There was relief for G-Bahn passengers in northern Brooklyn on Monday as work to improve signals began in Bed Stuy and further south.
Construction crews work on the G-Bahn tracks near Court Square on August 6. Photo by Marc A. Hermann / MTA
By Ben Brachfeld, amNY
The northern portion of the G Line reopened on Monday, while the MTA’s extensive resignaling work on the subway line continues further south through September.
On Monday, August 12, G service resumed between Court Square and Bedford-Nostrand, ending more than a month of arduous commutes for riders in Long Island City, Greenpoint, Williamsburg and Bedford Stuyvesant who had to rely on shuttle buses to get to their destinations.
Also Monday, the final phase of work to upgrade the Crosstown Line’s signals began, requiring the line to be closed from Bedford-Nostrand in Bed Stuy to Church Avenue in Kensington until September 3.
The B93 shuttle buses run between Bedford-Nostrand and Jay Street-MetroTech, but south of there, passengers are advised to take the F train, which shares the route from Downtown Brooklyn to Kensington with the G train.
The overall purpose of the work is to modernize the G’s train signals, which, like much of the subway system, date back to the 1930s. These old signals often fail and are a major cause of subway delays. The G will be equipped with modern communications-based train control (CBTC), which will allow trains to run faster and closer together.
But the MTA is also using the rare 24/7 closure as an opportunity to perform other related upgrades, such as replacing old wooden ties with composite ones that are more resistant to water ingress. The MTA has also replaced the entire track between 21st Street and Court Square. This work can only be done during a full closure and hasn’t been done there for over 30 years.
The first agenda item for Phase 3 of the plan is to replace tracks along a sharp curve between the Hoyt-Schermerhorn and Bergen Street stations, the MTA says.
Anyone interested in receiving updates on the project can sign up for the MTA’s G Train newsletter at https://cloud.info.mta.org/g-train-service-subscription.
Editor’s note: A version of this story originally appeared in amNY. Click here to see the original story.
You might also like
Email [email protected] with any additional comments, questions or tips. Follow Brownstoner on X and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.
What is your opinion? Leave a comment