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August 30, 2020
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MTA Completes Major Switch Replacement Work on 456 LinesFull Service Resumes Between Manhattan and Brooklyn 5 a.m. Monday
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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that major switch replacement work on the
   lines will be completed this weekend with full service, between Manhattan and Brooklyn, to resume 5 a.m., Monday, Aug. 31. Crews began the switch repairs on Aug. 10 focusing on the removal and reinstallation of track and track beds, as well as all the component parts that make the switches work reliably over the course of their useful life. The work required overnight and weekend suspension of
trains in Manhattan south of 42 St-Grand Central, and trains in Brooklyn. “We are changing the way we do construction work to reduce – and prevent – disruption for customers,” said Janno Lieber, President of MTA Construction & Development. “Priority One is to fix things before they break and require emergency repairs. Then, we have to make sure projects get completed on time – especially when the work requires outages or service changes. This project was a big success by both standards.”
“Reliable switches are critical to keeping trains running on time and allows us to move around stopped trains if there is a disruption, like a rider needing medical attention,” said Frank Jezycki, Acting NYC Transit Senior VP, Department of Subways. “These past few weeks were the optimal time to do this work so we may affect the fewest amount number of riders while getting the job done safely and successfully.”
Replacing track switches at Union Square will allow the
lines to move safely between the local and express tracks at that location while providing operational flexibility, reducing delays and improving reliability. The switches were last replaced more than 20 years ago, in 1989 and 1999. MTA Construction & Development and other departments from across NYC Transit used the track access created by this work to also perform a multitude of other reliability improvement projects, including to replace track at Canal St and Borough Hall, perform rail grinding at multiple locations and repair structural components in the tunnel between Manhattan and Brooklyn.
In order to maximize the efficiency of track access, MTA Construction & Development is also bundling an array of other capital improvement work on the Eastern Parkway section of the
lines, including water damage repair and prevention, concrete and rebar restoration and the relocation of light fixtures for better resiliency. Similar approaches will be taken elsewhere in the system in the coming months and years, where maintenance and capital work will benefit from a closed line segment. The stations in Manhattan that were closed during construction hours this weekend, from 9:30 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, have alternate subway lines within one to four blocks. Customers are encouraged to transfer between the
  and at Lexington Av-59 St. Other transfers are available between the  and at Lexington Av-51 St and between the  and  and the at Grand Central. All
stations in Brooklyn will remain open with alternate train service, in addition to robust alternate bus service in both boroughs. Because trains must move slowly over the track switches at Grand Central, the MTA is allowing for extra time in the schedules for trains running between Lexington Av-59 St and Grand Central-42 St. As a result, customers are encouraged to transfer at Lexington Av-59 St.
Maps, fact sheets and other resources are available on the on the project’s webpage.
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