As we wrap up our look at the IND Queens Blvd line’s mainline provisions, we must take a look at the express stop that never was: Woodhaven Blvd. Now a lonely average IND station, this local stop was once planned to be converted into an express stop.
As a part of the updated 1930s IND Second System plans, this station was constructed with 4 bellmouth provisions, one before and after the station on both local tracks. The intention of these provisions was to make it easier to build the tunnel out when eventually converting the station, as the local tracks would just run slightly further outside of the express tracks, creating room for island platforms on what are now currently the local tracks. The station was also built so that it would be easy to eventually lengthen the platforms.
Unfortunately for the city, the line that the reconstruction of this station would have depended on was never built. The express stop conversion was intended to allow better service to be provided to the line that the provision at 63rd Dr would have served.
Bellmouth provision east of Woodhaven Blvd
The truth is, this extra express stop is proof of just how much higher the capacity of Queens Blvd was intended to be than what it is today. The line was built to be able to serve two extensions, with the ability to someday serve four extensions if they were built. It could have even been 6 tracks for the mainline, had the super express tracks been built. Now enormous, overbuilt, lonely stations such as Woodhaven Blvd, Union Tpke-Kew Gardens, Parsons Blvd/Hillside Ave, 179th St, and more sit lonely, underwhelmed by the traffic they get now. The next post will be the last full post for the Queens Blvd line.
