Station: Chambers Street (Nassau Street-Jamaica Line)
From nycsubway.org
| BMT Nassau Street-Jamaica Line Williamsburg Bridge · Metropolitan Avenue · Queens Boulevard · Sutphin Boulevard · 160th Street · 168th Street |
Overview
Opened: 3/14/1913
Transfer here to: IRT East Side Line
The Chambers Street station consists of four tracks, three island platforms, and one remaining side platform (originally two). This large station was used as a terminal station for various services from the north and south via the Nassau Street Subway. As originally built (1915), the north end of the station connected to the Williamsburg Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge. Initially Chambers St. served as a terminal station which explains some of its size and platform complexity. In 1931, the Nassau Street subway loop was completed, making Chambers St. a through station south to the Montague Street tunnel to Brooklyn. It was about this time that the center platform and the side platforms were closed as excessive. The west side platform was walled up and partly destroyed when the IRT station was rebuilt on the other side of the wall in 1960-1962. All of these areas are still visible in plain sight from the open platforms. (See the photos below.)
The Manhattan Bridge connection was severed in 1967 as part of the Chrystie Street construction project, which reduced the importance of and number of trains served at Chambers St. If the extra platforms weren't needed in 1931, they certainly weren't needed after 1967. Plans have been floated to reconfigure the station here and at Canal Street to reduce the line to two tracks with single island platforms serving them. For detail of the track configuration in this area, past and present, see the
City Hall Area and
Canal St. Area track maps.
Single Line Diagram of the Chambers Street Station (PDF) (How to Read Single Line Diagrams)
Currently, only two of the three island platforms are in use. The "J" train uses the outer or "local" track on each of the open island platforms while the mid-day M uses the "express" or inside track. The abandoned center island platform could serve trains in either direction. On weekends, the "J" service terminates here, and no trains continue south along Nassau Street. During this time, all trains use the southbound platform and cross over to the northbound track between Chambers St. and Canal St. stations. The lack of weekend service along Nassau St. is alleviated by transfers here to the IRT East Side/Lexington Avenue Brooklyn Bridge station, and further north at Canal St. to the BMT Broadway Subway.
(Thanks to Brennan's Guide to Disused Subway Stations for part of this description.)
Photo Gallery
 Image 11552 (63k, 750x562) Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld Location: Chambers Street |
 Image 24086 (179k, 1024x686) Photo by: Doug Grotjahn Collection of: Joe Testagrose Location: Chambers Street |
 Image 26382 (280k, 1044x707) Collection of: David Pirmann Location: Chambers Street |
 Image 45291 (244k, 1044x708) Collection of: David Pirmann Location: Chambers Street |
 Image 45755 (395k, 1044x655) Collection of: David Pirmann Location: Chambers Street |
 Image 68418 (148k, 1044x788) Photo by: Michael Hodurski Location: Chambers Street |
 Image 68439 (175k, 1044x788) Photo by: Michael Hodurski Location: Chambers Street |
 Image 68442 (166k, 1044x788) Photo by: Michael Hodurski Location: Chambers Street |
 Image 77019 (223k, 1044x788) Photo by: Philip D'Allesandro Location: Chambers Street |
 Image 80788 (103k, 800x600) Photo by: Phillip Lee Location: Chambers Street |
 Image 84084 (213k, 1044x788) Photo by: John Barnes Location: Chambers Street |
 Image 91052 (132k, 820x620) Photo by: Gary Chatterton Location: Chambers Street |
 Image 112082 (150k, 1024x791) Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld Location: Chambers Street |
 Image 133847 (341k, 1024x687) Photo by: Wilfredo Castillo Location: Chambers Street |
 Image 139394 (324k, 1044x828) Photo by: Max Diamond Location: Chambers Street |