How are subway trains named?

When the first city-run subway service, the Independent Subway System (IND), launched, it used the letters A through H, and S (for special), to name its routes, Shapiro said. “A single letter meant it was an express train, double meant local,” she explained. All three systems were merged and taken over by the city.

How are NYC subway lines named?

Service labels have always been assigned based on their outer line (Brooklyn on the BMT, Bronx on the IRT and IND) and then by the Manhattan trunk if necessary to distinguish multiple services on the same line.

What does running local mean subway?

Figuring out “Local” versus “Express” subway lines You can call these stations “Local”, in the sense that only trains making every stop will stop at that station. So if you get down to the platform and you only have a wall on one side and one track on the other, you don’t have to worry about Local v.

What does Diamond mean NYC subway?

7 train riders looking to race from the subway platform to home plate at Shea Stadium should look for the diamond. NYC Transit has begun rolling out subway trains with new digital signs brightly declaring if they are running express or local: a red diamond for express, a green circle for local.

What does station skipped mean?

Stations Skipped. When trains skip a station in one direction. If you’re on the platform waiting to board, you’ll see a train come through the station without stopping. In this case, you may need to travel in the opposite direction to reach your destination.

Why does the subway skip stops?

Trains on the same track cannot pass each other like buses can, and so to increase speed, changes can only be made in terms of headway, or in which stations are served. Skipping stations increases the average speed of trains, thus making journeys quicker and more appealing to commuters.

What do train colors mean?

At every express stop, the color changes, rotating between five primary color families of red, yellow, green, blue and purple. These color shifts would signify to passengers where they could switch from an express to a local train.

What color is the R train?

All trains that share a trunk route are the same color. For example, Lexington Ave’s 4,5,6 routes are all green, and Broadway’s N, Q, R, W routes are all yellow, regardless of their terminal destinations.

Does Z train still exist?

The Straphangers Campaign, Brooklyn Borough president Marty Markowitz and even bagpiper John Maynard came together today to mourn the passing of the Z train.