IND Worth Street Line

The IND Worth Street Line was a proposed rapid transit line planned as part a major expansion of the New York City Subway in the early 20th century.

Route

The IND Worth Street Line was envisioned as part of the IND Eighth Avenue Line. The line was to come out of the main line along Sixth Avenue/Church Street south of Canal Street, and turn south-east into Worth Street. This route would travel in a two-track tunnel and probably stop at Foley Square (Lafayette and Centre Streets, on the north side of Federal Plaza), Chatham Square (with a possible connection to the Second Avenue Subway), Rutgers Street–East Broadway (with a connection to the IND Rutgers Street Line), and a station in the Lower East Side (possibly Pitt Street and Grand Street).

Crossing to Williamsburg, the line was to have stops at Havemeyer Street, South Fourth Street (connections to the IND Crosstown Line and a major junction to the IND Houston Street Line, the IND Utica Ave Line and a connection to the Rockaways). The Manhattan portion from the Church Street bellmouth to the East River would have been about 2 miles long.

Traces of the IND Worth Street Line

Although the line never saw construction, evidence remains visible of a plan to build it. Vestiges of a bellmouth can be seen while travelling on the local tracks south of Canal Street. A large open space above the platform level at East Broadway (IND Sixth Avenue Line) was intended to become a 2 track station. Also above Broadway (IND Crosstown Line) a 6 track station, where the IND Worth Street Line and the IND Houston Line converges, can be envisioned.

References

* [http://nycsubway.org/ind/indsecond.html NYCsubway.org - IND Second System]
* [http://www.nycsubway.org/ind/qblvd/ind-qblvd-roosterm.html NYC subway.org - Roosevelt Avenue Terminal Station]
* [http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/abandoned/indsecsys.html Abandoned Stations - IND Second System unfinished stations]
* [http://www.thejoekorner.com/indsecondsystem/index.htm JoeKorNer - IND Second System] (including a plan for a line to Staten Island)