"Documenting the Last Departure on the Original Track 4"
At 1202AM on August 23rd, 2021, the last train to use the original 42nd Street Shuttle configuration accelerates off of Track 4 as a buff films on with his camera. The platform was permanently closed off to the public shortly after the departure of this train marking the end of 117 years of service.
Opened in August of 1918, the 42nd Street Shuttle runs between Times Square & Grand Central on part of the original IRT subway which first opened in October of 1904. Many aspects of the original subway could still be seen, but work began on August 16th, 2019 to drastically revamp the Shuttle. The first phase of the work on the Times Square side involved turning the right of way of Track 3 (to the right of this photo) into a huge island platform. The final phase of the project, which commenced shortly after the departure of this last train, called for walling off the original Track 4 platform and removing the bridge plates seen in this photo from revenue service. When finished, this will allow for 2 six-car trainsets instead of the original 3 smaller trainsets, increasing capacity and making the Shuttle ADA compliant.
