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Queens Blvd Express·6th Avenue-Culver Local<Avenue X

Avenue X is a local station on the Culver Elevated with two side platforms for the three-track line. The middle express track ends just south of the station as a yard lead into Coney Island yard with trains going from Coney Island to Manhattan unable to bypass Avenue X since the only switches to and from this track are north of the station. It is the closest station to the Coney Island Overall Shops and the stop that the two times I went on public tours of the shops, tour participants were instructed to get off at. The station has two side platforms for the three-track line. Just south of the station, the center track curves off of the elevated (via a flat junction with the northbound track), along with a second track providing access from the Culver Line to the Coney Island Yard. Today some AM rush hour trains originate at the station coming from Coney Island Yard. Trains at the end of the AM rush hour going to the yard and all PM rush hour trains originate and terminate at Kings Highway and use the middle track to run without passengers through Avenue X. This allows terminating trains to not tie up Coney Island-bound trains on Avenue X's Coney Island-bound platform while crews fumigate and make sure no passengers are on trains entering the train yard. Originating trains do not have these issues.

The station rose in prominence on the subway system when it was the temporary terminal of the F train from September 2002 to May 2004. During this time F trains were kicked out of the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Terminal so that the terminal could be completely rebuilt. Trains terminating at Avenue X, discharged their passengers on the Coney Island-bound platform before continuing beyond the station to relay using tracks inside the train yard and reenter service on the Manhattan-bound platform. Since Avenue X is a simple local station, without proper crew quarters train crews were changed in Kings Highway instead of Avenue X. A special 'F Shuttle Bus' replaced train service to Coney Island with intermediate stops near the closed Neptune Avenue and West 8 Street-NY Aquarium Stations.

The station has one feature that has been left intact that was built specifically for the shuttle busing. There is a staircase tower-type structure with two intermediate landings, whose modular design makes it look like it was designed to be temporary. The entrance to this staircase is from two High Exit Turnstiles that are directly on the Coney Island-bound platform down to street level, along Shell Road (what McDonald Avenue south of its intersection with Avenue X becomes) just south of the intersection with Avenue X. There is still a bus stop here, now just serviced by the B4 to Sheepshead Bay.

The station's main exit is at the extreme northern end of the platforms where a staircase leads down from each side platform to the standard station house nestled beneath the tracks, two staircases lead down from the station house to the NE corner of McDonald Avenue and Avenue X, and the NW corner of 86 Street and McDonald Avenue. 86 Street begins at this intersection at a diagonal, making this a 5-way intersection.
Photo 1-13: August 4, 2009; 14 & 15: August 11, 2009; 16: June 1, 2004

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Last Updated: March 3, 2022
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