K (Eighth Avenue Local)

The K Eighth Avenue Local, earlier the AA, was a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. Its route bullet was colored blue on station signs, car rollsigns, and the official subway map since it ran on the IND Eighth Avenue Line.

Eighth Avenue Local
An R42 K train at Chambers Street
Northern end	168th Street
Southern end	World Trade Center
Stations	23
Started service	September 10, 1932
Discontinued	December 10, 1988
Route map to Inwood–207th Street via 8th Avenue  B   K  168th Street 163rd Street–Amsterdam Avenue 155th Street the Bronx via Concourse 145th Street 135th Street 125th Street 116th Street Cathedral Parkway–110th Street 103rd Street 96th Street 86th Street 81st Street–Museum of Natural History 72nd Street 59th Street–Columbus Circle Downtown & Brooklyn via 53rd Street East Side & Queens via 53rd Street 50th Street ( southbound) 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal 34th Street–Penn Station 23rd Street 14th Street West Fourth Street–Washington Square Spring Street Canal Street World Trade Center | Chambers Street  E   K  Downtown & Brooklyn via 8th Avenue Lines used by the Other services sharing tracks with the Unused lines, connections, or service patterns  K  Termini of services Cross-platform interchange Platforms on different levels

The K operated during midday, evenings, and weekends, making all local stops between 168th Street in Washington Heights, Manhattan and World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan via Central Park West and Eighth Avenue in Manhattan. During late night hours, the A express made local stops on the IND Eighth Avenue Line. During rush hours, the C, formerly the CC, ran between Bedford Park Boulevard and Euclid Avenue, replacing the K as the local on Eighth Avenue. It was discontinued in 1988 as part of a series of major service changes.

History

Service as the AA

Sixth Avenue Subway Will Be Opened to the Public at 12-01 A.M. Sunday, Dec 15, 1940

A and AA service began on September 10, 1932 with the opening of the IND Eighth Avenue Line. The Independent Subway System (IND) used single letters to refer to express services and double letters for local services. The A ran express and the AA ran local, from 168th Street to Chambers Street/World Trade Center, known at the time as Hudson Terminal. The AA ran at all times, and it was extended to 207th Street during nights and on Sundays when the A did not run. When the Eighth Avenue Line was extended to Jay Street–Borough Hall on February 1, 1933 the AA was extended there, but only during the times when the A didn't run; it continued to terminate at Chambers Street when the A did run.[1][2]

1967–1979 bullet

1979–1985 bullet

On July 1, 1933, the AA was suspended when the Concourse Line opened and the new CC service provided local service on Eighth Avenue in its place. The AA was suspended until the IND Sixth Avenue Line opened on December 15, 1940. The AA only ran during non-rush hours and Saturday late afternoon through all day Sunday service to Chambers Street. Rush hours, which at the time included Saturday mornings and afternoons, the AA did not run; it was replaced by the BB (later B) service, which instead ran on the Sixth Avenue Line.[3] This pattern was unchanged until August 28, 1977, when late night service was replaced by an all local A service.[1][2][4]

Service as the K

This brochure was published in 1985 to explain the relabeling of double-letter subway services, including the creation of the K.

On May 6, 1985, as part of the elimination of double letters, the AA was renamed the K. This service operated between 168th Street and World Trade Center during midday, evenings, and weekends. During late night hours, the A express made local stops on the Eighth Avenue Line. During rush hours, the C, formerly the CC, ran between Bedford Park Boulevard and Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street, replacing the K as the local on Eighth Avenue.[5] This change was not officially reflected in schedules until May 24, 1987.[2]

To scale line map

On December 11, 1988, as part of the widespread service changes that day, the K was discontinued, being replaced by the C train, which was expanded from its rush-hour only service to include midday service between 145th Street and Euclid Avenue, early evening (until 9:00) service from 145th Street to World Trade Center, and weekend service matching the former K between 168th Street and World Trade Center.[6] The B was also expanded to middays to match part of the former K.[7][2]

Final route

Service pattern

The following table shows the lines used by the K service:

Line	From	To	Tracks
IND Eighth Avenue Line	168th Street	World Trade Center	Local

Stations

For a more detailed station listing, see the articles on the lines listed above.

Station service legend
	Stops all times
	Stops all times except late nights
	Stops weekdays only
	Stops weekdays in the peak direction only
Time period details
	Station is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act
↑	Station is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act in the indicated direction only
↓
	Elevator access to mezzanine only

	Stations		Subway transfers	Connections
Manhattan
	168th Street
	163rd Street–Amsterdam Avenue
	155th Street
	145th Street		A  D  (IND Concourse Line)
	135th Street
	125th Street		A D
	116th Street
	Cathedral Parkway–110th Street
	103rd Street
	96th Street
	86th Street
	81st Street–Museum of Natural History
	72nd Street
	59th Street–Columbus Circle		A  D  1  (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)
	50th Street		E
	42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal		A  ​​E  1  ​2  ​3  (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line), 7  <7> ​ (IRT Flushing Line), B  D  N  Q  R  (BMT Broadway Line), S (42nd Street Shuttle) at Times Square–42nd Street	Port Authority Bus Terminal Note: Yellow B and D services discontinued
	34th Street–Penn Station		A  ​​E	Amtrak, LIRR, NJ Transit at Pennsylvania Station
	23rd Street		E
	14th Street		A  ​​E  L  (BMT Canarsie Line)
	West Fourth Street–Washington Square		A  ​​E  F  <F> S JFK (IND Sixth Avenue Line)	PATH at 9th Street Note: Grand Street Shuttle and JFK Express discontinued
	Spring Street		E
	Canal Street		A  ​​E
	World Trade Center		E  A  (IND Eighth Avenue Line at Chambers Street) 2  ​3  (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line at Park Place)	PATH at World Trade Center

References

1. "NYCT Line by Line History". www.erictb.info. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
2. "The ERA Bulletin 2011-11". Issuu. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
3. "The New Subway Routes". The New York Times. December 15, 1940. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
4. "Service Adjustments on the BMT and IND Lines Effective Midnight, Saturday, August 27 New York City Transit Authority (1977)". Flickr - Photo Sharing!. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
5. "Hey, What's a "K" train? 1985 Brochure". Flickr - Photo Sharing!. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
6. Johnson, Kirk (December 9, 1988). "Big Changes For Subways Are to Begin". The New York Times. p. B1, B6. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
7. "System-Wide Changes In Subway Service Effective Sunday, December 11, 1988". Flickr - Photo Sharing!. Retrieved June 17, 2016.