BMT Canarsie Line

BMT Canarsie Line
"L" train
The L, which uses the entire Canarsie Line, is colored gray.
Overview
OwnerCity of New York
Termini
Stations27 (3 demolished)
Service
TypeRapid transit
SystemNew York City Subway
Operator(s)New York City Transit Authority
Daily ridership228,540[1]
History
Opened1865–1931
Technical
Number of tracks2
Character
  • At-grade (eastbound track at Wilson Avenue, section from East 105th Street to Rockaway Parkway)
  • Elevated (eastbound track south of Wilson Avenue, Broadway Jct. to north of East 105th Street)
  • Underground (north of Broadway Jct. except for eastbound track at Wilson Avenue)
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification600V DC third rail
Route map

Eighth Avenue
Sixth Avenue
Union Square
Third Avenue
First Avenue
Bedford Avenue
Lorimer Street
Graham Avenue
Grand Street
Montrose Avenue
Morgan Avenue
Jefferson Street
DeKalb Avenue
Myrtle–Wyckoff Avenues
Halsey Street
Cooper Avenue Junction
Wilson Avenue
(Disabled access northbound only)
LIRR East New York Tunnels
Bushwick Avenue–Aberdeen Street
Broadway Junction
Atlantic Avenue
Sutter Avenue
Livonia Avenue
former LIRR connection
New Lots Avenue
East 105th Street
Canarsie–Rockaway Parkway
Flatlands Avenue
(closed 1942)
Avenue L
(closed 1942)
Canarsie Pier
(closed 1942)

The BMT Canarsie Line (sometimes referred to as the 14th Street–Eastern Line) is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway system, named after its terminus in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn. It is served by the L train at all times, which is shown in medium gray on the New York City Subway map and on station signs.

The line is part of the BMT Eastern Division, and is occasionally referred to as the Eastern District Line. This refers to Williamsburg, which was described as Brooklyn's "Eastern District" when the City of Williamsburg was annexed by the former City of Brooklyn. This was the location where the original Brooklyn subway portions of the line were laid out. Only later was the line connected to the tracks leading to Canarsie. Eastern District High School, near the line's Grand Street station, had preserved this toponym until it was closed in 1996, later reopened as Grand Street Educational Campus.

The Canarsie Line was first a steam railroad, then a Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT), later Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT), elevated line. It was extended into Manhattan via subway in 1924–1928. Since the early 2000s, the line's signal system has been converted to an automated system. The Manhattan section of the line was partially closed during off-peak hours from early 2019 to April 2020 to allow for a renovation of the 14th Street Tunnel, which the line uses to cross the East River.

  1. ^ "Annual Subway Ridership (2018–2023)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2024.