More than 100,000 customers use the 42 St Shuttle every day, connecting two major transit hubs in New York City: Times Square and Grand Central. During peak hours, up to 10,200 customers ride the shuttle every hour. The 42 St Shuttle is a critical link for customers traveling crosstown, connecting the system's two largest subway station complexes.
The 42 St Shuttle operates on tracks and in stations built 115 years ago as part of New York City's first subway line, which ran from City Hall, up and across 42nd Street, to Harlem. The 42nd Street track connection was later repurposed as the existing crosstown 42 St Shuttle.
We will modernize every aspect of the 42 St Shuttle, from the track operations to accessible platforms and new station entrances. Specifically, this includes:
- Two tracks: Going from three tracks to two will make it easier for customers to get to the next arriving train.
- 6-car trains: The consolidated track operation will allow longer trains to enter the terminals, increasing capacity by 20% during peak times.
- ADA-compliant features: Reconfiguring to a two-track operation means we can straighten the tracks. This will eliminate large platform gaps, making the shuttle accessible for everyone and increase platform safety.
- New signals: Replacing the current signals, which were installed as part of the city's first subway line that opened in 1904, with a new signaling system.