Normal Service to Resume Between 121 St and Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer by 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 19
Nearly 2.5 Miles of Track Replaced at End of and Subway Lines
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that normal and service will be restored by 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 19, between the 121 St and Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer stations in Queens following completion of approximately 2.4 miles of track replacement. This work on the and lines replaced 12,500 feet of track and third rail, about double the length of track replaced for the track reconstruction work in 2020, also in Southeast Queens. The 40-year-old-track was replaced with a successfully proven updated design to increase durability and improve quality of service.
With this final segment of a multi-phase project complete, the total amount of track replaced in this area of Queens is 18,800 feet, about 3.6 miles, the length of about 64 football fields. The first part, completed in December 2020, involved the reconstruction of the track between Jamaica-Van Wyck and Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer and replaced 6,300 feet of track in 10 weeks.
“This track replacement work brings us closer to our goal – delivering New Yorkers the modern subway system that they deserve,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “We thank our customers’ for their patience as we worked to install modern infrastructure that will deliver service improvements and reliability on the and lines.”
“This direct fixation work ensures the Lower Archer line will be in a state of good repair, delivering reliable service for and customers,” said MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. “Building on the work done on the line a few years ago along Archer Av, the team efficiently replaced miles of aging track with a modern, durable design, supporting more reliable service for years to come.”
"The reliability and quality of our service shows the commitment we have to our customers,” said New York City Transit Senior Vice President for Subways Demetrius Crichlow. “The MTA is delivering on its promise to improve trust and share the excitement with the communities we serve on the progress of rebuilding the system to provide more efficient service in the quickest timeline possible.”
“The completion of this important track replacement work along the and lines is great news for Queens subway riders,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “These critical improvements will produce better and more reliable service, which will be much appreciated by all those who travel in and around the vibrant neighborhoods these lines serve. I commend the MTA, led by Chair and CEO Janno Lieber, and New York City Transit, led by President Richard Davey, for completing this work on time and with as little disruption as possible.”
“Commuters, community residents, and visitors depend on the MTA to deliver safe, reliable service,” said NYS Senator Leroy Comrie, Chairman of Committee on Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions. “This track replacement work serves as an integral part of meeting that expectation for the countless people who rely on the MTA. Thanks to the MTA, NYCT, and all those who delivered this track replacement on time.”
"Regular maintenance of our trains is essential to ensuring reliable, safe, and efficient service," said NYC Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. "This critical replacement track work along the and lines, replaced 12,500 feet of track, completing the replacement of 18,800 feet of track. I commend MTA Chair Lieber and Transit President Richard Davey for completing the Archer Direct Fixation Track Work on time and at cost."
"My constituents deserve reliability and assurance when riding the subway," said District 29 Council Member Lynn Schulman. "That is why it is amazing to hear that the ten-week service outage on the line has been efficiently restored and repaired in a timely manner by the MTA."
This track replacement project, which began earlier this year on July 1, required a full temporary suspension of service to accommodate the work due to the replacement of direct fixation track. Unlike conventional tracks, which are most common in the subway and easier to replace in shorter time periods during low ridership such as overnight hours, direct fixation track requires the concrete roadbed to be entirely reconstructed. This project replaced 12,500 feet of direct fixation track, with the exception of 3,000 feet, which was replaced in kind.
For information on upcoming service changes and trip planning, customers are encouraged to check Planned Service Changes on the MTA website or sign up for the MTA Weekender, a new newsletter intended to inform customers about major weekend service changes throughout the transit system.