Welcome Back W!

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It's finally been confirmed. Rumors of the W Line being resurrected from the grave have been circling the grape vine for quite some time, but for many of us it was all too good to be true.  

On Thursday, the MTA finally announced that those rumors were in fact true, and they are seriously considering bringing the local line back. 

The W – which made its way from western Queens to the southern tip of Manhattan – was taken off the line in 2010, after the MTA budget deficit was $1.2 billion

Hanging in the balance of a public hearing this spring, the MTA said that if successful, they could have the W making its way to and fro as early as the end of the year. 

Check out the proposed changes that will take place to not just the W, but also the N/Q and R lines:

  • N Line: Service will remain much the same, although trains operate express in Manhattan on weekdays during peak hours, midday and evenings.

 

  • Q Line: Northern terminus switched to 57 St/7 Ave until the Second Avenue Subway opens, after which, trains will operate from 96 St in Manhattan to Coney Island-Stillwell Av in Brooklyn. Q will run local for latenights between Brooklyn and Manhattan via the Manhattan Bridge. Service in Brooklyn remains the same.

 

  • R Line: No service changes.

 

  • W Line: Restoration of weekday service, making all local stops from Astoria-Ditmars Blvd to Whitehall St via the Broadway Line. No service on weekends or late night.

It won't be too hard to reinstate the W. The tracks it used are all still there, and there was even a budget put in place for new signage and maps. 

According to NY1, the MTA said that the changes and reinstallation of the W will cost around $14 million per year.

 

*Featured Image Credit:AP / Kathy Willens. Via amNewYork.com