7 (New York City Subway service)

infobox NYCS service
service=7
diamond=yes
name=Flushing Local and Express
east term=Flushing–Main Street
west term=Times Square
terminals=The 7 Flushing Local and 7 Flushing Express are rapid transit services of the New York City Subway, providing local and express services along the full length of the IRT Flushing Line. The services are colored purple on station signs, route signs, and the official subway map, with local service denoted by a 7 in a circular logo, and express service by a 7 in a diamond-shaped logo.

Local service operates at all times. Express service runs in the peak direction (to Times Square during mornings, to Flushing–Main Street during evenings) between 06:30 and 22:00 (6:30 am and 10:00 pm ET) on weekdays. Express service to Manhattan is also provided after games at Shea Stadium. This route is the only one in the system to run 11-car trains, more than any other New York City Subway route.

The NYCS|7 has been referred to in some publications as the "International Express", because the route travels through several different ethnic neighborhoods, especially along Roosevelt Avenue. This name is not official, nor is the title used in day to day operations.

This line was the last stronghold for the Redbird series of subway cars. Until 2002, the entire fleet was dominated by the R33/36 World's Fair Version. As time passed, the Redbirds were being phased out and replaced by the Bombardier-built R62A cars. On November 3, 2003, the last Redbird train made its final trip on this line, making all stops between Times Square and Willets Point–Shea Stadium. [ [http://www.mta.info/mta/news/releases/?agency=hq&en=031031/ mta.info] ]

Several Redbird cars running on this line were decorated with Mets logos and colors during the 2000 Subway Series against the New York Yankees [ [http://www.orenstransitpage.com/otpnycpics/subseries2.htm/ Oren's Transit Page] ] , as the line runs adjacent to Shea Stadium.

ervice history

On June 13, 1915, the first test train on the IRT Flushing Line ran between 42nd Street–Grand Central and Vernon Boulevard–Jackson Avenue, followed by the start of revenue service on June 22. Over the next thirteen years, the line was extended piece by piece to its current form between Times Square and Flushing–Main Street

The NYCS|7 designation has been assigned to its current route since the introduction of front rollsigns on the R12 in 1948. Rollsigns on current equipment (R62A) include the number 11 to substitute for the express NYCS|7 designation. At some point in the future, the line may use R142/R142As which have digital rollsigns but are only able to display one digit.

Prior to 1997, express service ran only between Willets Point–Shea Stadium and Woodside–61st Street. In 1999, express service was extended from rush hours only to its current time frame.

An extension of the line to 11th Avenue–34th Street, near the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is in the works. [cite news | title = Transit Board Approves Funding For 7 Line Extension | publisher = NY1 | date = 2007-10-25 | url = http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=5&aid=74957 | accessdate =2008-01-10]

As of early 2008, service is being altered to accommodate construction for the conversion to CBTC operation on the 7. [ [http://mta.info/mta/news/releases/?en=080227-HQ4/ mta.info] ] [ [http://mta.info/mta/budget/pdf/cap_amendment.pdf/ mta.info - Page 37] ]

Stations

NYCS service legend
alltimes = show
allexceptrush =
allexceptnights = show
nightsonly =
nightsweekends = show
weekdaysonly = show
rushonly =
rushpeak = show
closed =
custom_icon_1 =
custom_text_1 =
custom_icon_2 =
custom_text_2 =

*Express trains run on Weekdays from 06:30 to 22:00 (6:30 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. ET), to Manhattan during a.m. hours, to Queens during p.m. hours and after games at Shea Stadium.

References

External links

* [http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/sevenlin.htm MTA New York City Transit - 7 Flushing Local]
* [http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/7d.htm MTA New York City Transit - 7 Flushing Express]
* [http://www.ibo.nyc.ny.us/iboreports/TIF-Sept2002.pdf Fiscal Brief September 2002]
* [http://wcbstv.com/politics/local_story_045085438.html wcbstv story]
* [http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/am-mta0215,0,2676563.story?track=rss Newsday story]
* [http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=5&aid=64913 NY1 story]
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