103rd Street station (IND Eighth Avenue Line)

For other uses, see 103rd Street.

The 103rd Street station is a local station on the IND Eighth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at West 103rd Street and Central Park West on the Upper West Side, it is served by the B on weekdays, the C train at all times except nights, and the A train during late nights only.

103 Street  ​
Downtown platform on lower level
Station statistics
Address	West 103rd Street & Central Park West New York, New York
Borough	Manhattan
Locale	Upper West Side
Coordinates	40.79604°N 73.96142°W / 40.79604; -73.96142
Division	B (IND)[1]
Line	IND Eighth Avenue Line
Services	A  (late nights) ​   B  (weekdays during the day) ​   C  (all except late nights)
Transit	NYCT Bus: M10
Structure	Underground
Levels	2
Platforms	2 side platforms (1 on each level)
Tracks	4 (2 on lower level, 1 on upper level, 1 on ramp from upper to lower level)
Other information
Opened	September 10, 1932 (92 years ago) (1932-09-10)[2]
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Traffic
2024	1,075,955[3]  4.1%
Rank	289 out of 423[3]
Services Preceding station New York City Subway Following station Cathedral Parkway–110th Street A  ​B  ​C  via 145th Street Local 96th Street A  ​B  ​C  via 59th Street–Columbus Circle does not stop here
Location Show map of New York City Subway Show map of New York City Show map of New York
Track layout Legend Upper level to lower level Lower level to Cathedral Pkwy–110th St from upper level to 96th Street Upper level Lower level
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times except late nights Stops late nights only Stops weekdays during the day

History

New York City mayor John Francis Hylan's original plans for the Independent Subway System (IND), proposed in 1922, included building over 100 miles (160 km) of new lines. On December 9, 1924, the New York City Board of Transportation (BOT) gave preliminary approval for the construction of the IND Eighth Avenue Line.^[4] The BOT announced a list of stations on the new line in February 1928, with a local station at 102nd Street.^[5]

The finishes at the five stations between 81st Street and 110th Street were 18 percent completed by May 1930.^[6] By that August, the BOT reported the Eighth Avenue Line was nearly completed and the five stations from 81 to 110 were 99 percent completed.^[7] A preview event for the new subway was hosted on September 8, 1932, two days before the official opening.^[8][9] The 103rd Street station opened on September 10, 1932, as part of the city-operated IND's initial segment.^[10] Construction of the whole line cost $191.2 million (equivalent to $4,406.5 million in 2024).

Station layout

Ground	Street level	Exit/entrance
Basement 1	Northbound express	← do not stop here
	Northbound local	← weekdays toward Bedford Park Boulevard or 145th Street (Cathedral Parkway–110th Street) ← toward 168th Street (Cathedral Parkway–110th Street)) ← toward Inwood–207th Street late nights (Cathedral Parkway–110th Street))
	Side platform
	Mezzanine	Fare control, station agent, MetroCard and OMNY machines
Basement 2	Southbound express	→ do not stop here →
	Southbound local	→ weekdays toward Brighton Beach (96th Street) → → toward Euclid Avenue (96th Street) → → toward Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue late nights (96th Street) →
	Side platform

The only entrance, at 103rd Street

Tile color is blue with a black border

This underground station has two levels with northbound trains using the upper level and southbound trains using the lower one. Each level has one side platform to the west of two tracks.^[11]

Both platforms have no trim line, but name tablets read "103RD ST." in white sans-serif lettering on a midnight blue background and black border. Small black "103" signs with white numbering run along the tiles at regular intervals and directional signs in the same style are below the name tablets. Blue columns run along both platforms at regular intervals with every other one having the standard black station name plate in white numbering.

Within this station, the northbound express track descends to allow the northbound local to cross over it, before rising up at 110th Street, where the line becomes the standard four tracks side by side with the local tracks on the side and express tracks in the center.^[11]

The IRT Lenox Avenue Line passes underneath this station at the extreme north end on West 104th Street to 110th Street–Malcolm X Plaza. The line is not visible from the platforms. On the east side of Central Park West and West 104th Street, adjacent to Central Park, is an emergency exit enclosed in a small brick house for the IRT line, which passes underneath the station. From here the line curves northeast, running directly under Central Park's North Woods at this point.

Exit

This station has one fare control area at the center of the upper-level platform. A single staircase connects the two platforms before a turnstile bank leads to a token booth and one staircase going up to the northwest corner of West 103rd Street and Central Park West. The station is unique in that it has only one open staircase to street level.^[12]

Directional signs that have been covered indicate that there were two more fare control areas. One exit at the extreme south end had two staircases going to southwestern corner of West 102nd Street and Central Park West, and the other at the extreme north end had two that went to both western corners of West 104th Street.^[13] Further evidence of these exits' existences includes new tiling on both levels, and doorways that lead to converted storage spaces on the upper level. The fare control area with stairs to West 104th Street was closed by 1940^[14] and possibly as early as November 1932 - just two months after the opening of the station - due to frequent vandalism.^[15]