Three Months of D Train Service Cuts Are Coming to Brooklyn

The MTA will slash D train service in southern Brooklyn for more than three months this fall so transit officials can flood-proof the Coney Island Yard, officials announced Tuesday, August 17.

D trains won’t operate between Bay 50th Street Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue for 15 weeks from September 18 to January 3, allowing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to shore up the massive complex that was inundated during Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

“Superstorm Sandy showed us that we need to ensure that all of our NYC Transit facilities need to be protected, resilient and fortified against future natural disasters,” said New York City Transit Interim President Craig Cipriano in a statement.

MTA workers require full access to the stretch between the two stops in order to install a new flood barrier system; add a debris shield to the drawbridge crossing the Coney Island Creek; build a 2,900-foot flood wall; and upgrade communication cables and switches to withstand severe weather.

The southern Brooklyn train yard is one of the largest in North America and can house up to 881 subway cars. The facility is also home to a car wash, maintenance and repair, substations powering the trains, signal towers, and communications cables to run the transit system.

Superstorm Sandy flooded the adjacent Coney Island Creek in 2012, drenching the yard with more than 27 million gallons of saltwater and debris, damaging tracks and power cables.

MTA previously completed flood mitigation work for the N line in May 2020, and will now work on the yard’s western side along the D line.

Service changes and alternatives

For the repair period, D trains will run every 10 minutes to Bay 50 Street station, with more trains to and from Bay Parkway and 25 Avenue during rush hours.

On weekends, service will be every 12 minutes to Bay 50 Street, and every 20 minutes overnight.

A free shuttle bus will go between Bay 50 Street and Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue, and there are free MetroCard transfers for the following bus lines connecting nearby subway lines:

• B64 between near Bay 50 Street D station and Coney Island
• B1 between Bay Parkway and 25 Avenue D stations and 86 Street on the N and Avenue X on the F
• B82 between Bay Parkway and Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue F, N, Q

For uninterrupted subway service to and from Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue, transfer from the D to the N or Q at Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center, 36 Street, or 62 Street-New Utrecht Avenue, or transfer between D and F at West 4th Street.

Since Bay 50 Street is not wheelchair-accessible, the nearest stations that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act are 62 Street-New Utrecht Avenue D, N, Bay Parkway D, and Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue F, N, Q.

Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn Paper. Click here to see the original story.

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