IRT Pelham Line

IRT Pelham Line The 6 train serves the IRT Pelham Line at all times. The 6 Express train serves the IRT Pelham Line weekdays in the peak direction. Overview Type Rapid transit System New York City Subway Termini Pelham Bay Park Third Avenue – 138th Street Stations 18 Operation Opened 1919-1920 Owner City of New York Operator(s) New York City Transit Authority Character Underground (Hunts Point & South) Elevated (North of Hunts Point) Technical No. of tracks 2-3 Track gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Electrification 600V DC third rail IRT Pelham Line Legend Pelham Bay Park Buhre Avenue Middletown Road Westchester Yard Westchester Square – East Tremont Avenue Zerega Avenue Castle Hill Avenue Parkchester St. Lawrence Avenue Morrison Avenue – Soundview Elder Avenue Whitlock Avenue Hunts Point Avenue Longwood Avenue East 149th Street East 143rd Street – St. Mary's Street Cypress Avenue Brook Avenue Third Avenue – 138th Street IRT Jerome Avenue Line Merge to IRT Lexington Avenue Line Lexington Avenue Tunnel

The IRT Pelham Line is a rapid transit line on the New York City Subway, served by the 6 and <6> trains. It was built as part of the Dual Contracts expansion and opened in 1919. It is both elevated and underground with Whitlock Avenue being the southernmost elevated station. It has three tracks from the beginning to just south of the Pelham Bay Park terminal.

Scheduled Services

Express service operates from Third Avenue – 138th Street to Parkchester during weekdays from approximately 6:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.. At those times, Pelham Bay Park cannot handle the large number of 6 and <6> trains in service. As a result, 6 trains run local on the Pelham Line south of Parkchester and terminate there. The <6> trains run express using the center track from Third Avenue to Parkchester in the peak direction and local from Parkchester to Pelham Bay Park. At all other times, 6 trains run local on the entire line.

Depiction in fiction

The train that is hijacked in the book The Taking of Pelham One Two Three by Morton Freedgood (writing as John Godey) and the three films based on the novel originated on this line from Pelham Bay Park at 1:23 (hence the name "Pelham 123"). It was subsequently hijacked on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line.

Station listing

Station service legend
	Stops all times
	Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction
	Stops rush hours in the peak direction only
Time period details

Neighborhood (approximate)		Station	Tracks	Services	Opened	Notes
Pelham Bay		Pelham Bay Park		6  <6>	December 20, 1920	Bx12 Select Bus Service
	Center Express track begins (No Regular Service to Parkchester)
		Buhre Avenue	local	6  <6>	December 20, 1920
		Middletown Road	local	6  <6>	December 20, 1920
connecting tracks to Westchester Yard
Westchester Square		Westchester Square – East Tremont Avenue	local	6  <6>	October 24, 1920
Castle Hill		Zerega Avenue	local	6  <6>	October 24, 1920
		Castle Hill Avenue	local	6  <6>	October 24, 1920
<6> service switches to/from center express track
Parkchester		Parkchester	all	6  <6>	May 30, 1920	originally Parkchester – East 177th Street
Soundview		St. Lawrence Avenue	local	6	May 30, 1920
		Morrison Avenue – Soundview	local	6	May 30, 1920	originally Sound View Avenue, Morrison – Sound View Avenues
		Elder Avenue	local	6	May 30, 1920
Longwood		Whitlock Avenue	local	6	May 30, 1920
		Hunts Point Avenue	all	6  <6>	January 7, 1919
		Longwood Avenue	local	6	January 7, 1919
		East 149th Street	local	6	January 7, 1919
Mott Haven		East 143rd Street – St. Mary's Street	local	6	January 7, 1919
		Cypress Avenue	local	6	January 7, 1919
		Brook Avenue	local	6	January 7, 1919
		Third Avenue – 138th Street	all	6  <6>	January 7, 1919
	Center Express track ends
Merges with IRT Lexington Avenue Line (6  <6>)

External links

• IRT Pelham Line (NYCSubway.org)