NYCT riders face overnight line closures

To ease track maintenance on a system that operates 24/7 and to make it safer for workers, MTA New York City Transit in January will launch a pilot Segment Closure Program that will shut portions of subway lines overnight for consecutive nights. This will permit workers to perform tasks without having to stop periodically while trains roll through the work site.

A major benefit will be the ability to shut power to the third rail. The program will also boost productivity and shave costs on a system that perennially faces funding shortfalls.

“We are one of the few transit systems that operate around the clock, so it’s always a challenge to find time to do work on the tracks, especially with ridership up on weekends and overnight,” said MTA New York City Transit President Tom Prendergast. “Closing segments of lines so that we can get in and get the work done quickly benefits everyone—it’s safer for workers, less disruptive for riders, and gets projects done more quickly for everyone.”

NYCT said four lines running through the central business district havebeen identified for the initial line closures, which will take place overfour consecutive weeknights between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. The lines are the Eighth Ave. (A, C, E), Seventh Ave. (1, 2, 3), Sixth Ave. (B, D, F, M) and Lexington Ave. (4, 5, 6). Similar closures for capital track work will also be piloted. This would mean closing a track segment on a continuous basis, rather than performing work in a piecemeal fashion over a longer period of time.

A similar pilot program is planned sometime in the future for capital construction on subway lines.