47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center is an express station on the IND Sixth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. It is located along Sixth Avenue between 47th and 50th Streets, on the west side of Rockefeller Center. The station is served by the D and F trains at all times, the B and M trains on weekdays, and the <F> train during rush hours in the peak direction. In 2018, it was the 12th busiest subway station in the system.
The station has two island platforms and four tracks, like most express stations, but has an unusual track arrangement. The uptown side has the traditional arrangement of local service on the outside track and express service on the inside track, but the downtown side reverses this. This is to avoid level junctions with the IND Queens Boulevard Line, which is perpendicular with the IND Sixth Avenue Line north of this station. Express trains come fromthe Bronx via a connection from the IND Eighth Avenue Line while local trains come from Queens via either the IND 63rd Street Line or the 53rd Street Tunnels. South of this station, the downtown local track crosses under the express track and the line returns to the traditional arrangement in both directions at 42nd Street–Bryant Park. Each platform has seven stairs to mezzanine, the north end of the northbound platform has an active tower, and is depressed about ten feet below the southbound platform. This is to prepare the lines to be branched out towards the Bronx and Queens. The color band is Permanent Red, with Chocolate Brown borders, "47" and "50" alternate each other below the tile band. The tiles above and below it are white. Also at this station, there is a sign next to the tower saying "What you punch is what you get"; this sign is referring to the automatic punch boxes on both tracks on the northbound platform. In the case of an emergency or service reroute, the express tracks can also be used to access the 63rd Street tunnel.
Exits
The station has numerous passageways and exits, including fourteen street stairs and an elevator. This does not include several passageways through Rockefeller Center, all of which are outside fare control. The mezzanine has a full-time booth at its north end, at West 49th Street. A passageway to one northern part-time staircase leads to West 50th Street. Another passageway along the west side of 49th Street connects to the 49th Street subway station on the BMT Broadway Line outside of fare control. The middle fare control at West 48th Street has a ghost booth and all-day HEET access. The south fare control at West 47th Street has a part-time booth and more staircases.
One stair, on street, to NW corner of 6th Avenue and 50th Street
One stair, within Radio City Music Hall building, to east side of 6th Avenue north of 50th Street; usually open late during evening performances
Passageway directly to 1211 Avenue of the Americas
One stair, on street, to NE corner of 6th Avenue and 47th Street
One stair, on street, to SE corner of 6th Avenue and 47th Street
One stair, on street, to SW corner of 6th Avenue and 47th Street
In popular culture
The station was featured in the 1976 film Marathon Man, where the former KK route's emblem is posted on a street entrance of the east side of Sixth Avenue and West 47th Street. The station exit to 1271 Avenue of the Americas was featured in the opening sequence of 2012 film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
