Rush hour direction

In NJ for the most part rush hour in the AM is Manhattan bound and PM is NJ bound and train service is heavy in the rush hour direction. In NYC (mostly Manhattan) is there a rush hour direction? Is there more or less uptown or downtown service in the AM rush? PM rush?

If you look at the MTA-NYC website, you'll see that some of the trains, like the B Train, operate only at rush hours in the peak direction (which for some trains is in both directions because they are through trains through lower and midtown Manhattan).

Rush hour direction can be thought of toward Manhattan in the AM, and to the outlying boroughs in the afternoon. While trainspotting at Roosevelt Avenue around the PM rush, it was common to see Jamaica-bound E trains almost filled to capacity, while the trains going to Manhattan had the typical, passenger loads. This pattern was also noted at Atlantic Av, on the 2.

There are also "rush hours" within Manhattan. A classic example is 34th St. on the 8th Av line at 8:00a. Once an NJT train dumps the crowd onto NYP, it's a rat trap right past the turnstiles, with instances in which I had to wait for a second E train because it was impossible to get into the first one. Most of these detrained (with much relief!) at either 5 Av/53rd or Lex Av to go to the business districts there, while a nearly empty E train went on to Queens.

Huh?? The B-Brighton Express is NOT a rush hour-only train; it just doesn't run on weekends.

Here is a snip from the mta website:

B trains operate, weekdays only, between 145th St, Manhattan, and
Brighton Beach, Brooklyn at all times except evenings and late nights.
The route extends to Bedford Park Blvd, Bronx, during rush hours.

Another point to note is that rush-hour officially changes (at least on the #7-Flushing line) at approx. 12 Noon. On that 3-track line the direction of Express trains changes from Manhattan-bound to Flushing, Queens-bound. No express service on weekends, but there ought-to-be !!!!!!

There are several lines that have some directional express services, all weekday only, usually on a 3rd/middle track. Here's a quick list:

4 train bypassing 138th St-Grand Concourse in the Bronx (short segment)
Bypasses on 3rd/middle track toward Manhattan 6:45am-9am and from Manhattan 4:45pm-6:15pm.

5 train between East 180th Street and 3rd Ave-149th St in the Bronx
Express to Manhattan about 6am-9am and to the Bronx about 4:30pm-7:30pm (2 trains operate locally)

6 train between Parkchester and 3rd Ave-138th St in the Bronx
Express toward Manhattan until about 12:30pm and then switches to express toward the Bronx until about 8:30pm (these are "diamond" 6 trains; standard 6 trains operate locally)

7 train between Willets Ptt-Shea Stadium and Queensboro Plaza in Queens
Express toward Manhattan until about 12:30pm and then switches to express toward Queens until almost 10:30pm (these are "diamond" 7 trains; standard 7 trains operate locally)

D train from 145th Street, Manhattan to Bedford Park Blvd., Bronx
Express toward Manhattan ~ 6:15am-9am and express towards the Bronx ~ 4:15pm-6:45pm (B trains operate locally during these times only)

J train between Marcy Ave. and Myrtle Ave. in Brooklyn
Express toward Manhattan until about 1pm and then switches to express toward Brooklyn/Queens until about 8pm (M trains operate locally)

Let me know if I missed any! Of course, there are also quite a few other segments with 3rd/middle tracks that are unused in normal service, especially some of the outer borough elevated lines.

Oh right, how could I forget about those Bronx Express trains?

protrain wrote:There are several lines that have some directional express services, all weekday only, usually on a 3rd/middle track. Here's a quick list:


7 train between Willets Ptt-Shea Stadium and Queensboro Plaza in Queens
Express toward Manhattan until about 12:30pm and then switches to express toward Queens until almost 10:30pm (these are "diamond" 7 trains; standard 7 trains operate locally)

That will be true in a perfect world, but those rollsigns are hardly reliable. The only way to tell from Times Square, is that an express train will not cross-over to the Queens-bound track after departing, but a local does, and so every other train runs as an express.