Rapid transit or mass rapid transit ( MRT ) or heavy rail , commonly referred to as metro , is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas . A grade separated rapid transit line below ground surface through a tunnel can be regionally called a subway , tube , metro or underground . They are sometimes grade-separated on elevated railways , in which case some are referred to as el trains – short for "elevated" – or skytrains . Rapid transit systems are railways , usually electric , that unlike buses or trams operate on an exclusive right-of-way , which cannot be accessed by pedestrians or other vehicles.
110-445: The Q Second Avenue/Broadway Express/Brighton Local is a rapid transit service in the B Division of the New York City Subway . Its route emblem, or "bullet", is colored yellow since it is a part of the BMT Broadway Line in Manhattan . The Q operates at all times between 96th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Stillwell Avenue in Coney Island , Brooklyn , via Second Avenue and Broadway in Manhattan,
220-550: A cable car service connection over the bridge allowed access to New York City Hall at Park Row in Manhattan. In 1900, elevated trains were through-routed to Park Row without need to change trains. By 1903, a surface extension of the Brighton Beach Line on what is now Brighton Beach Avenue permitted through service from Park Row, Manhattan west to Culver Depot at Surf Avenue near West 8th Street, much nearer to
330-425: A body of water), which are potential congestion sites but also offer an opportunity for transfers between lines. Ring lines provide good coverage, connect between the radial lines and serve tangential trips that would otherwise need to cross the typically congested core of the network. A rough grid pattern can offer a wide variety of routes while still maintaining reasonable speed and frequency of service. A study of
440-402: A cable-hauled line using stationary steam engines . As of 2021 , China has the largest number of rapid transit systems in the world – 40 in number, running on over 4,500 km (2,800 mi) of track – and was responsible for most of the world's rapid-transit expansion in the 2010s. The world's longest single-operator rapid transit system by route length
550-454: A code for its stations. Unlike that of Singapore's MRT, it is mostly numbers. Based on the line number, for example Sinyongsan station, is coded as station 429. Being on Line 4, the first number of the station code is 4. The last two numbers are the station number on that line. Interchange stations can have multiple codes. Like City Hall station in Seoul which is served by Line 1 and Line 2. It has
660-651: A code of 132 and 201 respectively. The Line 2 is a circle line and the first stop is City Hall, therefore, City Hall has the station code of 201. For lines without a number like Bundang line it will have an alphanumeric code. Lines without a number that are operated by KORAIL will start with the letter 'K'. With widespread use of the Internet and cell phones globally, transit operators now use these technologies to present information to their users. In addition to online maps and timetables, some transit operators now offer real-time information which allows passengers to know when
770-583: A conventional track is often provided in case of flat tires and for switching . There are also some rubber-tired systems that use a central guide rail , such as the Sapporo Municipal Subway and the NeoVal system in Rennes , France. Advocates of this system note that it is much quieter than conventional steel-wheeled trains, and allows for greater inclines given the increased traction of
880-405: A dedicated right-of-way are typically used only outside dense areas, since they create a physical barrier in the urban fabric that hinders the flow of people and vehicles across their path and have a larger physical footprint. This method of construction is the cheapest as long as land values are low. It is often used for new systems in areas that are planned to fill up with buildings after the line
990-418: A large number of factors, including geographical barriers, existing or expected travel patterns, construction costs, politics, and historical constraints. A transit system is expected to serve an area of land with a set of lines , which consist of shapes summarized as "I", "L", "U", "S", and "O" shapes or loops. Geographical barriers may cause chokepoints where transit lines must converge (for example, to cross
1100-652: A large part of the network, for example, in outer suburbs, runs at ground level. In most of Britain , a subway is a pedestrian underpass . The terms Underground and Tube are used for the London Underground . The North East England Tyne and Wear Metro , mostly overground, is known as the Metro . In Scotland , the Glasgow Subway underground rapid transit system is known as the Subway . In Ireland ,
1210-452: A line is obtained by multiplying the car capacity, the train length, and the service frequency . Heavy rapid transit trains might have six to twelve cars, while lighter systems may use four or fewer. Cars have a capacity of 100 to 150 passengers, varying with the seated to standing ratio – more standing gives higher capacity. The minimum time interval between trains is shorter for rapid transit than for mainline railways owing to
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#17327721260301320-615: A metro. In Spain, such systems are present in Madrid , Barcelona , Bilbao and Valencia . In Portugal, Lisbon has a metro. The Italian cities of Catania , Genoa , Milan , Naples , Rome and Turin also have metro lines. In Germany and Austria they rapid transit is known as U-Bahn , which are often supported by S-Bahn systems. In Germany, U-Bahn systems exist in Berlin , Hamburg , Munich and Nuremberg , while in Austria such
1430-678: A mutual station. On December 11, 1988, the Bridge's north side tracks reopened and the south side tracks closed, and the reconstruction project on the Brighton Line ended. The Q became the weekday Brighton Express to Brighton Beach and was rerouted via the north side of the bridge and the IND Sixth Avenue Line to 57th Street–Sixth Avenue , Midtown Manhattan . Because it ran on the Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan,
1540-565: A specialized transit police may be established. These security measures are normally integrated with measures to protect revenue by checking that passengers are not travelling without paying. Some subway systems, such as the Beijing Subway , which is ranked by Worldwide Rapid Transit Data as the "World's Safest Rapid Transit Network" in 2015, incorporates airport-style security checkpoints at every station. Rapid transit systems have been subject to terrorism with many casualties, such as
1650-608: A system exists in Vienna . In addition, the small, car-free town of Serfaus in the Austrian state of Tyrol also features a short U-Bahn line. There are no U-Bahn systems in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, but the city of Lausanne has its own, small metro system. In Zurich, Switzerland's largest city, a project for a U-Bahn network was stopped by a referendum in the 1970s and instead its S-Bahn system
1760-499: A trip in RR service. The first two morning rush hour QB trains ran to Ditmars Boulevard as of May 7, 1978, returning in service as RR trains to 36th Street. The last two evening rush hour QB trains entered service at Ditmars Boulevard, with the final trip having previously made an RR trip from 36th Street. In 1979, the MTA released a revised coloring scheme for subway routes based on trunk line;
1870-801: Is a shortened reference to a metropolitan area . Rapid transit systems such as the Washington Metrorail , Los Angeles Metro Rail , the Miami Metrorail , and the Montreal Metro are generally called the Metro . In Philadelphia , the term "El" is used for the Market–Frankford Line which runs mostly on an elevated track, while the term "subway" applies to the Broad Street Line which is almost entirely underground. Chicago 's commuter rail system that serves
1980-608: Is a single corporate image for the entire transit authority, but the rapid transit uses its own logo that fits into the profile. A transit map is a topological map or schematic diagram used to show the routes and stations in a public transport system. The main components are color-coded lines to indicate each line or service, with named icons to indicate stations. Maps may show only rapid transit or also include other modes of public transport. Transit maps can be found in transit vehicles, on platforms , elsewhere in stations, and in printed timetables . Maps help users understand
2090-506: Is built. Most rapid transit trains are electric multiple units with lengths from three to over ten cars. Crew sizes have decreased throughout history, with some modern systems now running completely unstaffed trains. Other trains continue to have drivers, even if their only role in normal operation is to open and close the doors of the trains at stations. Power is commonly delivered by a third rail or by overhead wires . The whole London Underground network uses fourth rail and others use
2200-416: Is necessary, rolling stock with a smaller loading gauge from one sub network may be transported along other lines that use larger trains. On some networks such operations are part of normal services. Most rapid transit systems use conventional standard gauge railway track . Since tracks in subway tunnels are not exposed to rain , snow , or other forms of precipitation , they are often fixed directly to
2310-555: Is referred to simply as "the subway", despite 40% of the system running above ground. The term "L" or "El" is not used for elevated lines in general as the lines in the system are already designated with letters and numbers. The "L" train or L (New York City Subway service) refers specifically to the 14th Street–Canarsie Local line, and not other elevated trains. Similarly, the Toronto Subway is referred to as "the subway", with some of its system also running above ground. These are
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#17327721260302420-412: Is serviced by at least one specific route with trains stopping at all or some of the line's stations. Most systems operate several routes, and distinguish them by colors, names, numbering, or a combination thereof. Some lines may share track with each other for a portion of their route or operate solely on their own right-of-way. Often a line running through the city center forks into two or more branches in
2530-741: Is the Shanghai Metro . The world's largest single rapid transit service provider by number of stations (472 stations in total) is the New York City Subway . The busiest rapid transit systems in the world by annual ridership are the Shanghai Metro, Tokyo subway system , Seoul Metro and the Moscow Metro . The term Metro is the most commonly used term for underground rapid transit systems used by non-native English speakers. Rapid transit systems may be named after
2640-959: Is today the Atlantic Branch of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR). A physical connection existed between the Brighton, Flatbush and Coney Island Railway and the LIRR. By mutual agreement trains of the Brooklyn, Flatbush and Coney Island Railway ran on LIRR trackage west to its terminal at Flatbush Avenue and Atlantic Avenue, providing a connection to Downtown Brooklyn and ferries to Manhattan. LIRR trains also operated to Brighton Beach from Flatbush Avenue and from its own terminal in Long Island City , with ferry access to Midtown Manhattan . Initially, service operated during
2750-497: The 60th Street Tunnel and the BMT Astoria Line to Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard during weekday rush hours, and on Saturday mornings and early afternoons. Number 2 Fourth Avenue Local trains also ran here at all times. On April 27, 1950, 1 Local trains were extended to Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard during middays. On June 26, 1952, 1 Express trains were extended from Times Square to 57th Street–Seventh Avenue on weekdays after
2860-836: The Atlantic Ocean at the foot of modern-day Coney Island Avenue. Passengers could make connections with the horsecars of the Brooklyn City Railroad at the Prospect Park terminal. On August 19, 1878, service was extended north from Prospect Park along what is today the BMT Franklin Avenue Line used by the Franklin Avenue Shuttle , to Atlantic Avenue west of Franklin Avenue, a location known as Bedford station on what
2970-715: The BMT 63rd Street Line and the IND Second Avenue Line. This extension serves Lexington Avenue–63rd Street station with a cross-platform transfer to the IND 63rd Street Line (served by the F and <F> train) before serving new stations under Second Avenue at 72nd Street , 86th Street , and 96th Street, where it originates/terminates. The inaugural train on the Second Avenue Line ran on December 31, 2016, with passenger service beginning
3080-606: The BMT Astoria Line by 1 Express trains on weekdays. On May 4, 1957, 1 Express trains running started running to Ditmars Boulevard on Saturdays as well, but made local stops in Manhattan as the local trains in Brooklyn now ran to Chambers Street via the BMT Nassau Street Line. The final portion of the Broadway Line's express tracks, between Times Square–42nd Street and 57th Street–Seventh Avenue,
3190-622: The Chrystie Street Connection opened, connecting the Brighton Line in Brooklyn to the IND Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan via the Manhattan Bridge . The bridge's south side tracks, which formerly connected to the BMT Nassau Street Line , were now connected to the Broadway Line express tracks instead. The bridge's north side tracks, which formerly connected to the Broadway Line, now connected to
3300-627: The Dublin Area Rapid Transit is despite the name considered a commuter rail due to usage of mainline railways. In France, large cities, such as Paris , Marseille and Lyon , feature a Métro . Also the smaller cities of Lille Rennes have a light metro. Furthermore, Brussels in Belgium, and Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands have metro systems in place. Several Southern European contries also have
3410-752: The Hudson and Manhattan Railroad K-series cars from 1958, the New York City Subway R38 and R42 cars from the late-1960s, and the Nagoya Municipal Subway 3000 series , Osaka Municipal Subway 10 series and MTR M-Train EMUs from the 1970s, were generally only made possible largely due to the relatively generous loading gauges of these systems and also adequate open-air sections to dissipate hot air from these air conditioning units. Especially in some rapid transit systems such as
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3520-549: The IND Queens Boulevard Line to Forest Hills–71st Avenue during temporary post-9/11 service reroutes, and along the IND 63rd Street Line to 21st Street–Queensbridge until 2001. There was also a <Q> variant from 2001 to 2004, which ran express on the Brighton Line and terminated at Brighton Beach due to construction on the north side of the Manhattan Bridge. On January 1, 2017, the Q
3630-740: The Metropolitan Railway opened publicly in London in 1863. High capacity monorails with larger and longer trains can be classified as rapid transit systems. Such monorail systems recently started operating in Chongqing and São Paulo . Light metro is a subclass of rapid transit that has the speed and grade separation of a "full metro" but is designed for smaller passenger numbers. It often has smaller loading gauges, lighter train cars and smaller consists of typically two to four cars. Light metros are typically used as feeder lines into
3740-557: The Montague Street Tunnel between Brooklyn and Manhattan. In 1921, PM rush hour express service was extended from Kings Highway to Brighton Beach. In 1923, Brighton express service operated via the Montague Tunnel and ran local on the Broadway Line. The BMT held a vote to see which route riders preferred on August 30, 1923. Passengers voted to have Brighton expresses run from Brighton Beach to Times Square via
3850-578: The Montreal Metro (opened 1966) and Sapporo Municipal Subway (opened 1971), their entirely enclosed nature due to their use of rubber-tyred technology to cope with heavy snowfall experienced by both cities in winter precludes any air-conditioning retrofits of rolling stock due to the risk of heating the tunnels to temperatures that would be too hot for passengers and for train operations. In many cities, metro networks consist of lines operating different sizes and types of vehicles. Although these sub-networks may not often be connected by track, in cases when it
3960-529: The Prague Metro . The London Underground and Paris Métro are densely built systems with a matrix of crisscrossing lines throughout the cities. The Chicago 'L' has most of its lines converging on The Loop , the main business, financial, and cultural area. Some systems have a circular line around the city center connecting to radially arranged outward lines, such as the Moscow Metro 's Koltsevaya Line and Beijing Subway 's Line 10 . The capacity of
4070-685: The Singapore MRT , Changi Airport MRT station has the alphanumeric code CG2, indicating its position as the 2nd station on the Changi Airport branch of the East West Line. Interchange stations have at least two codes, for example, Raffles Place MRT station has two codes, NS26 and EW14, the 26th station on the North South Line and the 14th station on the East West Line. The Seoul Metro is another example that utilizes
4180-450: The deep tube lines . Historically, rapid transit trains used ceiling fans and openable windows to provide fresh air and piston-effect wind cooling to riders. From the 1950s to the 1990s (and in most of Europe until the 2000s), many rapid transit trains from that era were also fitted with forced-air ventilation systems in carriage ceiling units for passenger comfort. Early rapid transit rolling stock fitted with air conditioning , such as
4290-409: The linear motor for propulsion. Some urban rail lines are built to a loading gauge as large as that of main-line railways ; others are built to a smaller one and have tunnels that restrict the size and sometimes the shape of the train compartments. One example is most of the London Underground , which has acquired the informal term "tube train" due to the cylindrical shape of the trains used on
4400-432: The 15 world largest subway systems suggested a universal shape composed of a dense core with branches radiating from it. Rapid transit operators have often built up strong brands , often focused on easy recognition – to allow quick identification even in the vast array of signage found in large cities – combined with the desire to communicate speed, safety, and authority. In many cities, there
4510-716: The 1930s, limited morning rush hour service ran via the south side tracks of the Manhattan Bridge and the Nassau Street Loop to Chambers Street on the BMT Nassau Street Line . On June 29, 1950, trains began running there during the evening rush as well. On October 17, 1949, the IRT Astoria Line in Queens, up to this point operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT), was converted to BMT operation. 1 Local trains were extended via
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4620-488: The 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack and the 2005 " 7/7 " terrorist bombings on the London Underground. Some rapid transport trains have extra features such as wall sockets, cellular reception, typically using a leaky feeder in tunnels and DAS antennas in stations, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity. The first metro system in the world to enable full mobile phone reception in underground stations and tunnels
4730-532: The 21st century, most new expansions and systems are located in Asia, with China becoming the world's leader in metro expansion, operating some of the largest and busiest systems while possessing almost 60 cities that are operating, constructing or planning a rapid transit system . Rapid transit is used for local transport in cities , agglomerations , and metropolitan areas to transport large numbers of people often short distances at high frequency . The extent of
4840-713: The AM rush, and one train ran light to 57th Street in the PM rush. On January 19, 1976, morning rush hour QB trains began running in service to Ditmars Boulevard, and most evening rush hour trains entered service at Queensboro Plaza, with only one evening rush hour train running from Coney Island to 57th Street. All but the first QB morning QB trip, which entered RR service, were cut back from Ditmars Boulevard to 57th Street on August 30, 1976. Evening rush hour trains only ran in service between Coney Island and 57th Street. The last PM rush hour QB train started at Ditmars Boulevard, having previously made
4950-534: The B on September 30, 1990. The F replaced the late night shuttle in April 1993. In January 1991, a reduction of service along the Central Park West corridor to remove excess capacity was proposed. Initially, Q service would operate between 207th Street and Brighton Beach during weekday rush hours and middays, making express stops along its entire route. The service plan was later amended to eliminate
5060-468: The Brighton Express tracks were closed to permit platform extension work at Newkirk Avenue. Skip-stop service was instituted along the Brighton Line. Brighton Express service, which made A stops, ran express from Brighton Beach to Kings Highway, and then stopped at Avenue J, Newkirk Avenue, Cortelyou Road, Beverley Road, Church Avenue, Parkside Avenue, and Prospect Park. On November 26, 1967,
5170-422: The Brighton Line began running local, doubling the frequency of service and providing a one-seat ride to Manhattan for riders at local stations. With the arrival of new subway cars to the line, which provided improved running times, trains making local stops between Brighton Beach and Prospect Park did so in only 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 minutes longer than existing express service. From February 10 to November 2, 1964,
5280-531: The Brighton Local and RR, and between the Brighton Express and T. Prior to this both Brighton Line–Broadway services had operated via the 60th Street Tunnel to Queens. By having the Brighton Express Q terminate at 57th Street, this change served to keep one Brighton Line service unaffected in the event of a massive delay in the 60th Street Tunnel. On April 21, 1962, Saturday express Q service was discontinued, and replaced by QB service. All Saturday trains on
5390-468: The Bronx , the northern suburbs of New York City, and southern Connecticut . An extension of the Second Avenue Line further west under 125th Street has been proposed, with transfers to other routes, although this extension has not been funded or approved. The following table shows the lines used by the Q, with shaded boxes indicating the route at the specified times: For a more detailed station listing, see
5500-450: The D between Newkirk Avenue and Sheepshead Bay . D trains served Neck Road , Avenue M and Avenue H ; the Q skipped those stops, serving Avenue U and Avenue J , while both lines served Kings Highway . By 1987, as reconstruction on the Brighton Line progressed, the weekday skip-stop pattern expanded to Prospect Park, with D trains serving Beverley Road while Q trains served Cortelyou Road and Parkside Avenue , with Church Avenue as
5610-521: The Franklin Avenue Line to Franklin Avenue in Brooklyn instead. The QB provided off-peak service between Coney Island and Astoria, via Brighton Local and the Manhattan Bridge. Sunday service between Franklin Avenue and Brighton Beach was discontinued on this date, with Sunday service now provided solely by the Franklin Avenue Shuttle (SS, formerly 7) between Prospect Park and Fulton Street. Service between Brighton Beach and Franklin Avenue
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#17327721260305720-686: The Harlem–125th Street terminus, there will be a transfer to the existing 125th Street station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line and a connection to Harlem–125th Street station on Metro-North Railroad . This will provide residents of East Harlem with direct subway service to the Upper East Side , western Midtown , Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn , and offer connections to 4 , 5 , 6 , and <6> trains and Metro-North from
5830-683: The IND 63rd Street Line was replaced by a shuttle , which would be permanently replaced by the F in December 2001 once the 63rd Street's connection to the IND Queens Boulevard Line opened. After the September 11 attacks , Broadway Line service through Lower Manhattan, and R service were suspended. The Q local replaced the R between Canal Street and Forest Hills–71st Avenue , making local stops in Manhattan and Queens at all times except late nights, when it terminated at 57th Street–Seventh Avenue. This
5940-453: The IND was completely knocked out of service, while the IRT ran virtually normal service. The BMT was about half affected, with makeshift service patterns being set up for the duration of the strike. On May 28, 1959, 1 Brighton Express trains midday on weekdays were cut back to 57th Street–Seventh Avenue and made local stops in Brooklyn midday. Multiple trains entered service at Queensboro Plaza in
6050-482: The Manhattan Bridge and the express tracks on the Broadway Line. This change took effect on about October 1, 1923. This subway service was labeled 1 by the BMT starting in 1924, with the remnant service to Franklin Avenue becoming the 7. 1 Brighton Express service operated during rush hours and Saturday afternoons. During the evening rush hour and on Saturday afternoons, trains skipped Canal Street. The span of express service
6160-507: The Q designation and replace it with an orange A , assuming the same service pattern that was proposed for the Q. This service change would have been implemented in October 1991, pending approval from the MTA board. On February 6, 1995, Q trains began running local south of Kings Highway due to rehabilitation work on the Brighton Line. On April 30, 1995, the north side of the Manhattan Bridge closed during middays and weekends, in addition to
6270-412: The Q was extended from 57th Street–Seventh Avenue to Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard via the 60th Street Tunnel and BMT Astoria Line on weekdays, stopping at 49th Street . The extended Q replaced the W , which was discontinued due to budget shortfalls. On December 7, 2014, late night Q service began operating local in Manhattan between 57th Street and Canal Street in order to decrease waiting time at
6380-569: The QB service was assigned the color sunflower yellow, with black text, because it used the BMT Broadway Line in Manhattan. It now used a diamond-shaped bullet because it ran rush hours only. On May 5, 1985, the double-letter naming scheme for local services was dropped; the QB was renamed the Q the next day. Starting on April 26, 1986, the Brighton Line's local tracks underwent reconstruction between Prospect Park and Newkirk Avenue , requiring
6490-416: The Sixth Avenue Line express tracks. Originally, the D running via Sixth Avenue Express , and the QJ running via Nassau Street and the Montague Street Tunnel , were to replace all three Q services on the Brighton Line. The Q and QT went out of existence completely, but due to riders' opposition to the expected loss of all Broadway Line service, some QB trains were retained, now running rush hours only in
6600-412: The Sixth Avenue Line) closed. The Q now ran rush hours between 57th Street–Seventh Avenue and Brighton Beach, using a yellow diamond bullet. Because the Manhattan Bridge's north side tracks closed, the D and Q ran on the bridge's south side tracks, both running via Broadway Express to 57th Street–Seventh Avenue. To substitute for the suspended Brighton Line express service, the Q ran skip-stop service with
6710-515: The already-closed south side. During these hours, D service was cut below 34th Street–Herald Square. In its place, the Q ran between Coney Island and 21st Street–Queensbridge, via Brighton Local, the Montague Street Tunnel , Broadway Express (switching between the local and express tracks at Canal Street ) and the BMT 63rd Street Line . Rush hour and evening service was unchanged. On May 1, Q expresses only operated during rush hours and early evening. Normal service resumed on November 12, 1995, including
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#17327721260306820-430: The arrival of the R27 subway cars , 1 service on the Brighton Line was relabeled. Brighton Express service was designated as Q, Brighton Local via the Montague St Tunnel as QT, and Brighton Local via the Manhattan Bridge as QB. Single letters were used to refer to express lines and double letters for local lines, a practice that began thirty years earlier with the Independent Subway System (IND), however, no QQ designation
6930-550: The articles on the lines listed above. Rapid transit Modern services on rapid transit systems are provided on designated lines between stations typically using electric multiple units on railway tracks . Some systems use guided rubber tires , magnetic levitation ( maglev ), or monorail . The stations typically have high platforms, without steps inside the trains, requiring custom-made trains in order to minimize gaps between train and platform. They are typically integrated with other public transport and often operated by
7040-428: The beginning of rapid transit. Initial experiences with steam engines, despite ventilation, were unpleasant. Experiments with pneumatic railways failed in their extended adoption by cities. In 1890, the City & South London Railway was the first electric-traction rapid transit railway, which was also fully underground. Prior to opening, the line was to be called the "City and South London Subway", thus introducing
7150-407: The corner of Franklin Avenue and Fulton Street in the north. This extension connected to the Fulton Street Line of the Kings County Elevated Railroad , allowing rapid transit trains on Fulton Street to operate along the Brighton Line. These trains ran from Brighton Beach, up the Franklin Avenue and Fulton Street lines to the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge , where walking or transferring to
7260-414: The display of the transit network. Often this has the effect of compressing the distance between stations in the outer area of the system, and expanding distances between those close to the center. Some systems assign unique alphanumeric codes to each of their stations to help commuters identify them, which briefly encodes information about the line it is on, and its position on the line. For example, on
7370-434: The entire metropolitan area is called Metra (short for Met ropolitan Ra il), while its rapid transit system that serves the city is called the "L" . Boston's subway system is known locally as "The T". In Atlanta , the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority goes by the acronym "MARTA." In the San Francisco Bay Area , residents refer to Bay Area Rapid Transit by its acronym "BART". The New York City Subway
7480-510: The evening rush hour. Nassau Specials returned, running via the Montague Street tunnel during the morning rush and via the Manhattan Bridge during the evening rush. As part of the same service change, Brighton Local trains, beginning on June 6, ran to Franklin Avenue via the route of the 7 Shuttle on Saturdays. This was not seasonal and ran the entire day, being quite distinct from the Sunday service which still operated. [REDACTED] | [REDACTED] | [REDACTED] On November 15, 1960, with
7590-404: The express tracks between Times Square–42nd Street and 57th Street–Seventh Avenue. A December 1957 strike shut down much of the BMT Division. Brighton Local 1 trains ran in two sections, from Coney Island via tunnel to 57th Street-Seventh Avenue and from Whitehall Street to Jamaica–179th Street on the IND Queens Boulevard Line. Due to the differing unions predominating on the various divisions,
7700-402: The floor rather than resting on ballast , such as normal railway tracks. An alternate technology, using rubber tires on narrow concrete or steel roll ways , was pioneered on certain lines of the Paris Métro and Mexico City Metro , and the first completely new system to use it was in Montreal , Canada. On most of these networks, additional horizontal wheels are required for guidance, and
7810-472: The growing amusement center known then as West Brighton and now as Coney Island. In 1908, a massive grade crossing elimination project was completed with a 4-track line from south of Church Avenue station to Neptune Avenue near the Coney Island Creek , permitting true local and express service, as pioneered on the New York City Subway that opened in 1904. The Brighton Beach line was also converted to electrified third rail. Brighton Beach local and express service
7920-439: The interconnections between different parts of the system; for example, they show the interchange stations where passengers can transfer between lines. Unlike conventional maps, transit maps are usually not geographically accurate, but emphasize the topological connections among the different stations. The graphic presentation may use straight lines and fixed angles, and often a fixed minimum distance between stations, to simplify
8030-602: The lines of the Lyon Metro includes a section of rack (cog) railway , while the Carmelit , in Haifa, is an underground funicular . For elevated lines, another alternative is the monorail , which can be built either as straddle-beam monorails or as a suspended monorail . While monorails have never gained wide acceptance outside Japan, there are some such as Chongqing Rail Transit 's monorail lines which are widely used in
8140-595: The local stations. On November 7, 2016, weekday Q service was cut back from Astoria to 57th Street–Seventh Avenue, skipping 49th Street, to provide a seamless transition for the opening of the Second Avenue Subway. Service to Astoria and the 49th Street station was replaced by the restored W service. On January 1, 2017, the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway opened; the Q was extended from 57th Street–Seventh Avenue to 96th Street via
8250-557: The main rapid transit system. For instance, the Wenhu Line of the Taipei Metro serves many relatively sparse neighbourhoods and feeds into and complements the high capacity metro lines. Some systems have been built from scratch, others are reclaimed from former commuter rail or suburban tramway systems that have been upgraded, and often supplemented with an underground or elevated downtown section. Ground-level alignments with
8360-600: The medium by which passengers travel in busy central business districts ; the use of tunnels inspires names such as subway , underground , Untergrundbahn ( U-Bahn ) in German, or the Tunnelbana (T-bana) in Swedish. The use of viaducts inspires names such as elevated ( L or el ), skytrain , overhead , overground or Hochbahn in German. One of these terms may apply to an entire system, even if
8470-658: The morning rush hour, running local north of 34th Street. On June 28, 1952, special service from Brighton Beach to the Nassau Street Line was discontinued on Saturdays, and Saturday express service was extended to 57th Street. The 60th Street Tunnel Connection opened on December 1, 1955, connecting the Broadway Line to the IND Queens Boulevard Line . 1 Local trains were rerouted to this new connector to Forest Hills–71st Avenue in Forest Hills, Queens between 6:30 a.m. and 8:20 p.m. They were replaced on
8580-418: The network map "readable" by illiterate people, this system has since become an "icon" of the system. Compared to other modes of transport, rapid transit has a good safety record, with few accidents. Rail transport is subject to strict safety regulations , with requirements for procedure and maintenance to minimize risk. Head-on collisions are rare due to use of double track, and low operating speeds reduce
8690-411: The next day. From January 1 to 9, 2017, service between 57th Street and 96th Street ran only from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with late-night service terminating at 57th Street; late night service to 96th Street began on January 9. The second phase of the Second Avenue Line will extend the Q to a new northern terminal at Harlem–125th Street , with planned stops at 116th Street and 106th Street . At
8800-402: The next vehicle will arrive, and expected travel times. The standardized GTFS data format for transit information allows many third-party software developers to produce web and smartphone app programs which give passengers customized updates regarding specific transit lines and stations of interest. Mexico City Metro uses a unique pictogram for each station. Originally intended to help make
8910-407: The northbound direction, F trains would operate along its normal route from Coney Island to 47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center , then turn into a Q and operate to 21st Street–Queensbridge ; in the southbound direction, Q trains would operate from 21st Street to 47th–50th Streets, then turn into an F train and operate along its normal route to Coney Island. The weekday evening shuttle was replaced by
9020-958: The occurrence and severity of rear-end collisions and derailments . Fire is more of a danger underground, such as the King's Cross fire in London in November 1987, which killed 31 people. Systems are generally built to allow evacuation of trains at many places throughout the system. High platforms , usually over 1 meter / 3 feet, are a safety risk, as people falling onto the tracks have trouble climbing back. Platform screen doors are used on some systems to eliminate this danger. Rapid transit facilities are public spaces and may suffer from security problems: petty crimes , such as pickpocketing and baggage theft, and more serious violent crimes , as well as sexual assaults on tightly packed trains and platforms. Security measures include video surveillance , security guards , and conductors . In some countries
9130-603: The only two North American systems that are primarily called "subways". In most of Southeast Asia and in Taiwan , rapid transit systems are primarily known by the acronym MRT . The meaning varies from one country to another. In Indonesia , the acronym stands for Moda Raya Terpadu or Integrated Mass [Transit] Mode in English. In the Philippines , it stands for Metro Rail Transit . Two underground lines use
9240-587: The outset. Budapest , Chicago , Glasgow , Boston and New York City all converted or purpose-designed and built electric rail services. Advancements in technology have allowed new automated services. Hybrid solutions have also evolved, such as tram-train and premetro , which incorporate some of the features of rapid transit systems. In response to cost, engineering considerations and topological challenges some cities have opted to construct tram systems, particularly those in Australia, where density in cities
9350-478: The past, the Q has run many different service patterns in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens , both local and express, including QB service on the Manhattan Bridge and QT service via the Montague Street Tunnel . From 1988 to 2001, Q service ran along the IND Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan, with a bullet colored orange. The Q also ran in Queens at various points, including along the BMT Astoria Line to Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard on weekdays from 2010 to 2016, along
9460-823: The peak direction between Coney Island and 57th Street via Brighton Local, the Manhattan Bridge, and Broadway Express in Manhattan. The color scheme introduced for subway lines that day included a red QB bullet. A short-lived NX service also provided rush-hour service between Brighton Beach and Coney Island and the Broadway Line, running via the BMT Sea Beach Line to Manhattan. This service was discontinued on April 15, 1968, after less than five months. The RR replaced Q, QB and QT service to Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard. On August 19, 1968, one AM rush hour QB train began running to Ditmars Boulevard. From January 2, 1973, no QB trains ran in service to Ditmars Boulevard, though two trains ran light to Ditmars Boulevard from 57th Street in
9570-908: The rapid transit system varies greatly between cities, with several transport strategies. Some systems may extend only to the limits of the inner city, or to its inner ring of suburbs with trains making frequent station stops. The outer suburbs may then be reached by a separate commuter rail network where more widely spaced stations allow higher speeds. In some cases the differences between urban rapid transit and suburban systems are not clear. Rapid transit systems may be supplemented by other systems such as trolleybuses , regular buses , trams , or commuter rail. This combination of transit modes serves to offset certain limitations of rapid transit such as limited stops and long walking distances between outside access points. Bus or tram feeder systems transport people to rapid transit stops. Each rapid transit system consists of one or more lines , or circuits. Each line
9680-499: The restoration of Q express service between Kings Highway and Brighton Beach. On February 22, 1998, construction on the IND 63rd Street Line cut B and Q service back to 57th Street–Sixth Avenue. Service on the 63rd Street Line was replaced by a shuttle to the BMT Broadway Line at 57th Street–Seventh Avenue. Normal service resumed on May 22, 1999. On July 22, 2001, the Manhattan Bridge 's north side tracks closed and
9790-581: The route now used an orange bullet on maps. One AM rush hour train from Brighton Beach terminated at 168th Street in Manhattan instead of 21st Street; this trip last ran on September 28, 1990. On October 29, 1989, the IND 63rd Street Line opened and the B, Q, and JFK Express were extended to 21st Street–Queensbridge in Long Island City . Weekday evening service terminated at Broadway–Lafayette Street in Manhattan instead of Brooklyn; these trains relayed at Second Avenue in order to change direction. A special combined F –Q service ran during late nights; in
9900-542: The rubber tires. However, they have higher maintenance costs and are less energy efficient. They also lose traction when weather conditions are wet or icy, preventing above-ground use of the Montréal Metro and limiting it on the Sapporo Municipal Subway, but not rubber-tired systems in other cities. Some cities with steep hills incorporate mountain railway technologies in their metros. One of
10010-451: The same public transport authorities . Some rapid transit systems have at-grade intersections between a rapid transit line and a road or between two rapid transit lines. The world's first rapid transit system was the partially underground Metropolitan Railway which opened in 1863 using steam locomotives , and now forms part of the London Underground . In 1868, New York opened the elevated West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway , initially
10120-579: The south side of the Manhattan Bridge , and the BMT Brighton Line in Brooklyn. Daytime service in Manhattan runs express between 57th Street–Seventh Avenue and Canal Street ; overnight service makes all stops in between these two stations. The Q was originally the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT)'s 1 service; beginning in 1920, it ran along the Brighton Line in Brooklyn and Broadway Line in Manhattan. In
10230-495: The south side of the Manhattan Bridge was closed on weekends and Q service was rerouted via the Montague Street Tunnel. On February 22, 2004, reconstruction of the Manhattan Bridge was completed and the north side tracks reopened. The <Q> express was discontinued and replaced with the B in Brooklyn and N in Manhattan to combine two weekday-only lines. The Q local remained unchanged. On June 28, 2010,
10340-555: The south side tracks reopened. There were now two Q services, colored yellow as they now ran via Broadway. In Brooklyn, the circle Q (Q local) replaced the D as the full-time Brighton Local to Stillwell Avenue while the <Q> (Q express or Q diamond) replaced the Sixth Avenue Q as the weekday-only Brighton Express to Brighton Beach. Both Qs used the south side of the Manhattan Bridge to travel into Manhattan and then ran to 57th Street–Seventh Avenue via Broadway Express. Service on
10450-663: The suburbs, allowing a higher service frequency in the center. This arrangement is used by many systems, such as the Copenhagen Metro , the Milan Metro , the Oslo Metro , the Istanbul Metro and the New York City Subway . Alternatively, there may be a single central terminal (often shared with the central railway station), or multiple interchange stations between lines in the city center, for instance in
10560-449: The summer season only. At the end of the 1882 summer season, the LIRR abrogated its agreement allowing Brighton Line trains to access its Flatbush Avenue terminal and beginning with the 1883 summer season, only Brooklyn, Flatbush and Coney Island trains operated between Bedford Terminal and Brighton Beach. In 1896, a short elevated extension of the Brighton Beach Line (since reorganized as the Brooklyn & Brighton Beach Railroad) opened to
10670-421: The suspension of express service; at the same time, reconstruction of the Manhattan Bridge started, which would disrupt subway service until 2004. QB service was discontinued. From April 28, 1986 to May 23, 1987, one AM rush hour train from Brighton Beach was extended beyond its normal terminal at 57th Street/Seventh Avenue and terminated at Forest Hills – 71st Avenue . The bridge's north side tracks (leading to
10780-714: The term subway . In Thailand , it stands for Metropolitan Rapid Transit , previously using the Mass Rapid Transit name. Outside of Southeast Asia, Kaohsiung and Taoyuan, Taiwan , have their own MRT systems which stands for Mass Rapid Transit , as with Singapore and Malaysia . In general rapid transit is a synonym for "metro" type transit, though sometimes rapid transit is defined to include "metro", commuter trains and grade separated light rail . Also high-capacity bus-based transit systems can have features similar to "metro" systems. The opening of London's steam-hauled Metropolitan Railway in 1863 marked
10890-530: The term Subway into railway terminology. Both railways, alongside others, were eventually merged into London Underground . The 1893 Liverpool Overhead Railway was designed to use electric traction from the outset. The technology quickly spread to other cities in Europe , the United States, Argentina, and Canada, with some railways being converted from steam and others being designed to be electric from
11000-601: The use of communications-based train control : the minimum headway can reach 90 seconds, but many systems typically use 120 seconds to allow for recovery from delays. Typical capacity lines allow 1,200 people per train, giving 36,000 passengers per hour per direction . However, much higher capacities are attained in East Asia with ranges of 75,000 to 85,000 people per hour achieved by MTR Corporation 's urban lines in Hong Kong. Rapid transit topologies are determined by
11110-559: Was Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, which launched its first underground mobile phone network using AMPS in 1989. Many metro systems, such as the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway (MTR) and the Berlin U-Bahn, provide mobile data connections in their tunnels for various network operators. The technology used for public, mass rapid transit has undergone significant changes in the years since
11220-899: Was developed further. Other Central European countries also have metro lines, for example in the cities of Budapest (Hungary), Prague (Czech Republic) and Warsaw (Poland). In Eastern Europe , metro systems are in operation in Minsk (Belarus), Kyiv (Ukraine), Riga (Latvia), Vilnius (Lithuania) and Moscow (Russia). In Southeastern European countries, there are metro systems in Athens and Thessaloniki (Greece), Belgrade (Serbia), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Istanbul (Turkey). In Northern Europe , rapid transit systems exist in Copenhagen (Denmark), Oslo (Norway), Stockholm (Sweden) and Helsinki (Finland). Various terms are used for rapid transit systems around North America . The term metro
11330-455: Was ever used. Despite these new designations, subway communications continued to refer to the services as "Brighton Local" and "Brighton Express". Effective January 1, 1961, Q Brighton Express service was cut back from Ditmars Boulevard to 57th Street–Seventh Avenue on weekdays, with trains skipping 49th Street. Saturday daytime service continued to run to Ditmars Boulevard. QT service ran to Ditmars Boulevard on weekdays; on Saturdays, it ran via
11440-428: Was extended by 90 minutes until 8:27 p.m. leaving Times Square in 1929. Express service began operating between the AM rush hour and noon on Saturday mornings in April 1930. Express service began operating middays on May 30, 1931, replacing short-line local service. In September 1937, Brighton express service ran between Brighton Beach and Times Square rush hours, middays, and early evenings weekdays and Saturdays. During
11550-680: Was extended to a new West End terminal at Stillwell and Surf Avenues, the location of the Coney Island terminal for the BMT Southern Division, in May 1919. On August 1, 1920, subway service on the BMT Brighton Line , then owned by the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT), officially began with the openings of a two-track underground subway between Prospect Park and DeKalb Avenue and
11660-702: Was low and suburbs tended to spread out . Since the 1970s, the viability of underground train systems in Australian cities, particularly Sydney and Melbourne , has been reconsidered and proposed as a solution to over-capacity. Melbourne had tunnels and stations developed in the 1970s and opened in 1980. The first line of the Sydney Metro was opened in 2019. Since the 1960s, many new systems have been introduced in Europe , Asia and Latin America . In
11770-686: Was merged into the Franklin Avenue Shuttle service on October 14, 1961, and all non-shuttle service between was discontinued in February 1963. The Fourth Avenue Local (RR) now provided Broadway Line service along the Queens Boulevard line on weekdays, and the West End Express (T) was extended from 57th Street to Ditmars Boulevard during rush hours. This service change essentially swapped the northern terminals of
11880-425: Was placed in service on May 2, 1957. 1 Brighton Express trains ran local in Manhattan on Saturdays while Brighton Locals ran express here during evenings and on Sundays. This lasted only until the next service change. On October 24, 1957, Brighton Local trains ran via the Manhattan Bridge and local in Manhattan, all day on Sundays as well as evenings and midnight hours. Brighton Express 1 service on weekdays began using
11990-556: Was rerouted along the Second Avenue Subway . The predecessor to the subway service known as the Q today was the Brooklyn, Flatbush and Coney Island Railway. On July 2, 1878, this steam railroad began operations on what would become the BMT Brighton Line , from Prospect Park to the Brighton Beach Hotel in Brighton Beach , which opened at the same time. The Brighton Beach Hotel was located on Coney Island by
12100-597: Was the predecessor to the Astoria extension (see below). Both services returned to normal on October 28, 2001. On September 8, 2002, Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue (the Q 's southern terminal) was closed for reconstruction and the Q local terminated at Brighton Beach. During this time, service at stations between Brighton Beach and Stillwell Avenue was replaced by an extension of the B68 bus. Q service to Stillwell Avenue resumed on May 23, 2004. From April 27 to November 2, 2003,
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