8769-588: 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
8880-470: The operating IRT, BMT, and IND lines, would provide subway service within a half mile of anyone's doorstep within these four boroughs. Pricing – excluding acquisition and equipment costs – was estimated at US$ 438 million. The entire first phase had only cost US$ 338 million, including acquisition and equipment costs. Not long after these plans were unveiled, the Wall Street Crash of 1929 occurred and
8991-826: The original BMT system: the BMT Culver Line in 1954, and the Liberty Avenue extension of the BMT Fulton Street Line in 1956. On October 30, 1954 the Culver Ramp opened, connecting the IND Culver Line to the BMT Culver Line at Ditmas Avenue . IND trains begin operating over the BMT Culver Line to Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue . On April 29, 1956, the Liberty Avenue Elevated, the easternmost section of
9102-582: 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
9213-484: The platform and at entrances, as well as for large amounts of litter on the tracks due to an absence of trash cans. 205th Street station was declared one of the five worst in the system in terms of maintenance and appearance by the New York City Transit Riders Council in 2005, problems which have persisted into the 2010s. Due to changes in the street grid of the neighborhood, the station
9324-718: The portion of the Chrystie Street Connection connecting the line with the Williamsburg Bridge was opened for regular service (although it had been previously used in passenger service for occasional post-Chrystie Street weekend D maintenance reroutes). Service on the KK was inaugurated, running from 57th Street to 168th Street on the BMT Jamaica Line . B service began running during non-rush hours (local on 6th Avenue) to 57th Street. D trains began running express via
9435-481: The project area and widening of the entry point to the Queens Boulevard Line to six tracks. This new tunnel connection allowed rerouting the Queens Boulevard Line F trains via the 63rd Street Tunnel, which opened up capacity through the 53rd Street tunnel to Manhattan which allowed a new local service, the V train , to provide additional Queens Boulevard service to Manhattan, along Sixth Avenue. This service
9546-908: 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
9657-507: The remainder of the land, controlled by the New York City Transit Authority , was transferred to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation in order to construct Whalen Playground. On August 23, 1954, a D train relaying east of the station overshot the bumper blocks at the end of the track, crashing into the wall at the end of the line. The train motorman was trapped in the tunnel for seven hours, and when he
9768-525: 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
9879-483: The station has exits to East 205th Street and Perry Avenue, as well as to East 206th Street and Bainbridge Avenue. This station was constructed as part of the Independent Subway System , and opened in 1933, along with the rest of the Concourse Line. This station was not intended to be the terminus of the Concourse Line or the D train; the tracks were supposed to have been extended east past Bronx Park and
9990-403: The station's east (railroad north) end, accessed by a ramp to the platform, is unstaffed, containing full-height turnstiles and two staircases going up to the northwest and southeast corners of East 205th Street and Perry Avenue. The token booth at this location was closed on July 30, 2005 and removed sometime afterward. This station was not intended to be the terminus of the Concourse Line or
10101-420: The station. Construction on the extension started in 1946, and was projected to be completed in 1949. The extension was completed later than expected and opened on December 11, 1950. This extension was delayed due to the Great Depression and World War II . Both E and F trains were extended to the new station. During the 1950s, the IND was extended over two pieces of elevated line that were disconnected from
10212-401: The stub terminal at Court Street . A shuttle was operated between Court Street and Hoyt–Schermerhorn Streets. On December 31, 1936, the Queens Boulevard Line was extended from Roosevelt Avenue to Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike . The Queens Boulevard Line was extended to Hillside Avenue and 178th Street, with a terminal station at 169th Street on April 24, 1937. That day, express service began on
10323-636: 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
10434-591: The subways. The original plans included: These lines were completely built as planned. All but a short portion of the Culver Line (over the Gowanus Canal ) are underground. On March 14, 1925, the groundbreaking of the Eighth Avenue subway took place at 123rd Street and St. Nicholas Avenue. On July 8, 1931, the first train of R1s left Coney Island at 11:35am and ran via the BMT Sea Beach Line to Times Square . The trip took 42 minutes. On September 10, 1932,
10545-706: 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
10656-519: 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
10767-486: The track configuration, trains may reverse into the yard from the southern track, and trains from the yard may start service on the northern track. The station is located close to several Norwood landmarks , including the New York Public Library 's Mosholu Branch ; the Montefiore Medical Center and North Central Bronx Hospital , north of the station on East 210th Street; St. Brendan's Church and School ;
10878-511: 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
10989-591: 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
11100-540: 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
11211-530: Was built as part of the sixth and seventh sections of the IND Concourse Line beginning in the late 1920s. The station was built underneath preexisting private property for most of its length, passing directly under East 205th Street at its eastern end. The station opened on July 1, 1933, along with the rest of the Concourse subway. On July 1, 1937, an escalator opened in the station, the first of its kind in
11322-617: Was built for the future connection to the Second Avenue Subway for BMT Broadway service from the Upper East Side to Lower Manhattan . Planning for the connection to the IND Queens Boulevard Line began in December 1990, with the final design contract awarded in December 1992. Construction began on September 22, 1994. The remaining section from 21st Street to the Queens Boulevard Line cost $ 645 million. In December 2000,
11433-845: 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
11544-423: Was discontinued in 2010 and replaced with an extension of the M train . The following extensions and connections were built after unification in 1940: The following extension is partially open: Many IND lines were designed to be parallel to existing IRT and BMT subway lines in order to compete with them. Additionally, some never-built lines were designed to replace old elevated lines. As originally designed,
11655-699: Was finished by funds obtained by Mayor William O'Dwyer and was placed in operation on November 28, 1948, running along Pennsylvania Avenue and Pitkin Avenue to Euclid Avenue near the Queens border. Forty additional R10 cars were placed into service for the extension. The cost of the extension was about $ 46,500,000. It included the construction of the new Pitkin Avenue Storage Yard , which could accommodate 585 subway cars on 40 storage tracks. The existing 169th Street station provided an unsatisfactory terminal setup for
11766-416: Was freed, his left foot had to be amputated. This underground station has two tracks and one island platform . The D train serves the station at all times. The station is the northern terminus for D trains; the next station to the south is Bedford Park Boulevard . Both track walls have a lime green trim line with a medium Persian green border. Small tile captions reading "205" in white lettering on
11877-681: 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
11988-404: Was served by Q trains on weekdays, B trains on weekends and F trains at night (signed Q northbound from 2nd Avenue and southbound as far as 57th Street), as well as the extended JFK Express. The 1,500-foot connector to the Queens Boulevard Line had not yet started construction. The BMT connection between the new Lexington Avenue station and 57th Street-7th Avenue was not in use at that time; it
12099-458: Was skipped. The first short section of the IND Culver Line opened on March 20, 1933, taking Eighth Avenue Express A trains (and for about a month from July to August C trains) south from Jay Street to Bergen Street . The rest of the line opened on October 7, 1933 to the "temporary" terminal at Church Avenue, three blocks away from the Culver elevated at Ditmas Avenue. In 1936, the A was rerouted to
12210-589: Was terminated. The city had the choice of either restoring it upon the completion of construction or abandoning it immediately. As the city wanted to tear down the IRT Sixth Avenue Line right away and save on the costs of shoring it up while construction proceeded underneath it, the IRT Sixth Avenue Line was purchased for $ 12.5 million and terminated by the city on December 5, 1938. On December 15, 1940, local subway service began on Sixth Avenue from
12321-416: Was used for G service to World's Fair Station in 1939. The final pre- Chrystie Street Connection service is shown here; for more details, see the individual service pages. Terminals shown are the furthest the service reached. After the Chrystie Street Connection opened, the original IND Service Letter scheme was gradually abandoned. All lines, whether local or express, now use a single letter, and only
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