Times Square
Google
Return to: Home > Line by Line Guide > IRT Grand Central/Times Square Shuttle
Times Square (IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle)

Next: Grand Central
Transfer here to: IRT West Side Line, BMT Broadway Subway, IRT Flushing Line, IND 8th Avenue

Times Square Station · Opened 10/27/1904

The station at Times Square is an example of transit changing with the needs of the riders. At the time the subway was built, the area was still known as Longacre Square and was not the popular destination it is today, as such the station here on the Contract I subway was merely a local stop. The original platforms are those alongside Track 1 and Track 4. When the New York Times moved to the area, Times Square was born. Load soon dictated more than a local stop. As the new extensions were built, a new station was built for the main line just south of 42nd Street. The original station, which was to become the shuttle station, had a bridge built at the west end connecting Platform 1 with Platform 4, and a new platform installed over top of the existing track #2. You can still see where track 2 was by the diagonal braced columns typical for IRT trackways. Track 4 connects to the northbound main line local track underneath a metal walkway that is removed only during midnight hours, if needed, for train swaps.

The Times Square shuttle platform has a gap filler underneath the platform in a different style than South Ferry and 14th Street. These gap fillers are solid plates rather than the slotted type and are underneath the platform. To operate the gap fillers, the train operator pushes a button on a selector board.

The original configuration of the Times Square station featured an underpass between the side local platforms was accessed via a narrow stairway in mid-platform. Notice that the BMT Broadway line is directly below the shuttle, and its express tracks actually spread apart to make way for the underpass, which must have been closed as surplus around the time the BMT line opened. Also, until 1948, the free transfer between the BMT station and IRT station at Times Square did not exist; each company needed its own fare. Find where the BMT paid area actually crossed under the IRT mezzanine, to reach the BMT entrance located just west of the shuttle. It's a storage space today. It can be sort of seen from the mezzanine that is downstairs across from the shuttle station.

Some relative depths of stations in the Times Square complex are as follows, +/- 10 feet.

  • 7th Ave./West Side IRT, 40 feet below street
  • Flushing/#7 IRT, 60 feet below street
  • Broadway BMT, 50 feet below street
  • Shuttle, 20 feet below street
  • 8th Ave. IND, 30 feet below street

Artwork: New York in Transit, Jacob Lawrence (2001)

Artwork: Times Square Mural, Roy Lichtenstein (1994)

Artwork: The Return of Spring/The Onset of Winter, Jack Beal (1999)

Artwork: Times Square Times: 35 Times, Toby Buonagurio (2005)

Artwork: The Revelers, Jane Dickson (2007)


(image 107636)
(150k, 1024x768)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld
Date: 11/9/2009
Notes: Uniqlo ad wrap on shuttle train.
Viewed (this week/total): 7 / 354


(image 107014)
(225k, 930x618)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Route: S
Car: R62A (Bombardier, 1984-1987) 1956
Photo by: Peter Ehrlich
Date: 10/30/2009
Viewed (this week/total): 2 / 241


(image 105952)
(266k, 930x618)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Route: S
Car: R62A (Bombardier, 1984-1987) 1936
Photo by: Peter Ehrlich
Date: 10/9/2009
Viewed (this week/total): 2 / 250


(image 104711)
(102k, 768x1024)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld
Date: 10/6/2009
Notes: Booth at 42nd & Bway near shuttle platform.
Viewed (this week/total): 1 / 375


(image 104712)
(132k, 1024x768)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Route: S
Car: R62A (Bombardier, 1984-1987) 1933
Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld
Date: 10/6/2009
Notes: Hyatt hotels wrap.
Viewed (this week/total): 2 / 598


(image 70952)
(207k, 930x618)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Car: R62A (Bombardier, 1984-1987) 1952
Photo by: Peter Ehrlich
Date: 7/22/2009
Viewed (this week/total): 0 / 199


(image 70946)
(221k, 930x601)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Car: R62A (Bombardier, 1984-1987) 1945
Photo by: Peter Ehrlich
Date: 7/22/2009
Viewed (this week/total): 0 / 293


(image 101583)
(224k, 1044x788)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Route: Work Service
Car: R33-WF 9318
Photo by: John Barnes
Date: 5/27/2009
Viewed (this week/total): 3 / 573


(image 80542)
(272k, 1044x765)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Route: S
Car: R62A (Bombardier, 1984-1987) 1925
Photo by: Brian Weinberg
Date: 2/22/2008
Notes: Car is wrapped with an advertisement for Swiffer.
Viewed (this week/total): 2 / 3131


(image 80543)
(193k, 551x820)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Route: S
Car: R62A (Bombardier, 1984-1987) 1925
Photo by: Brian Weinberg
Date: 2/22/2008
Notes: Car is wrapped with an advertisement for Swiffer.
Viewed (this week/total): 0 / 1229


(image 78430)
(121k, 820x620)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Route: S (Wrong sign)
Car: R62A (Bombardier, 1984-1987) 1956
Photo by: Gary Chatterton
Date: 12/18/2007
Viewed (this week/total): 3 / 2026


(image 75863)
(90k, 800x600)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Route: S
Car: R62A (Bombardier, 1984-1987)
Photo by: Phillip Lee
Date: 9/20/2007
Viewed (this week/total): 1 / 2413


(image 73644)
(168k, 1044x788)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Route: S
Car: R62A (Bombardier, 1984-1987) 1955
Photo by: John Barnes
Date: 9/11/2007
Viewed (this week/total): 2 / 2270


(image 73648)
(170k, 1044x788)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Route: S
Car: R62A (Bombardier, 1984-1987) 1940
Photo by: John Barnes
Date: 9/11/2007
Viewed (this week/total): 1 / 2631


(image 80895)
(175k, 1044x704)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Route: S
Car: R62A (Bombardier, 1984-1987) 1925
Photo by: Filip Matuska
Date: 6/6/2007
Viewed (this week/total): 1 / 1591


(image 80892)
(197k, 1044x704)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Photo by: Filip Matuska
Date: 6/6/2007
Notes: View across mainline northbound local track showing original "day one" trackways from shuttle to northbound main line.
Viewed (this week/total): 3 / 3434


(image 80896)
(177k, 1044x704)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Photo by: Filip Matuska
Date: 6/6/2007
Notes: Detail of original ceiling tilework near track 1.
Viewed (this week/total): 1 / 1143


(image 80893)
(148k, 704x1044)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Photo by: Filip Matuska
Date: 6/6/2007
Viewed (this week/total): 0 / 1682


(image 80891)
(137k, 704x1044)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Photo by: Filip Matuska
Date: 6/6/2007
Notes: Original tile work near track 1.
Viewed (this week/total): 1 / 1035


(image 80890)
(194k, 1044x704)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle
Location: Times Square
Photo by: Filip Matuska
Date: 6/6/2007
Notes: Shuttle track 1 bumper.
Viewed (this week/total): 0 / 1606


More Images: 1-20 21-40 41-55
http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/stations?194:3146. (Modified on Tue Jun 28 10:14:30 2005)
Copyright © www.nycsubway.org. This site is not affiliated with any transit agency or provider.