Took me quite a while to figure out the reason behind the Q train service change this weekend. After going through two amendments, a little unusual, the MTA posted the final change: Q trains rerouted onto the R line terminating at Whitehall St and no service from Whitehall to 57 St from 12:01am Sat to 12:01am Mon. During this time N trains will stop at DeKalb Ave going across the bridge to Canal St.
At first I wondered why the Q just didn't kept normal service to 57 St. There was service between Prospect Park and DeKalb Ave and N trains were running normally across the Manhattan Bridge. Why was the Q the only one being rerouted and truncated?
Then I looked at the service changes for the other Broadway lines (N and R) and the answer was there. Well, that's what I think at least.
Besides Q trains being rerouted in Brooklyn, there were extra N trains making shuttle runs between Astoria and 34 St to accommodate the additional passengers from the 7 train suspension between Manhattan and Queens. Because of the special N shuttles they need space in Manhattan to lay up and turn around without interfering the N trains making the full to Coney Island. That meant the express tracks between 34 St and 57 St had to be used and Q trains that normally use these tracks had to move.
They could've just extended Q service to Astoria like previous weekends, but I guess they noticed from previous weekends that that much extra service was not needed in Queens and shuttle service was sufficient.
After figuring this out I understood the reason behind the Q running on the R and turning around at Whitehall St. I wish they explained this to straphangers instead of leaving them confused and wondering why they had to transfer to the N when the Q appeared that it could've run its entire regular route.
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