Early history of the IRT subway

rdf:langString Early history of the IRT subway

rdf:langString The first regularly operated subway in New York City was opened on October 27, 1904, and was operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT). The early IRT system consisted of a single trunk line below 96th Street in Manhattan, running under Broadway, 42nd Street, Park Avenue, and Lafayette Street. The line had three northern branches in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx, and a southern branch to Brooklyn. The system had four tracks between Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall and 96th Street, allowing for local and express service. The original line and early extensions consisted of: * The IRT Eastern Parkway Line from Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center to Borough Hall * The IRT Lexington Avenue Line from Borough Hall to Grand Central–42nd Street * The IRT 42nd Street Shuttle from Grand Central–42nd Street to Times Square * The IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line from Times Square to Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street * The IRT Lenox Avenue Line from 96th Street to 145th Street * The IRT White Plains Road Line from 142nd Street Junction to 180th Street–Bronx Park Planning for the subway started in 1894 with the enactment of the Rapid Transit Act. The plans were drawn up by a team of engineers led by William Barclay Parsons, chief engineer of the Rapid Transit Commission. Heins & LaFarge designed elaborate decorative elements for the early system. The city government started construction on the first IRT subway in 1900, leasing it to the IRT for operation under Contracts 1 and 2. After the initial line was opened, several modifications and extensions were made in the 1900s and 1910s. In 1918, a new "H" system was placed in service as part of the Dual Contracts, splitting the original line into several segments. Most of the original IRT remains intact and operates as part of the New York City Subway; however, several stations were subsequently closed.