174th Street station (IRT White Plains Road Line)


174th Street is a local station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 174th Street, Southern Boulevard & Boston Road in the Crotona Park East neighborhood of the Bronx, it is served by the train at all times, and the train at all times except late nights and rush hours in the peak direction.

History

The initial segment of the IRT White Plains Road Line opened on November 26, 1904, between 180th Street–Bronx Park and Jackson Avenue. Initially, trains on the line were served by elevated trains from the IRT Second Avenue Line and the IRT Third Avenue Line. Once the connection to the IRT Lenox Avenue Line opened on July 10, 1905, trains from the newly opened IRT subway ran via the line.
The Bergen Avenue cutoff, which allowed Third Avenue trains to access the White Plains Road Line, was abandoned on November 5, 1946, as part of the gradual curtailment of elevated service on the IRT Third Avenue Line. On June 13, 1949, the platform extensions at this station, as well as those on other White Plains Road Line stations between Jackson Avenue and 177th Street, opened. The platforms were lengthened to to allow full ten-car express trains to open their doors. Previously, the stations could only accommodate six-car local trains.
The station was closed from July to November 2003 and was completely rehabilitated.

Station layout

This elevated station, which has two side platforms and three tracks, is built on a curve, which results in large gaps between the center doors of trains and the platform. The gaps were almost wide enough to need gap fillers. By 2008, most of the station's gaps had been filled, but train announcements still warn passengers to "be careful of the gap between the platform and the train."
The station has a white windscreen and black fencing. The ends of the platform are very narrow.

Exits

The station does not have a mezzanine, therefore in-system transfers between the two directions are not possible. The station houses are at the same level as the platforms. The two southbound exits lead to the northwestern corner of the skewed intersection of 174th Street and Southern Boulevard. The two northbound exits are on either eastern corner of that intersection.