JFK Express

The JFK Express, advertised as The Train to The Plane, was a premium-fare service of the New York City Subway, connecting midtown Manhattan to John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Fares and Rolling Stock

The premium fare for the JFK Express was collected by train conductors on board, who punched the tickets that passengers had to purchase prior to boarding. In addition to the conductors, there were transit police officers aboard to provide protection for travelers.

The JFK Express used R46 exclusively for most of its existence, although near its end R44 were used when the R46s began midlife overhauls.

Service History

The JFK Express began operation on September 23, 1978, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority created a few 30-second long television commercials to promote the new service.. Train ran daily from 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM on 20 minute headways. The route began at 57th Street and ran express on the IND Sixth Avenue Line to West Fourth Street – Washington Square, where it switched to the IND Eighth Avenue Line and ran express to Jay Street – Borough Hall in Downtown Brooklyn. From that point on, it ran non-stop on the IND Fulton Street Line and IND Rockaway Line to Howard Beach – JFK Airport.

At times, regular passengers were allowed on the trains and no fares were charged due to disruptions on other services; this included the 1988 closure of the......
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