On Monday, July 11, MTA New York City Transit’s FASTRACK program returns to the lines between Midtown Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn.  From 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., for four consecutive weeknights from Monday, July 11, to early Friday morning, July 15,  and  trains will run via the 6 Av line in Manhattan. 

 trains will be rerouted via the  in both directions between 59 St-Columbus Circle and 34 St-Herald Sq, then via the  in both directions between 34 St-Herald Sq and Jay St-MetroTech.  trains will run via the  in both directions between 5 Av/53 St and 34 St-Herald Sq, then via the  in both directions between 34 St-Herald Sq and 2 Av, which will be the final stop.   service will end early between 168 St and Euclid Av each night.

Travel alternatives:

• Use 6 Av stations to connect with rerouted trains or trains for nearby stations in Manhattan.
• Take trains for service to and from Lower Manhattan.
• Take trains for service to and from 34 St-Penn Station and Times Sq-42 St/Port Authority Bus Terminal.

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. More information on this FASTRACK can be found on the web at http://web.mta.info/nyct/service/fastrack_ACE.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 our previous FASTRACK in August 2014, an army of NYC Transit workers were deployed along the Eighth Avenue corridor between 59 St-Columbus Circle and Jay St-MetroTech.  Workers took advantage of seven hours of train-free access each night from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to perform a range of cleaning and maintenance tasks of station and tunnel infrastructure, signal equipment, and track and third rail components.  Track workers scraped and cleaned 30,740 feet of track, installed 20 new rails, 506 track tie plates, and 48 tie blocks, and scraped and cleaned 9,428 feet of track under and around the third rail. Infrastructure crews grouted 109 leaks, cleaned 375 feet of "No Clearance" signs, repaired 65 square feet of damaged concrete, scraped and cleaned a 55-foot section of the trough running in the center of the roadbed, poured 100 square feet of new concrete, replaced 129 tunnel light bulbs, and performed pump plant maintenance, including the removal of 70 gallons of silt.

At subway stations, workers primed 4,950 square feet and painted 22,342 square feet of paintable station surfaces.  They also replaced 8 platform signs, replaced 1,185 light bulbs, washed 559 fixtures, replaced 59 fluorescent lighting ballasts, repaired 765 feet of rubbing board attached to the platform edge, repaired 34 square feet of tiles, installed 35 feet of new drain line, repaired two vent drains and cleaned 36 vents. Signal crews serviced 48 switches, 14 signals, performed cable repairs, replaced 6 signal components and conducted 118 monthly inspections.  Electronic maintenance was performed on 12 CCTV cameras, 36 CCTV monitors, and workers installed 80 feet of new CCTV conduit.

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 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 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 next FASTRACK overnight closure will be on the  Line in Brooklyn between Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs and Bedford Av for two consecutive weeks from August 1 to August 5, and August 8 to August 12.