MTA Plans Major Overhaul to Fix Brooklyn Subway Bottleneck

The MTA is set to tackle a longstanding subway problem in Brooklyn, aiming to ease delays for over 300,000 daily riders through a strategic overhaul of the Nostrand Interlocking. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Located in Central Brooklyn, the interlocking has long disrupted service on the 2, 3, 4, and 5 lines. Its outdated track design forces multiple trains to stop and wait, causing cascading delays throughout the system.

Don’t miss…NJ Transit Restores Service on North Jersey Coast Line After Storms

The junction connects the Franklin Avenue station with both the Eastern Parkway and Nostrand Avenue routes. Tracks twist and overlap in a way that resembles a tangled knot, severely limiting train movement.

MTA officials now plan to reroute the 3 and 5 trains east of Franklin Avenue to reduce conflicts. The 5 will run along Eastern Parkway, while the 3 will be redirected down Nostrand Avenue.

This move would separate the lines more cleanly and allow for smoother transfers at the interchange. Officials say this approach could significantly cut wait times and improve overall efficiency.

Some riders welcome the proposal. “There are significant delays and it’s impossible to plan your day,” said commuter Stephanie Browne. “It just throws everything off.”

MTA Capital Plan to Address Crown Heights Cluster

The redesign forms part of the MTA’s newly approved $65 billion five-year capital plan. It includes a feasibility study to decide if station platform changes will be needed at Franklin Avenue.

Alyssa Cobb Konon, deputy chief development officer for planning, said the bottleneck affects just 150 feet of track—only 0.004% of the entire system. Still, it causes outsized problems.

She likened the work to untangling hair knots: “You don’t fix the snarl directly. You work around it, and it comes undone.” The project would require building a new crossover track east of the current interlocking.

Alternative Subway Line Dropped in Favor of Cost Savings

An earlier idea suggested adding a new line—the 8—to run between the Bronx and New Lots Avenue. That plan carried an estimated cost of $410 million, not including $224 million for new subway cars.

However, the MTA now believes it can solve the issue without adding a new line, resulting in major cost savings. Officials plan to move ahead with construction in the coming years, though no timeline has been finalized.

Source: gothamist.com

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed: