34 St-Hudson Yards: A Look at the New York City Subway Extension

At the MTA board committee meetings, officials showed a preview of the New York City Subway extension to Hudson Yards on the Far West Side of Manhattan, and the 34 St-Hudson Yards station. The station entrance canopy and surrounding park are complete, and the ventilation building will be surrounded by 55 Hudson Yards, a 51-story office tower outlined in yellow. To support the tower, two rows of five caissons are being sunk in the area adjacent to the ventilation building, six of which will be sunk between the two subterranean escalator banks that lead to the station’s mezzanine.

34 St – Hudson Yards is not the deepest station in the system, but the station’s escalators span an 84-foot vertical drop, longer than any other in the subway system. For comparison, the escalators at Lexington Ave – 53 St station span a 56-foot vertical drop.

At the bottom of the 84-foot vertical drop, subway riders reach the 34 St – Hudson Yards mezzanine. Stairways and elevators continue down to platform level.

Just north of the station, this crossover permits trains to switch tracks, which increases capacity, especially during rush periods.

Some southbound trains can terminate on the southbound side of the platform, pick up northbound passengers, then use the crossover to switch to the northbound track and begin runs to Flushing – Main St, while others can use the crossover to switch to the northbound side of the platform, discharge and pick up passengers, and begin runs to Flushing – Main St via the new tunnels connecting the new 34 St – Hudson Yards station with the existing station complex at Times Square – 42 St.