1. Home
  2. Press Releases
  3. MTA Announces Service Changes Related to Track Replacement in Queens and Manhattan

MTA Announces Service Changes Related to Track Replacement in Queens and Manhattan

New York City Transit
Updated Jul 28, 2023 3:15 p.m.

New Track will Improve Reliability and Extend Life of Existing Infrastructure 

 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced the replacement of track along the line between 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Center in Manhattan and 36 St in Queens. The project will improve reliability, mitigate leaks to prevent future corrosion and deterioration and extend the life of existing infrastructure.  

Crews will remove existing direct fixation track and construct new concrete track and new direct fixation track, install new contact rail, protection boards, brackets and insulators, remove and replace cables, furnish and install new signal equipment, repair spalled concrete and cracks and seal active leaks. 

The following service changes will be in effect through the first quarter of 2024: 

  • Beginning Monday, August 28, service will be rerouted via the line in both directions between 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Center and Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av. 

  • Weekday service will be suspended between 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr and Forest Hills-71 Av. Service will operate between Middle Village-Metropolitan Av and 57 St/6 Av in Manhattan only between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.  

  • Nights between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. and weekends, the will operate its normal service between Metropolitan Av and Essex St or Myrtle Av, and the 57 St/6 Av station will be closed. Due to operational constraints, service will operate at reduced frequencies. 

  • Weekdays and weekends between 5 a.m. and 11:59 p.m., shuttle trains will operate between Lexington Av/63 St and 21 St-Queensbridge, and free Q95 shuttle buses will operate between the 21 St-Queensbridge and Queens Plaza stations.   

  • Overnights between midnight and 5 a.m., shuttle train service is suspended and free Q94 shuttle buses will connect the Roosevelt Island, 21 St-Queensbridge, and Queens Plaza stations. 

In preparation for this work, there will be service changes in effect for the following weekends:  

Between 9:45 p.m. on Friday, August 11 and 5 a.m. on Monday, August 14 there will be no Coney Island-Stillwell Av bound   train service at 21 St-Queensbridge, 57 St/6 Av, Roosevelt Island, and Lexington Av/63 St.  Coney Island-Stillwell Av bound   service will be rerouted via the   line between Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av and 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Center. 

Between 9:45 p.m. on Friday, August 18 and 5 a.m. on Monday, August 21 there will be no Jamaica-179 St bound   service at 57 St/6 Av, Lexington Av/63 St, Roosevelt Island, and 21 St-Queensbridge.  Jamaica-179 St bound   service will be rerouted via the   line in between 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Center and Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av. 

Between 9:45 p.m. on Friday, August 25 and 5 a.m. on Monday, August 28, there will be no train service in both directions at 57 St/6 Av, Lexington Av/63 St, Roosevelt Island, and 21 St-Queensbridge. service will be rerouted via the line in both directions between 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Center and Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av, and free shuttle buses will operate between Roosevelt Island, 21 St-Queensbridge, and Queens Plaza. The train will continue to stop at Lexington Av/63 St. 

MTA crews will make announcements in stations and post signage in stations. Outreach to community members and stakeholders will continue throughout the project. 

The MTA offers customers a variety of ways to receive real-time and planned service change information, as well as 24/7 customer support in their multiple languages. 

mta.info – The definitive source for real-time arrival information and service change information for each line or route in the MTA system. Customers can find current statuses on mta.info and upcoming planned service changes using our lookup tool at mta.info/alerts.  

MYmta app – Customers who use the comprehensive MYmta smartphone app will see real-time train and bus arrival times and other travel information for all MTA services all in one place. The app is available in the Apple Store and in Google Play.  

Email & Text Alerts – Customers can sign up for email and SMS alerts tailored to their specific commutes and travel times. They can also sign up for MTA newsletters like The Weekender, a weekly newsletter that covers major weekend planned service changes. Customers can sign up here.   

WhatsApp – Riders can chat with NYC Transit via WhatsApp for 24/7 customer assistance. With the help of Google Translate, NYC Transit staff offer real-time customer support in up to 108 languages.  

511 – For those who prefer to contact the MTA by telephone, information is available by dialing 511. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing can use their preferred service provider for the free 711 relay to reach the MTA at 511.