17 Train Lines Affected by Weekend Service Changes, MTA Says

NEW YORK CITY — Straphangers should brace themselves for another hectic weekend along the subway lines, after the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced planned service changes along 17 lines.

The temporary changes, scheduled to upgrade and provide maintenance to the authority's system, has disrupted weekend service on a number of lines throughout the winter months.

The following lines will be affected through Monday morning: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, A, C, E F, G, M, N, Q, R, and S.

7 train riders have drawn the short straw again — service changes have disrupted the line every weekend since the end of December.

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

The MTA recommended 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 drama ends after two more weekends, though — the 7 train will return to its normal weekend schedule March 25, the MTA says.

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

♦ 1 train — From 3:45 a.m. Saturday to 9 p.m. Sunday, uptown 1 trains skip 225^th Street, 231^st Street and 238^th Street due to track panel installation north of 225^th Street.

And from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, the last stop for some uptown 1 trains is 137^th Street because of the same panel installation.

♦ 2 train — From 11:30 p.m. Friday, March 8 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 11, there are no 2 trains between 3^rd Avenue-149^th Street and 96^th Street due to station work at 149^th Street-Grand Concourse, track maintenance at 96^th Street and tunnel lighting in the Harlem River tube.  Downtown 2 trains operate local between 96^th Street and Times Square-42^nd Street.

Free shuttle buses operate:

♦ Non-stop – Between 96^th Street and 3^rd Avenue-149^th Street 

♦ Local – Between 96^th Street and 3^rd Avenue-149^th Street 

During this time, 2 trains will operate in two sections:

♦ Between 241^st Street and 3^rd Avenue-149^th Street

♦ Between 96^th Street and Flatbush Avenue

♦ 3 train — From 11:30 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, 3 service is suspended due to station work at 149^th Street-Grand Concourse, track maintenance at 96^th Street and tunnel lighting in the Harlem River tube.  2 trains make all 3 station stops between 96^th Street and Franklin Avenue.  4 trains make all 3 station stops between Franklin Avenue and New Lots Avenue.  Free shuttle bus operates as a local between 96^th Street and 148^th Street.

♦ 4 train — From 11:30 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday,  4 service is extended to New Lots Avenue and operates as a local in Brooklyn due to work on the 2, 3, 5 line.

Straphangers can expect changes on overnight 4 service as well. From 11:45 p.m. Friday to 6:30 a.m. Saturday, from 11:45 p.m. Saturday to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, March 10 and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday, downtown 4 trains run express from 125^th Street to Grand Central-42^nd Street due to track tie block work near 96^th Street and 103^rd Street.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Monday, downtown 4 trains run local from Grand Central-42^nd Street to Brooklyn Bridge due to signal work south of Grand Central-42^nd Street.

♦ 5 train — From 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, there are no 5 trains between East 180^thStreet and 149^th Street-Grand Concourse due to station work at 149^th Street-Grand Concourse, track maintenance at 96^th Street and tunnel lighting in the Harlem River tube.

Free shuttle bus operates across 149^th Street between 3^rd Avenue-149^th Street and 149^th Street-Grand Concourse.   5 train service operates in two sections:

♦ Between Dyre Avenue and East 180^th Street

♦ Between 149^th Street-Grand Concourse and Bowling Green (every 20 minutes)

Note: 5 trains from Manhattan skip 138^th Street-Grand Concourse, take the 4 instead.

Also, from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, downtown 5 trains run local from Grand Central-42^nd Street to Brooklyn Bridge due to signal work south of Grand Central-42^nd Street.

♦ 6 train — From 11:45 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, downtown 6 trains run express from 125^th Street to Grand Central-42^nd Street due to track tie block work near 96^th Street and 103^rdStreet.

♦ A train — From 11:45 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Saturday, uptown A trains run express from 59^thStreet-Columbus Circle to 125^th Street due to scraping and painting of track ceiling at 81^st Street.

Also, from 11:45 p.m. Friday to 6:30 a.m. Saturday  from 11:45 p.m. Saturday to 6:30 a.m. and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday, Queens-bound A trains run express from Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts to Utica Avenue due to platform edge and tile work at Utica Avenue.

♦ C train — From 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, downtown C trains run express from Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts to Utica Avenue due to platform edge and tile work at Utica Avenue.

♦ E train — From 12:15 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Saturday, from 12:15 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, and from 12:15 a.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, Queens-bound E trains run express from Queens Plaza to Forest Hills-71^st Avenue due to ADA work at Forest Hills-71^st Avenue.

♦ 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 — At all times through first quarter of 2013, F and G trains skip Smith-9^th Sts. in both directions due to station rehabilitation.  Customers may use the B61 for connections between Smith-9^th Sts. station and 4^thAvenue-9^th Street station, where F, G and R trains are available.  Customers may also use the B57 bus for connections between Smith-9^th Sts. station and Carroll Street station, where F and G trains are available.

♦ M train — Beginning 12:01 a.m. Saturday, and continuing for the next 5 months until August 2013, M trains will bypass Central Avenue in both directions due to station rehabilitation work at Central Avenue.  

♦ N train — From 11:45 p.m. Friday, March 8 to 5 a.m. Monday, Brooklyn-bound N trains run express from 34^thStreet-Herald Square to Canal Street due to track maintenance at 8^th Street.

♦ Q train — From 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, Q trains are extended to Ditmars Blvd. in order to augment service between Manhattan and Queens.

♦ R train — From 6:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday and Sunday, Queens-bound R trains run express from Queens Plaza to Forest Hills-71^st Avenue due to track renewal north of 36^th Street. 

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.