The New York City subway system dates back to 1869 when Alfred Ely Beach debuted his plan for an underground transit system in New York. Above-ground trains existed before this, like the modern-day L train that used to be a steam railroad in 1865, but this would be the first comprised of a series of tunnels beneath the city. In February of 1870, his plan was approved. This first stretch of track only went from Warren Street to Murray Street in downtown Manhattan. On October 27, 1904, the Manhattan Main Line was opened. Spanning 9.1 miles long, the line ran between City Hall and 145th Street in Harlem.
The lines that opened thereafter would be privately owned by two companies: Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT). In 1932, the city would build its first line as part of the Independent Subway System (IND) as a first step to having the city own the lines. In 1940, the city was able to buy the previously privately owned lines.
The subway system we see today has not always been this way. More and more handfuls of commuters would take the train every year until the 1970s and 1980s when crime and violence were so prevalent in the subway system most people would avoid it altogether. While there are still many more improvements the subway needs, it has become a vital part of New Yorker’s day-to-day life.