K (Eighth Avenue Local)

Eighth Avenue Local
Northern end	168th Street
Southern end	World Trade Center
Stations	23
Discontinued	December 10, 1988 (1988-12-10)

The K Eighth Avenue Local, earlier the AA, was a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. Its route bullet was colored vivid blue on station signs, car rollsigns, and the official subway map since it ran on the IND Eighth Avenue Line.

The K operated during midday, evenings, and weekends, making all local stops between 168th Street in Washington Heights, Manhattan and World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan via Central Park West and Eighth Avenue in Manhattan. During late night hours, the A express made local stops on the IND Eighth Avenue Line. During rush hours, the C, formerly the CC, ran between Bedford Park Boulevard and Euclid Avenue, replacing the K as the local on Eighth Avenue.

History

An R42 K train at Chambers Street

Service as the AA

A and AA service began on September 10, 1932 with the opening of the IND Eighth Avenue Line. The Independent Subway System (IND) used single letters to refer to express services and double letters for local services. So the A ran express and the AA ran local, from 168th Street to Chambers Street/World Trade Center, known at the time as Hudson Terminal. The AA ran at all times, and was extended to 207th Street during nights and on Sundays when the A didn't run. When the Eighth Avenue Line was extended to Jay Street – MetroTech on February 1, 1933 the AA was extended there, but only during the times when the A didn't run; it continued to terminate at Chambers Street when the A did run.

When C and E service began on July 1, 1933, the AA was suspended until the IND Sixth Avenue Line opened in 1940. Then, it resumed non-rush hour and Saturday late afternoon through all day Sunday service to Chambers Street. Rush hours, the AA did not run; it was replaced by the BB (later B) service, which instead ran on the Sixth Avenue Line. This pattern was unchanged until the late 1970s, when late night service was replaced by an all local A service.

Service as the K

In 1985, as part of the elimination of double letters, the AA was renamed the K. This service operated between 168th Street and World Trade Center during midday, evenings, and weekends. During late night hours, the A express made local stops on the Eighth Avenue Line. During rush hours, the C, formerly the CC, ran between Bedford Park Boulevard and Rockaway Park – Beach 116th Street, replacing the K as the local on Eighth Avenue.

The K last ran on December 10, 1988, and the next day (December 11, 1988; the day where the New York City Subway would get several major service changes), the C was expanded from its rush-hour only service to include midday service between 145th Street and Euclid Avenue, early evening (until 9:00) service from 145th Street to World Trade Center, and weekend service matching the former K between 168th Street and World Trade Center. The B was also expanded to middays to match part of the former K.

Route

Service pattern

The following table shows the lines used by the K service:

Line	From	To	Tracks
IND Eighth Avenue Line	168th Street	World Trade Center	local

Stations

For a more detailed station listing, see the articles on the lines listed above.

Station service legend
	Stops all times
	Stops all times except late nights
	Stops weekdays only
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction
	Stops weekdays in the peak direction only
Time period details

	Stations		Subway transfers	Connections
Manhattan
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	168th Street		A  1  (IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line)
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	163rd Street – Amsterdam Avenue
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	155th Street
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	145th Street		A  D  (IND Concourse Line)
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	135th Street
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	125th Street		A D	M60 bus to LaGuardia Airport
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	116th Street
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	Cathedral Parkway – 110th Street
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	103rd Street
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	96th Street
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	86th Street
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	81st Street – Museum of Natural History
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	72nd Street
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	59th Street – Columbus Circle		A  D  1  (IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line)
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	50th Street		E
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	42nd Street – Port Authority Bus Terminal		A  E  1  2  3  (IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line), 7  <7> (IRT Flushing Line), B  D  N  Q  R  (BMT Broadway Line), S (42nd Street Shuttle) at Times Square – 42nd Street	Port Authority Bus Terminal Note: Yellow B and D services discontinued
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	34th Street – Penn Station		A  E	Amtrak, LIRR, NJ Transit at Pennsylvania Station
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	23rd Street		E
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	14th Street		A  E  L  (BMT Canarsie Line)
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	West Fourth Street – Washington Square		A  E  F  S JFK (IND Sixth Avenue Line)	PATH at 9th Street Note: Grand Street Shuttle and JFK Express discontinued
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	Spring Street		E
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	Canal Street		A  E
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction	World Trade Center		E  A  (IND Eighth Avenue Line at Chambers Street) 2  3  (IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line at Park Place)	PATH at World Trade Center

External links

• NYCsubway.org - Historical Maps
• Hey, What's a "K" Train? MTA service notice, 1985
• Big Changes For Subways Are to Begin, New York Times December 9, 1988 page B1