The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that crews will begin the final phase of a multi-phase project, replacing approximately 2.4 miles of track on the  and  lines between the 121 St and Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer stations in Queens. The first part, completed in December 2020, involved the reconstruction of the  track between Jamaica-Van Wyck and Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer Blvd and replaced 6,300 feet of track, 800 feet more than was originally planned in 10 weeks. The work on the  and  lines will replace 12,500 feet of track and third rail, about twice the length of track replaced for the  track reconstruction work all within the same timeframe of 10 weeks. This work will begin Friday, July 1 at 9:45 p.m. and continue through September 2022.

The complete replacement of the 40-year-old-track, with a successfully proven updated design to increase durability, will lead to improved quality of service. It will require full access to the tracks and therefore a temporary suspension of all  and  train service at the Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av-JFK Airport and Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer stations. During this time, the MTA will provide free substitute shuttle bus service between the 121 St  station and the Jamaica-Van Wyck  station. MetroCards will be cross-honored at Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) stations between Atlantic Terminal, Jamaica Station, and Southeast Queens. The Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av-JFK Airport and Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer stations have multiple connecting bus lines and are served by the  line.

“Track replacement work in this area of Queens will bring us closer to our goal – delivering New Yorkers the modern subway system that they deserve,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “We appreciate our customers’ patience as we make the upgrades necessary to improve the reliability and speed of   service.”

“Improving the customer experience is the north star,” said New York City Transit President Richard Davey. “The fastest and most effective way to complete this project requires 24/7 access to the tracks. This short-term service change will provide more reliable service for years to come.”

This is a replacement of direct fixation track, in which the rails are directly fixed to the concrete roadbed. Conventional tracks, which are most commonly known, have the rails installed on top of wooden or concrete ties. In order to replace 12,500 feet of direct fixation track, the concrete roadbed needs to be entirely reconstructed, with the exception of 3,000 feet of track, which would be replaced in kind. Once this final phase of track replacement is complete, the total amount of track replaced in this area of Queens will be 18,800 feet, about 3.6 miles.

Detailed Service Information

Beginning Friday, July 1, the following service changes will be in effect:

•  trains will run between 121 St in Queens and Broad St in Manhattan only

• No  service from Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av-JFK Airport and Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer

•   skip-stop service suspended

•  trains will be signed as  trains and make all stops between 121 St and Myrtle Av

• On weekdays,  trains will run express in peak direction between Myrtle Av and Marcy Av, towards Manhattan in the morning and towards Queens in the afternoon

For ADA accessible options, passengers at Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av-JFK Airport and Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer can take the  train to reach accessible stations in Manhattan or can take the Q54 to Middle-Village Metropolitan Av  to reach accessible  and  stations at Flushing Av and Marcy Av.

Additionally, customers needing ADA accessibility, can take the Q55, near the 121 St subway station, to Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs   or the Long Island Rail Road from Jamaica Station to the Nostrand Avenue station to connect with the B44 Select Bus Service to the Marcy Av   station, or to Atlantic Terminal, with connections to the          subway lines, to reach accessible stations in Manhattan.

Customers may wish to consider the alternative service options:

• Free shuttle buses will run between the 121 St  station and the Jamaica-Van Wyck  station

•  subway service will continue to be available at Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer and Sutphin Blvd/Archer Av-JFK Airport

Alternative connections to the AirTrain to John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport:

• Take the  line to Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av - JFK Airport

• Take the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to Jamaica Station

• Take the  train to Howard Beach - JFK Airport

LIRR will cross-honor MetroCards between Atlantic Terminal and Southeast Queens at the following LIRR stations:

• Atlantic Terminal (ADA accessible)

• Nostrand Av (ADA accessible)

• East New York

• Jamaica Station, with connection to the JFK AirTrain (ADA accessible)

• Hollis

• Queens Village

• St. Albans

• Locust Manor

• Laurelton

• Rosedale

Please be advised MetroCards will not be cross-honored for travel at Penn Station, Jamaica, Kew Gardens, Forest Hills or Woodside LIRR stations.

The MTA will post both print and digital signage in stations, along with announcements in stations and on trains ahead of the scheduled work. Customer service notifications will be made on trains, posted at affected stations and on the MTA website, the MYmta app and social media. Customers can also sign up for text and email alerts at www.myMTAalerts.com.

Information on service changes and other trip planning resources are available on the project’s webpage at Reconstructing the Archer Av J/Z track (mta.info), which will be updated as necessary.