History
The line opened south of 145th Street just after midnight on November 23, 1904, as part of the IRT's original system. It was known as the East Side Subway or East Side Branch at the time, as it was the spur of the main line to the east side. The first train ran from the line onto the IRT White Plains Road Line (known as the West Farms Branch or the West Farms Extension) just after midnight on July 10, 1905.
The Harlem – 148th Street station was opened on May 13, 1968 on land that had been part of the Lenox Yard; the station was originally called Lenox Terminal–148th Street.
The line has always carried trains of two service patterns, currently designated 2 and 3; see those articles for details. Prior to the 1950s, 1 locals used this line switching to the local at 96th Street. From May to October 1998, the tunnel that carried the 2 and 3 services was repaired, causing several delays. 3 trains were rerouted to 137th Street on the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line.
From 1995–2008, the line's two northernmost stations, Harlem – 148th Street and 145th Street, were served by shuttle buses during the late-night hours. Full-time service was restored on July 27, 2008.
Read more about this topic: IRT Lenox Avenue Line
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