Express F Train Subway Service Begins Between Manhattan, Coney Island
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The express service on the F line began this morning for Manhattan-bound trains.
The new F Express provides some major relief for riders between Coney Island and Manhattan. Until now those commuters had to deal with stopping at 26 stations with no express option, reports CBS2's Natalie Duddridge reports.
Each weekday, Monday to Friday, two express trains will take off from Coney Island at 7:07 a.m. and 7:29 a.m. and head Manhattan-bound.
Those trains will skip all stops between Church Avenue and Jay Street/MetroTech stations with one stop in between.
"It will get people downtown Brooklyn faster to Manhattan faster and take some of the congestion off," said Christopher Greif, a commuter on the F line.
"To share all that time off is important," said Debra Greif.
The F line currently operates local service on a 26 station segment from Broadway-Lafayette Street to Coney Island, the longest local service portion of any subway line.
Southern Brooklyn customers traveling to and from midtown Manhattan can spend 50 minutes or more in each direction.
"This is game changing if we could cut down the time by 20, 30 minutes," said Councilmember Mark Treyger. "Time is something that you can never get back, so it's really important for my residents here."
Some riders say they don't think it will make enough of a difference.
"It would be better if they did the full express service: Seventh Avenue, 18th Avenue, Kings Highway," said Dana Hylton.
"It's going to be like the N train because the N train skips a bunch of stops, and that would be annoying," said Sophie Muniz.
For those whose stops will be skipped by this express train, they can still take their local F and G trains.
Those looking for the express train should look for the F in the diamond, the symbol of all the express trains.
As for getting back home, two F Express trains will leave Manhattan between 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
