The New York City Subway Lines Project:
A Train] (8th Avenue Express)

The A Train runs from 207th Street in Manhattan all the way out to Far Rockaway in Queens. The A Train runs express in Manhattan and Brooklyn until midnight and 11pm respectively. The A Train always runs local in Queens.

Station Information for the A Train is as follows:

Manhattan:

207 Street - Inwood, Broadway
Bus and other connections: M100 Bx7 Bx12 Bx20

Dyckman St (200 Street), Broadway

190 Street, Ft Washington Av
Bus and other connections: M4 M98

181 Street, Ft Washington Av
Bus and other connections: Bx3 Bx13 Bx35

175 Street, Ft Washington Av
Bus and other connections: M5 M9 M100 Bx7 Bx11 Bx36

168 Street - Washington Hts, Broadway
Transfers: 1 9 B C
Bus and other connections: M2 M3 M4 M5 M18 M100 Bx7

163 Street - Amsterdam Av, St Nicholas Av
Evenings and late nights only.
Bus and other connections: M101

155 Street, St Nicholas Av
Evenings and late lights only.
Bus and other connections: Bx6

145 Street, St Nicholas Av
Transfers: B C D
Bus and other connections: M3 Bx19

135 Street, St Nicholas Av
Late nights only.
Bus and other connections: Bx33

125 Street, St Nicholas Av
Late nights only.
Transfers: B C D
Bus and other connections: M3 M18 M60 (LaGuardia Airport) M100 M101 Bx15

116 Street, 8 Avenue
Late nights only.
Bus and other connections: M7 M10 M116

Cathedral Pkwy (110 Street), Central Park West
Late nights only.
Bus and other connections: M3 M4 M18

103 Street, Central Park West
Late nights only.

96 Street, Central Park West
Late nights only.
Bus and other connections: M96 M106

86 Street, Central Park West
Late nights only.
Bus and other connections: M86

81 Street - Museum of Natural History, Central Park West
Late nights only.
Bus and other connections: M79

72 Street, Central Park West
Late nights only.
Bus and other connections: M72

59 Street - Columbus Circle, 8 Avenue
Transfers: B C D 1 9
Bus and other connections: M5 M7 M10 M30 M31 M57 M104

50 Street, 8 Avenue
Late nights only.
Wheelchair accessible southbound only.
Transfers: E
Bus and other connections: M10 M27 M50 M104

42 Street, 8 Avenue
Wheelchair accessible.
Transfers: 1 2 3 7 9 C E N R S
Bus and other connections: M10 M16 M47 M42 M104 Port Authority Bus Terminal

34 Street - Penn Station, 8 Avenue
Transfers: C E
Bus and other connections: M4 M16 M34 Q32 LIRR Amtrak NJTransit

23 Street, 8 Avenue
Late nights only.
Bus and other connections: M23

14 Street, 8 Avenue
Transfers: C E L
Bus and other connections: M10 M14

W 4 Street - Washington Sq, Av of Americas
Transfers: B C D E F Q
Bus and other connections: M5 M8 PATH

Spring Street, Av of Americas
Late nights only.
Bus and other connections: M21

Canal Street, Av of Americas
Transfers: A E

Chambers Street, Church Street
Transfers: 2 3 C E
Bus and other connections: M22 PATH Hoboken Ferry

Broadway - Nassau, Fulton Street
Transfers: 2 3 4 5 C J M Z
Bus and other connections: M1 M6 M9 M15 M22 M103 B51

Brooklyn:

High St - Brooklyn Bridge, Cadman Plaza E
Bus and other connections: B25 B37 B41 B57 B61 B62 B69

Jay Street - Borough Hall, Fulton Mall
Transfers: C F
Bus and other connections: B26 B37 B38 B41 B45 B51 B52 B54 B61 B65 B67 B75

Hoyt Street - Schermerhorn St
Transfers: C G
Bus and other connections: B41 B45 B63 B67

Lafayette Av, Fulton St
Nights and weekends only.
Bus and other connections: B38 B52 LIRR

Clinton - Washington Avs, Fulton St
Nights and weekends only.
Bus and other connections: B26 B45 B69

Franklin Av, Fulton St
Nights and weekends only.
Transfers: S
Bus and other connections: B48 B49

Nostrand Av, Fulton St
Transfers: C
Bus and other connections: B44 LIRR

Kingston - Throop Avs, Fulton St
Nights and weekends only.
Bus and other connections: B15 B47

Utica Avenue, Fulton St
Transfers: C
Bus and other connections: B46

Ralph Avenue, Fulton St
Nights and weekends only.
Bus and other connections: B40

Rockaway Avenue, Fulton St
Nights and weekends only.
Bus and other connections: B7 B60

Broadway - East New York, Fulton St
Transfers: C J L Z
Bus and other connections: B20 B25 B83 Q24 Q56

Liberty Av, Pennsylvania Av
Nights and weekends only.
Bus and other connections: B12 B20 B40 B83

Van Siclen Av, Pitkin Av
Nights and weekends only.

Shepherd Av, Pitkin Av
Nights and weekends only.

Euclid Av, Pitkin Av
Transfers: C
Bus and other connections: B13 Q7 Q8

Grant Av, Pitkin Av
Bus and other connections: B12 Q7

Queens:

80 St (Hudson St), Liberty Av

88 St(Boyd Av), Liberty Av

Rockaway Blvd, Liberty Av
Bus and other connections: Q7 Q11 Q21 Q41 Q112

104 Street (Oxford Av), Liberty Av
Nights: Shuttle Train Euclid Av-Lefferts Blvd

111 Street (Greenwood Av), Liberty Av
Nights: Shuttle Train Euclid Av-Lefferts Blvd
Bus and other connections: Q37

Lefferts Blvd, Liberty Av
Nights: Shuttle Train Euclid Av-Lefferts Blvd
Bus and other connections: Q10 (to JFK Airport) Q112

Aqueduct - N Conduit Av
Bus and other connections: Q11

Howard Beach - JFK Airport, 159 Avenue
Wheelchair accessible - northbound only.
Bus and other connections: Free shuttle bus to JFK Airport terminals

Broad Channel
Transfers: S

Beach 90 St - Holland, Rockaway Freeway
Rush Hours Only - to Manhattan a.m, from Manhattan p.m.
Bus and other connections: Q21 Q22

Beach 98 St - Playland, Rockaway Freeway
Rush Hours Only -to Manhattan a.m., from Manhattan p.m.

Beach 105 St - Seaside, Rockaway Freeway
Rush Hours Only - to Manhattan a.m., from Manhattan p.m.

Rockaway Park - Beach 116 St
Rush Hours Only - to Manhattan a.m., from Manhattan p.m.
Wheelchair accessible.
Bus and other connections: Q21 Q22 Q35

Beach 67 St (Gaston Av), Rockaway Freeway
Bus and other connections: Q22

Beach 60 St (Straiton Av), Rockaway Freeway

Beach 44 St (Frank Av), Rockaway Freeway

Beach 36 St - Edgemere, Rockaway Freeway
Bus and other connections: Q22

Beach 25 St - Wavecrest, Rockaway Freeway

Far Rockaway - Mott Av
Bus and other connections: Q22 Q22A Q113 N31 N32 N33 LIRR

The A Train is the longest line of the New York City Subway. From end to end the ride takes over two hours, and that's going express for much of the way! It features a causeway over Jamaica Bay that is reminiscent of rural train rides.

The route that is currently the A was mostly built as part of the Independent Subway System (IND) by the city in the late 20s and early 30s. This includes the portion from Washington Heights in Manhattan and down Central Park West, the Eighth Avenue line, the tunnel under the East River to Brooklyn and the Fulton Avenue line. The farthest outlying tunnel portions under Fulton Avenue were the last section of the IND built before the war, and they are very Art Deco.

A short elevated portion beyond the Fulton Avenue subway was part of the old Fulton Avenue elevated structure, of the Brooklyn Manhattan Transit (BMT) system. The portion that runs near JFK airport and over the causeway was built by the Transit Authority in the 50s, and was some of the first new construction after unification. The Far Rockaway and Rockaway Park branches were actually some disused Long Island Railway trackage that was overhauled for incorporation into the line. Thus the route of the A Train contains trackage developed by three different transit providors.

The A Train currently runs a mixture of R44-46 rolling stock, from the early 70s and characterized by nice interiors and an external LED display, and older R32 stock. The A line was the former home of the experimental R110B train, which now runs on the C

The ride over Jamaica Bay is possibly one of the most beautiful trips possible on the New York City Subway.

The ride starts in Howard Beach, at the JFK station. As you pull out of the station, you see the houses of Howard Beach on the right side of the train, and JFK's long term parking area on the right. But don't worry, it gets better.

A small creek develops on the right side of the train. This is a part of New York City which is often easier to reach by boat. On the left hand side, unfortunately, is landfill.

After passing the landfill, the train pulls into the bay proper. Sitting on the left side and facing backwards (or watching from the rear window) gives you an incredible view of the JFK airfield and the planes queued up for clearance. If you time it right, you may even see one take off.

The right side of the train gives you a long view over the usually-calm waters of the bay. By now you can usually see the bridge connecting Howard Beach and Broad Channel.
The bridge was named after someone in Congress. /msg me if you know who and you think it matters.

Broad Channel itself is a fairly interesting neighborhood. It was built as a beach community, and many of the houses are bungalows, many of which extend into the bay and are supported on stilts; a far cry from what is usually expected of New York.

The train pulls into the Broad Channel station 5-10 minutes after leaving the JFK station. This is the longest uninterrupted run in the system at 3.7 miles.

About half of the already thin crowd will disembark here; this is where the line splits, with one train going to Far Rockaway and another to Rockaway Park.

The rest of the ride before reaching the peninsula is also entertaining. Those facing backwards on the right side should be able to see the Manhattan skyline. Those facing forwards can see the gently curving Cross Bay Bridge connecting Queens to the Rockaways, the twin-towered Marine Parkway bridge serving the same function for Brooklyn residents, and the mighty Verrazano Bridge which connects Brooklyn to Staten Island.

Just before the track splits, those on the right can see the Cross Bay and Marine Parkway bridge line up with each other.

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