7 Line Work Continues This Weekend

About an hour or so ago, MTA NYC Transit issued a press release highlighting the major work on the 7 Train this weekend that will see service suspended between Times Square & Queensboro Plaza:

This coming weekend marks the second of three planned service suspensions on the No. 7 Line between Queensboro Plaza and Times Square. Utilizing the period between late Friday night and early Monday morning will give us the opportunity to continue addressing problems that have caused service delays over the past several months.

There will be no No. 7 subway service between Times Square and Queensboro Plaza from 11:30 p.m. Friday, June 24 through 5 a.m., Monday, June 27. During this period, customers are encouraged to use N, R, E or F service for travel between Queens and Manhattan. Free shuttle buses will be available between the Queensboro Plaza (N, 7) and Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue (7) stations, making stops at Queens Plaza (E, R), Court Square (7) and Hunters Point (7). In addition, the 42nd Street (S) shuttle will operate through the overnight hours. The next scheduled weekend suspension is July 29-August 1.

“The work that we are performing along the Flushing Line is vital to our goal of increasing the reliability and performance of one of the busiest and oldest lines in the entire system,” said NYC Transit President Thomas Prendergast. “Hand-in-hand with that effort, however, is the real need to keep our riders informed of what’s going on while these projects are underway.”

To help keep riders informed of these service changes and the work that is being performed, the MTA has launched a new communications effort under the heading, Building a Better 7 Line for You. The colorful brochure explains the project, gives helpful service alternatives and explains the long-range work to the Flushing Line.

Included in the material is a detailed map outlining the service changes, the availability of alternate services and the locations of the stops for the free shuttle buses. We have also created a poster spotlighting area shops and designed to let everyone know that Long Island City is open for business. The poster spotlights the best ways to get there when the 7 is suspended. But just as important to our customers is an explanation of the work. This information will also be available on posters in stations and onboard trains in four languages: English, Spanish, Chinese and Korean. Customers are also urged to listen to description of the work detailed on a podcast available at http://transittrax.mta.info/audio/transittrax.htm.

In order to correct signal issues that have affected the line’s reliability, workers will continue upgrading signal components and replacing wiring and signal circuits. New fasteners are being installed and a major clean-up of the roadbed is being performed to correct damage caused by water infiltration. The power system is being upgraded and a comprehensive tunnel wash is being completed. Service must be suspended during this work due to space restrictions within the Steinway under river tube.

This work will eliminate a key cause of the recent delays, providing some near-term relief. However, a longer-term project to install a state-of-the-art signaling system is also underway and this project will require further service suspensions this fall. Updated communications will be issued when those service diversions are scheduled.

xoxo Transit Blogger

If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Comments

No comments yet.

Leave a comment

(required)

(required)