Eighth Avenue station (BMT Sea Beach Line)

For other uses, see Eighth Avenue (New York City Subway).

The Eighth Avenue station is a local station on the BMT Sea Beach Line of the New York City Subway. It is located in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, at the intersection of Eighth Avenue and 62nd Street. It is served by the N train at all times. During rush hours, several W trains also serve this station.

8 Avenue
R46 N train arriving at the northbound platform
Station statistics
Address	Eighth Avenue & 62nd Street Brooklyn, New York
Borough	Brooklyn
Locale	Sunset Park
Coordinates	40°38′4.41″N 74°0′38.5″W
Division	B (BMT)[1]
Line	BMT Sea Beach Line
Services	N  (all times) ​   W  (selected rush-hour trips)
Transit	NYCT Bus: B9 (on 60th Street), B70
Structure	Open-cut / at-grade
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	4 (2 in regular service)
Other information
Opened	June 22, 1915; 110 years ago (1915-06-22)[2]
Accessible	ADA-accessible
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Traffic
2024	2,632,321[3]  2.8%
Rank	137 out of 423[3]
Services Preceding station New York City Subway Following station 59th Street N  ​W  toward Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard Local Fort Hamilton Parkway N  ​W  toward Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue
Location Show map of New York City Subway Show map of New York City Show map of New York
Track layout Legend to 59th Street Bay Ridge Branch to 65th Street Yard or Brooklyn Army Terminal to Fort Hamilton Parkway Bay Ridge Branch to Fresh Pond Junction
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times Stops rush hours only Stops rush hours in the peak direction only

Eighth Avenue is the northernmost stop on the Sea Beach Line. West of this station, the tracks curve northward, enter a tunnel, and become the express tracks of the BMT Fourth Avenue Line.

The station serves the Sunset Park Chinatown, the oldest Chinatown in Brooklyn, which is centered around Eighth Avenue.^[4]

History

This station opened on June 22, 1915.^[2]

This station, along with eight others along the Sea Beach Line, was renovated from 2016 to 2019, which initially included installation of two ADA-accessible elevators (original plans were to construct two wheelchair ramps to each platform).^[5] The Manhattan-bound platform was closed from January 18, 2016 to May 22, 2017 and a temporary platform was set up on the Coney Island express track for Manhattan-bound service.^[6][7] The Coney Island-bound platform was closed from July 31, 2017^[8][9] to July 1, 2019. During this time, southbound trains used the northbound express track and the temporary platform.^[10]

A project to make the station ADA-accessible was originally expected to be completed in December 2018,^[11] but was repeatedly delayed. An elevator to the northbound platform opened on November 4, 2019.^[12] Another elevator to the southbound platform was planned to be opened in May 2020.^[13] The southbound elevator was not completed, but funding had been committed to completing the elevator.^[14] In December 2021, the MTA awarded a contract for the installation of elevators at eight stations, including the Eighth Avenue station's southbound platform.^[15][16] The elevator to the southbound platform finally opened on July 20, 2023.^[17]

Plans for the Interborough Express, a light rail line using the Bay Ridge Branch right of way, were announced in 2023.^[18] As part of the project, a light rail station at Eighth Avenue has been proposed next to the existing subway station.^[19][20]

Station layout

Ground	Street level	Station building, entrance/exit, station agent, MetroCard and OMNY vending machines Elevators inside station house at northwest corner of Eighth Avenue and 62nd Street.
Platform level	Side platform
	Northbound local	← toward Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard or 96th Street (select weekday trips) (59th Street) ← toward Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard (select weekday trips) (59th Street)
	Northbound express	← No regular service
	Southbound express	→ Trackbed
	Southbound local	→ toward Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue (Fort Hamilton Parkway) → → toward 86th Street (select weekday trips) (Fort Hamilton Parkway) →
	Side platform

This open-cut station has four tracks and two side platforms, but the two center express tracks are not normally used. The Coney Island-bound track has been disconnected from the line and the Manhattan-bound track is signaled for trains in both directions.^[21] The platforms have windscreens with beige panels.^[22] The platforms have brown canopies with green support columns and frames. The station signs are at the standard black name plate in white Helvetica lettering.^[23]

The LIRR Bay Ridge Branch crosses underneath and is visible from the north end of the station.^[21]

Station house prior to renovation

This is the northernmost station on the Sea Beach Line. North of here, the Coney Island-bound express track dead ends while the Manhattan-bound express track merges with the local tracks as the line curves north and enters the tunnel into the BMT Fourth Avenue Line.^[21]

Exits

Seventh Avenue station house following renovation, 2019

The station has an entrance at the extreme east (railroad south) end, which is a beige street-level station house on the Eighth Avenue overpass at 62nd Street above the platforms and tracks. A single staircase from each platform goes up to a crossover, where a set of doors lead to the waiting area above the station house. A turnstile bank leads to the token booth and exit doors.^[24]

The station also has an entrance at the extreme west (railroad north) end, with two staircases from each platform leading up to Seventh Avenue and 62nd Street. In the past, it was closed due to high crime and repurposed into a maintenance shop.^[25] The staircases and overpass above the tracks remained intact, and the entrances were reopened in February 2019 as part of the reconstruction of this station.^{[26][27]: 129}