Nine Line Out of Life?

Oh, no! The Daily News reports that the Transit Authority is considering ending the 9 subway line. The 9 line was added to provide "skip-stop" service to selected stations in the Bronx and upper Manhattan, while the 1 line serves all stations. However, there are more people at the skipped stops, which is making the TA consider simply changing the 9 trains into 1 trains - same number of trains, but going to all local stops. Gothamist definitely wants more service for customers, but we are just very fond of the 9 train, if just because it's sort of random, the 1/2/3 and 9 trains on the West Side. (Additional interesting note: The Daily News also added that the 8 train line was introduced in 1972 as an elevated train, but was soon scrapped. Which makes us wonder if, there were a new numbered line at some point, if the MTA could resurrect old numbers or would they have to go to 10?) And Gothamist thinks we recall Lou Reed saying his favorite journey was the downtown 1/9 train in the Proust Questionnaire for Vanity Fair.

More subway information at NYC Subways.

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By Jen Chung in News on April 28, 2004 9:09 AM

Comments [rss]

kng

for a long time I thought the 1 was the same as 9 anyway. I could care less

Jackie

I haven't seen a 9 train in months, maybe years. I figured they'd already done away with them and forgot to tell anyone.

Jason

The current rollsigns go up to 14, I think. 11 is purple, matching with the color for 7; cute.

Linus

As someone who remembers back to double-letter trains (LL, RR, QB, CC and the like), I always thought the 9 was a silly train. But then the subways are where a guy gets curmudgeonly fast: I'll never buy into the V as a real train either, most like. Unless I move out to Astoria or Jackson Heights, where it turns into a fact of life. Bah, grump, grump, hmph.