An extensive list of maintenance, cleaning and repair assignments will be performed along a significant portion of the  Line beginning Monday, October 17, when MTA New York City Transit’s FASTRACK program begins the first week of a two-week effort.   FASTRACK work will be performed for four consecutive weeknights, from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. for two consecutive weeks on October 17-21 and October 24-28.  During those periods,  service will be suspended in both directions between Hunts Point Av and 125 St.

 service will operate in two sections:  Between Pelham Bay Park and Hunts Point Av, and between Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall and 125 St.  Free shuttle buses provide alternate service, and will operate between Hunts Point Av and 125 St stopping at Longwood Av, E 149 St, E 143 St-St Mary’s St, Cypress Av, Brook Av, and 3 Av-138 St.  Transfer between trains and free shuttle buses at Hunts Point Av and/or 125 St.   service between E 180 St and Bowling Green will end early each night.

FASTRACK has been designed around the careful determination that there is adequate alternate means of transportation, including enhanced services along some bus lines during work periods.  Alternative transportation options will be detailed in announcements and posters on trains, in stations and on selected buses; brochures will be available in both English and Spanish.  Information on this FASTRACK is available on the web at: http://web.mta.info/nyct/service/fastrack_6.htm

Wynton Habersham, Senior Vice President for the Department of Subways said "FASTRACK has proven to have a significant impact on decreasing delays – both in terms of consolidating maintenance forces in a concentrated area and in terms of proactive maintenance that improves service delivery.”

During a previous FASTRACK in January 2015,  train service was suspended between Hunts Point Av in the Bronx and 125 St in Manhattan from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.  NYC Transit employees took advantage of the train-free environment to perform a range of cleaning and maintenance tasks on signal equipment, track and third rail components, and station and tunnel infrastructure.  Track workers scraped and cleaned 35,582 feet of track, replaced 20 rails, 619 track plates, 464 friction pads, and 21 tie blocks, and cleaned 1,820 feet of track under and around the third rail.  Infrastructure crews grouted 470 leaks and repaired 85 square feet of damaged concrete.  They also repaired 390 feet of bench wall, changed 202 light bulbs, repaired structural steel at eight locations, performed pump plant maintenance, including the removal of 1600 gallons of silt, and cleaned 28 muck drains. 

At stations, workers scraped 3,540 square feet of station surface areas, repaired 530 feet of rubbing board, the fiberglass extension attached to the platform edge, chopped 50 square feet and patched 10 square feet of concrete, changed 366 station light bulbs, washed 346 fixtures, replaced 25 platform signs and installed 100 feet of drain line.  Signal crews serviced 32 signals and seven cut sections.  They also tested 19 signals and performed maintenance at five rail/switch locations and completed testing, servicing, and repair work orders for other equipment.  Electronic maintenance was performed on twelve CCTV cameras and four CCTV monitors, 17 public address/customer information systems, 303 speakers, 12 signs, eight amplifiers, two microphones and other PA equipment.  This represents only a portion of the work that is completed during a FASTRACK closure.

FASTRACK was introduced in January 2012, devoting four straight weeknights to perform maintenance work in tunnels, stations and on tracks, completely suspending service within a given line segment for a seven-hour period between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m..  This gives free access to the system, allowing an army of maintenance workers to perform dozens of tasks repairing and replacing components that are vital to providing safe and reliable train service without the concern of having to "clear up" to allow trains to pass.  FASTRACK efforts have been highly successful in providing a safer work environment for employees and improved station conditions for customers. 

Our final FASTRACK overnight closure for 2016 will be on the  Line between Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn for two consecutive weeks from October 24 to 28, and October 31 to November 4.