QueensIRT Flushing Line and BMT Astoria Line

|- |width=20% align=right|Services||

|- |width=20% align=right|Crossovers||

|- |width=20% align=right|Next north||Flushing Line local:
Flushing Line express: 61st Street-Woodside ()
Astoria Line local: 39th Avenue ()
Astoria Line express: Astoria Boulevard ()

|- |width=20% align=right|Next south||Flushing Line: 45th Road-Court House Square (7 <7> ^(1a2a3b))
Broadway Line: Lexington Avenue-59th Street (N W ^(123a))

|- |width=20% align=right|Opened||November 6, 1916 (current station - Flushing Line)
February 1, 1917 (current station - Astoria Line)
August 1, 1920 (old BMT station - Broadway Line)
April 8, 1923 (old BMT station - Astoria and Flushing Lines)

|- |width=20% align=right|Closed||October 17, 1949 (old BMT station - both sides)

Queensboro Plaza is an elevated station over Queensboro Plaza , at the east (Queens) end of the Queensboro Bridge, with Queens Boulevard running east from the plaza. It is currently over only the south (railroad east) side of the roadway, but used to span the whole plaza. The current configuration is a double-decked station, with northbound trains on the upper level and southbound trains below. The BMT Astoria Line (which to the south joins with the 60th Street Tunnel Connection and heads through the 60th Street Tunnel to the BMT Broadway Line) uses the two tracks west (compass north) of the platforms and the IRT Flushing Line uses the east two tracks. There is a double crossover north of the platform on the upper level; this is one of a few track connections between the and /, and is the only connection between the IRT Flushing Line and the rest of the Subway system.

The mezzanine, located below the lower level (and formerly connecting to the torn-down BMT platforms to the west), there is a concrete ramp across Queens Plaza North to the second floor of a building. The station is currently being renovated by NYCTA employees (as opposed to an outside contractor). A computer assisted tower is being installed on the south end. (A traditional tower is already present, but will be renovated with new machinery.)

The station is wheelchair accessible for cross-platform (same direction) transfers only.

Bus connections: Q19A, Q32, Q39, Q60, Q67, Q101, Q101R, Q102, B61

History

In the original configuration, the IRT used both sides of the current platforms, and the BMT used now-demolished platforms west (compass north) of the current platforms, also double-decked. The east side of the IRT platforms were used by the Flushing Line, as today; the west side was used by Astoria trains, but instead of going through the 60th Street Tunnel , they went over the Queensboro Bridge to the elevated IRT Second Avenue Line . Double crossovers south (lower tracks) and north (upper tracks) of the platform allowed trains from either side to switch to the other line after leaving the station.

At the BMT half, the south track served subway trains to Manhattan anmd the BMT Broadway Line. Trains came from Manhattan on the upper level, continued north to a merge with the lower level, and then returned via the lower level. This configuration was in place by 1924; before that trains reversed direction using a double crossover south of the platforms. Until 1949, the Astoria and Flushing Lines hosted both IRT and BMT service. Platforms were IRT-size, the the BMT had to run special narrower shuttles on the lines, with a required transfer at Queensboro Plaza. Shuttles from Astoria came in on the west side lower track and then reversed direction to head to Flushing; Flushing trains came in on the upper track and reversed direction towards Astoria.

In 1949, the IRT started using the Flushing Line only, and the Astoria Line platforms were shaved back for through BMT service. New connections were built between the 60th Street Tunnel approach and the west tracks at the east (former IRT) platforms (the Second Avenue Line had closed in 1942), and the west (former BMT) platforms were closed.

External links

• nycsubway.org - IRT Flushing Line: Queensborough Plaza (text used with permission)
• nycsubway.org - BMT Astoria Line - Queensborough Plaza
• BMT-Lines.com - Astoria and Flushing Lines