125th Street station (IRT Lenox Avenue Line)


125th Street is a station on the IRT Lenox Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 125th Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem, it is served by the 2 and 3 trains at all times.

History

This station opened just after midnight on November 23, 1904, as part of the IRT's original system. It was completed along with the rest of the IRT Lenox Avenue Line, then known as the East Side Subway or East Side Branch, south of 145th Street.
On May 23, 1968, poet Henry Dumas was fatally shot by a New York City Transit Police officer on the station's southbound platform.
In 1981, the MTA listed the station among the 69 most deteriorated stations in the subway system. Starting on March 2, 1998, the tunnel was reconstructed along with the cracked tunnel floor. This was done to correct a major water problem that had existed for many years due to the presence of the Harlem Creek and other underground streams, which caused extensive flooding, water damage, and seepage problems that occasionally contributed to severe service disruptions. The project cost $82 million and was finished on October 12, 1998. During the reconstruction, many trains were rerouted via the IRT Lexington Avenue Line, while the trains were rerouted to the 137th Street–City College station on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line. Each of the two Lenox Avenue Line tracks were alternately taken out of service and supplemental shuttle bus service connecting to other lines in the area were provided for much of this time.

Station layout

This underground station has two side platforms and two tracks. The fare control is at platform level, and there is no crossover or crossunder between the platforms. The station has new name tablets, although some old "125" terracotta cartouches are still visible in the station.
The artwork in the station is Flying Home: Harlem Heroes and Heroines, by Faith Ringgold, installed in 1996.

Exits