Church Avenue (BMT Brighton Line)
Encyclopedia
Church Avenue is an express station
on the BMT Brighton Line
of the New York City Subway
, located at Church Avenue near East 18th Street in the Flatbush
neighborhood of Brooklyn
.
The station has four tracks and two island platform
s. The full time Q
train uses the local tracks at all times, while the B
train uses the express tracks on weekdays only.
After the 1980s renovation, the station was converted to booth operations from 7:00 to 22:00 every day. All of the platform columns were covered with steel supports during the renovation. At the midpoint, the southbound platform has an abandoned exit to East 18th Street between Church and Caton Avenues. The exterior of the station-house was made with brick and stucco, and was added in the early 1960s. The boarded-up staircase still stands.
After August 1, 1920, through service was shifted from the current BMT Franklin Avenue Line
to a new subway alignment under Flatbush Avenue, which permitted direct access to Manhattan
via the Manhattan Bridge
and the Montague Street Tunnel
.
Metro station
A metro station or subway station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....
on the BMT Brighton Line
BMT Brighton Line
The BMT Brighton Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Local service is provided at all times by the Q train. The Q is joined by the B express train on weekdays...
of the New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
, located at Church Avenue near East 18th Street in the Flatbush
Flatbush, Brooklyn
Flatbush is a community of the Borough of Brooklyn, a part of New York City, consisting of several neighborhoods.The name Flatbush is an Anglicization of the Dutch language Vlacke bos ....
neighborhood of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
.
The station has four tracks and two island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
s. The full time Q
Q (New York City Subway service)
The Q Broadway Express is a service of the New York City Subway. It is colored yellow on the route sign, on station signs and the official subway map, as it represents a service provided on the BMT Broadway Line through Manhattan....
train uses the local tracks at all times, while the B
B (New York City Subway service)
The B Sixth Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored orange on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map, since it runs over the IND Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan....
train uses the express tracks on weekdays only.
Description
Church Avenue is an open-cut express station with short tunnels at each end to carry the line between cross streets. Each platform has two staircases, leading to a station-house at each end. The full-time end of the station is at Church Ave, to the south. The original station-house was demolished and replaced with the current structure. Plain white tiles dot the interior and exterior of this entrance. There are restrooms inside fare control to the right side. The part-time entrance is at the north end of the station by Caton Avenue and St. Pauls Place, and the station-house there retains the original c.1918 exterior. This end of the station originally had a part-time booth during the morning rush; a high-exit turnstile was open at all other times.After the 1980s renovation, the station was converted to booth operations from 7:00 to 22:00 every day. All of the platform columns were covered with steel supports during the renovation. At the midpoint, the southbound platform has an abandoned exit to East 18th Street between Church and Caton Avenues. The exterior of the station-house was made with brick and stucco, and was added in the early 1960s. The boarded-up staircase still stands.
History
The original station at this location was a two-track side platform station that ran south from Church Avenue, whereas the current station runs to the north. At a point about 150 feet south of Church Avenue, a clear difference in the form of the concrete retaining wall is visible on both sides of the right-of-way. This marks the point where the original Brighton Beach Line transitioned from an open-cut line depressed below ground level to a surface railroad for the remainder of the run to Coney Island. The line south of this point was converted from a two-track surface line to a four-track grade-separated line in 1907, and the portion north of this point was rebuilt from a two-track open cut to a four-track open cut in 1919.After August 1, 1920, through service was shifted from the current BMT Franklin Avenue Line
BMT Franklin Avenue Line
The BMT Franklin Avenue Line is a rapid transit line of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York...
to a new subway alignment under Flatbush Avenue, which permitted direct access to Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
via the Manhattan Bridge
Manhattan Bridge
The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan with Brooklyn . It was the last of the three suspension bridges built across the lower East River, following the Brooklyn and the Williamsburg bridges...
and the Montague Street Tunnel
Montague Street Tunnel
The Montague Street Tunnel carries the trains of the New York City Subway under the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. It opened to revenue service on Sunday, August 1, 1920 at 2 am with a holiday schedule, the same day as the 60th Street Tunnel. Regular service began...
.
External links
- Station Reporter — B Train
- Station Reporter — Q Train
- The Subway Nut — Church Avenue Pictures
- Church Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View
- Caton Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View