New South Ferry Subway Terminal Finally Opens For Business

The long-delayed South Ferry terminal subway station in lower Manhattan has finally opened for business. Gone will be the announcements on the 1 Line calling for people to shift to only the first five cars of 10-car trains because the old station (built in 1905) could not accommodate the longer cars.

The new station will improve reliability on the 1 Line and increase the number of subways that can run on the line. It also means that commuters will no longer have to race to fill those few cars available and accessible at South Ferry for the ride uptown.

Delays crept into the schedule because archeologists discovered a sea-wall dating back to the early colonial period and more recently discovered water leaks and problems in the gap between the station platform and subway cars. First, the gap was too small, and then the gap was too large.