A
The A train runs along the IND Eighth Avenue Line in what was originally called the Washington Heights Line. The train opened in 1932, with the A line being express and the AA line running local. The A originally did not run late night or on Sundays, leaving only the AA to make all the stops along the line. The A ran express between 207th Street and Chambers Street, while the AA ran local between 168th Street and Chambers Street.
February 1, 1933, the Cranberry Street Tunnel opened creating a connection between Manhattan and Brooklyn. This connection allowed the southern terminal on the A to be extended to Jay Street - Borough Hall, then to Bergen Street, then to Church Avenue. In 1936, the line was extended to Rockaway Avenue, making it the longest stretch of track in the entire NYC subway system. Today, the A runs from 207th Street in Manhattan to Far Rockaway or alternating between Euclid Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard in Brooklyn.
C
Opening on July 1, 1933, the IND Concourse Line came with the addition of the C train to the IND Eighth Avenue Line. The C was added to the express route, and the CC ran locally along the concourse line. The C line replaced the AA as the Eighth Avenue Local Line, running between 205th Street and Bergen Street. During rush hour, the CC would run up to Bedford Park Boulevard in the Bronx and terminate service up there.
The line went through many extensions. On April 9, 1936, the southern terminal was extended to Hoyt-Schermerhorn Streets, and then on May 2, 1999, the terminal was extended yet again to Euclid Avenue in Brooklyn, where it currently terminates service today. The northern terminal was extended to the current 168th Street in Manhattan on March 1, 1998.
E
The E began as an addition to the IND Queens Boulevard Line on August 19, 1933, stretching between 50th Street, Manhattan, to Roosevelt Avenue, Queens. In 1936, the line was rerouted to run through Brooklyn, and the Rutgers Street Tunnel to terminate service at Church Avenue to replace the A since it had been rerouted to Rockaway Avenue. The E would continue to run in Brooklyn with ever-changing southern terminals until August 30, 1976, when the Brooklyn line was eliminated and made to end at the World Trade Center station in Manhattan.
During the 1939 World’s Fair in New York, the E ran between Queens and Manhattan, only running in this particular section until the fair was closed for the night and then never again once the event was over. On September 8, 1953, the line was upgraded to have 11 cars per train, increasing the overall train capacity by 4,000 passengers.
