MTA and Hochul boost weekday service on the A and L lines to help reduce subway crowding and wait times

A and L lines now have more weekday service to accommodate the thousands of commuters who ride both lines each day, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA announced on Monday.

The added service took effect on Nov. 3.

There is now more midday service on the A train, with the addition of one round-trip each to Lefferts Boulevard and Far Rockaway in Queens. This would extend the span of midday 8-minute average headways between Inwood-207 Street and Rockaway Blvd., which will reduce wait times, improve service reliability and reduce delays associated with moving trains in and out of storage, the MTA explained.

Additional morning trips are also in effect on the L line. Weekday morning peak service includes four additional round-trips total, with two additional trains at the height of the AM peak to increase service from 20 to 22 trains between approximately 8 and 9 a.m.

The MTA said it can increase the capacity of the L because workers recently upgraded the line’s infrastructure — specifically, the traction power system that now has three new substations.

A and L lines get more trains through congestion pricing: Hochul

FILE – An A train in the Rockaways.Photo by Ramy Mahmoud

Hochul, whose office runs the MTA, said she added more service in response to increased subway ridership since the Jan. 5 launch of congestion pricing in Manhattan.

“When we launched congestion pricing, I made a promise to New Yorkers that we would deliver tangible improvements to transit service and by adding more trips on two of the busiest subway lines, we are doing just that,” the governor said. “More frequent subway service means less waiting on platforms and reduced crowding on trains — two big wins for riders.

The changes are part of a “four-phase implementation of enhanced service” on 13 lines. It costs $35 million to implement, which came from the state’s FY24 budget.

In June, the MTA increased service on 16 local bus routes and eight express bus routes following the start of congestion pricing

“Fast, frequent, more accessible service is a powerful incentive for New Yorkers to ride, and these latest enhancements on the A and L lines will only help us attract more customers,” MTA chair and CEO Janno Lieber said. “Credit to Governor Hochul and the NYS Legislature for providing the funding to make it happen.”

Danny Pearlstein, policy and communications director of the Riders Alliance, said New Yorkers will benefit from the increased service.

“Now, with the completion of long-awaited capital upgrades, A and L train riders will also enjoy more frequent service,” he said. “Amid an affordability crisis, shorter waits and faster trips save New Yorkers valuable time and money and increase our access to basic needs and opportunities.”

Fewer cars on the C train

The news follows the MTA’s recent $1.5 billion order of subway cars, a move that will result in shorter trains — and possibly less capacity — on the C line.

According to the Daily News, the order includes 11 eight-car trains that will be sent to the C line to replace the 10-car R211 sets that have been running on the local line for less than two years.

A significant number of older cars will be phased out and replaced, the MTA explained. The trains that are eight cars now are the same length as the trains that, in the future, will be eight cars.

“The MTA is modernizing its fleet with the addition of hundreds of new R211 and R268 train cars,” said Laura Cala-Rauch, an MTA spokesperson. “Riders love these top-of-the-line cars, which include more accessible seating, security cameras in every car, clear signage, audible announcements and bright lighting, not to mention the fact the R211s and R268s dramatically improve service and reliability for the millions of daily customers who rely on them.”