Q Train Expansion into Harlem Gets Approval
August 19, 2025
After almost five decades without direct subway service,
On August 18th, the MTA Board approved the severely
delayed expansion of the Q line north from 96th Street
to 125th Street.
This expansion was first introduced in 1929.
Resurfaced again in 2004, and then made
progress between June 2013 and
January 2017, when "Phase One" of the
Second Avenue Subway opened service from
63rd Street to 96th Street.
The new extension will also make use of an
existing subway tunnel from the 1970s,
which stretches from 110th to 120th Street.
Construction on that tunnel stopped around
1975, when the city was skidding dangerously
close to bankruptcy.
With $3.4 billion in federal funding from the
FTA (Federal Transit Administration),
Phase Two is finally set to move forward.
According to the MTA, the extension is expected
to serve approximately 300,000 more
commuters, helping to ease congestion at the already
crowded Q line stations at 63rd, 72nd, 86th,
and 96th Streets.
Right now, about 200,000 riders have to travel downtown.
Just to transfer to a train that can get them uptown,
This extension could make a major difference.
The project will also include three new ADA-accessible
stations at 106th Street, 116th Street, and 125th Street.
The 125th Street station will provide connections to the
Q line to the 4, 5, and 6 trains, Metro-North,
and the M60 bus to LaGuardia.