East 180th Street (IRT White Plains Road Line)

East 180th Street (IRT White Plains Road Line)

East 180th Street (originally East 180th Street – Morris Park Avenue) is an elevated express station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York City Subway, in the Bronx at the intersection of East 180th Street and Morris Park Avenue. It is served by the 2 and 5 trains at all times.

It opened on March 3, 1917, and has two island platforms and three tracks. All service is on the outer tracks, except that the 5 train uses the center track during rush hours in the peak direction (when it runs express to or from Third Avenue – 149th Street), and late night (when shuttle trains from – Dyre Avenue terminate here). The express run to Third Avenue – 149th Street is 3.4 miles and bypasses seven stations, making it the second-longest express run in the New York City Subway (the longest is from 125 Street to 59th Street – Columbus Circle on the IND Eighth Avenue Line).

The south end of the platforms has a staff-only bridge allowing access from the platforms to the East 180th Street Yard directly to the west. Until the 1980s, the station had escalators to street level via a mezzanine, the remains of which are visible beneath the tracks. A walk is required to reach fare control on the former New York, Westchester and Boston Railway station house. A secondary exit leads to 180th Street.

Heading north, after West Farms Square – East Tremont Avenue, trains turn east and enter the S-curve to East 180th Street. To the northeast are the Unionport Yard and a signal tower; just to the northwest is the flyover that carries the southbound track of the IRT Dyre Avenue Line. The 2 train continues on the IRT White Plains Road Line to Wakefield – 241st Street. The 5 train diverges to the Dyre Avenue Line northeast, and also continues on the White Plains Road Line to Nereid Avenue during rush hours in the peak direction.