IND Fulton Street Line - General Characteristics

General Characteristics

The Fulton Street subway was the Independent System's main line from Downtown Brooklyn to southern Queens. Construction was delayed by funding problems in the early 1930s, solved by federal Works Progress Administration funding starting in 1936. That lasted only a few years, as work on the last portions in Brooklyn was stopped in 1942 shortly after the United States entered World War II. The portion continuing from east of Rockaway Avenue to Crystal Street, not far west of the future Euclid Avenue station, began construction in 1938, and the next portion in 1940.

After WWII ended, workers and materials became available for civilian use again. The badly needed short run to a better terminal at East New York (the current Broadway Junction station) opened in December 1946. The last portion opened on 28 November 1948, running along Pennsylvania Avenue and Pitkin Avenue to Euclid Avenue near the Queens border. It included access to a new train yard.

Under Fulton Street, the line is mainly single level. Nostrand Avenue is the exception with the express tracks on the upper level and local tracks on the lower level. This is partly because it was built while the old, now-demolished elevated line on the surface had to be supported.

The stations along Liberty Avenue in Queens, from 80th Street – Hudson Street through Ozone Park – Lefferts Boulevard, as well as the current three-track elevated structure, were built for the BMT Fulton Street Line in 1915 as part of the BMT's portion of the Dual Contracts.

The connection to the BMT line was severed on April 26, 1956 and the IND was extended east (track direction south) from Euclid Avenue via a connecting tunnel and new intermediate station at Grant Avenue. The new service began three days later.