Weekend Service Changes to Cause Disruptions Along 17 Train Lines, MTA Says

NEW YORK CITY — Straphangers should prepare for another messy weekend on the subway lines, as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced planned service changes along 17 lines.

The temporary changes — to upgrade and provide maintenance to the authority's system — has disrupted weekend service several times this winter. The following lines will be affected from Friday evening through Monday morning: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, A, C, D, E F, G, J, M, N, Q and S.

The 7 and 5 trains will be among the most disrupted lines.

From Friday at 11:45 a.m. to Monday at 5 a.m., there will be no 7 train service between Times Square-42^nd Street and Queensboro Plaza. Straphangers can take the E, N, Q, the 42^nd Street shuttle and free shuttle buses as alternatives.

The authority recommends using the E, N, or Q trains between Manhattan and Queens, and will extend Q train service to Ditmars Blvd. Free shuttle buses will operate between Vernon Blvd-Jackson Avenue, and the 42^nd Street shuttle will run overnight to accommodate for these changes. 

The 7 train will return to its normal weekend schedule March 25, the MTA says.

There will also be no 5 train service between 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday due to station rehabilitation at 149^th Street-Grand Concourse.

Here are some other changes riders should know about heading into the weekend:

♦ 1 train — From 11:45 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday, uptown 1 trains run express from 72^ndStreet to 96^th Street due to work on a new compressor plant at 91^st Street. From Saturday at 3:45 a.m. to Sunday at 9 p.m., Rector Street-bound 1 trains will skip 238^th Street, 231^st Street and 225^th Street due to track panel installation north of 231^st Street. From 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, the last stop for some uptown 1 trains will be 137^th Street due to track panel installation north of 231^st Street in The Bronx.

♦ 2 train — From Friday at 11:45 p.m. to Saturday at 6:30 a.m., Uptown 2 trains will run express from 72^nd Street to 96^th Street due to work on a new compressor plant at 91^st Street.

♦ 4 train — From Friday at 11:45 p.m. to Saturday at 6:30 a.m., from 11:45 p.m., and from Sunday 11:45 p.m. to Monday at 5 a.m., Downtown 4 trains will run express from 14^th Street-Union Square to Brooklyn Bridge due to track maintenance at 14^th Street-Union Square.

From Friday at 11:45 p.m. to Monday at 5 a.m., Uptown 4 trains will run express from 125^th Street to Burnside Avenue due to station rehabilitation at 149^th Street-Grand Concourse.

And from Saturday at midnight to Monday at 5 a.m., Downtown 4 trains will run local from 125^th Street to 14^th Street

Union Square and Uptown 4 trains run local from Grand Central-42^nd Street to 125^th Street due to signal work between Grand Central-42^nd Street and 59^th Street and track work near 86^th Street.

♦ 6 train — From Friday at 11:45 p.m. to Monday at 5 a.m., Downtown 6 trains will run express from 14^th Street-Union Square to Brooklyn Bridge due to track maintenance at 14^th Street-Union Square.

And from 11:45 p.m. Friday to Monday at 5 a.m. , uptown 6 trains run express from 3^rdAvenue-138^th Street to Parkchester due to ADA work at Hunts Point Avenue.

♦ A train — From 11:45 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, Queens-bound A trains run local from 59^th Street to West 4^th Street, then are rerouted via the F line from West 4^th Street to Jay Street/MetroTech due to cable work north of Jay Street-MetroTech.

♦ C train — From 6:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday and Sunday, Brooklyn-bound C trains are rerouted via the F line from West 4^th Street to Jay Street-MetroTech due to cable work north of Jay Street-MetroTech.

♦ E train — From 11:45 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m., Monday, downtown E trains skip 23^rdStreet and Spring Street due to cable work north of Jay Street-MetroTech.

♦ F train — From 11:45 p.m. Friday 1 to 5 a.m. Monday, Jamaica-bound F trains skip 14^thStreet and 23^rd Street due to electrical work at 34^th Street-Herald Square. 

From 11:15 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, Coney Island-bound F trains are rerouted via the M after 36^th Street, Queens to 47^th-50^th Sts due to station work at Lexington Avenue-63^rd Street for SAS project.

And From 11:45 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday Coney Island-bound F trains run express from Jay Street-MetroTech to Church Avenue due to work on the Culver Viaduct Reconstruction and the Church Avenue Interlocking.

♦ G train — From 11:45 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, there are no G trains between Church Avenue and Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts due to work on the Culver Viaduct Reconstruction and the Church Avenue Interlocking.  Customers should take the F instead. 

♦ J train — From 5:30 a.m. Saturday to 10 p.m. Sunday, there are no J trains between Crescent Street and Jamaica Center due to structural steel repair and painting north of Cypress Hills.  Free shuttle buses and E trains provide alternate service via Jamaica-Van Wyck. J trains run between Chambers Street and Crescent Street. Free shuttle buses operate between Crescent Street and 121^st Street, and connect with the E at Jamaica-Van Wyck, where service to/from, Sutphin Blvd. and Jamaica Center is available. 

♦ M train — Until early 2013, Knickerbocker Avenue will be closed in both directions for station rehabilitation.

♦ N train — From Friday at 10:45 p.m. to Monday at 5 a.m., Queens-bound N trains will run express from Canal Street to 34^th Street-Herald Square due to electrical work at 14^th Street-Union Square.

♦ Q train — On Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Q trains will be extended to Ditmars Blvd. to augment service between Manhattan and Queens.

MTA officials also reminded straphangers of the changes to the 1 and A trains, which will remain in effect until further notice because of Hurricane Sandy.

There will be no 1 train service between Rector Street and South Ferry, and no A train service between Howard Beach and Far Rockaway. Free shuttle buses will operate non-stop between Howard Beach and Far Rockaway, and free H shuttle trains will operate between Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue and Beach 90^th Street.

 For the latest updates, rider can log onto www.mta.info. For more on the 2010-2014 Capital Program, riders should log on to www.mta.info/capital.