49th Street station (BMT Broadway Line) operator New York City Transit Authority
Station layout
This underground station, opened on July 10, 1919, has four tracks and two side platforms. The two center express tracks are used by the Q train at all times except late nights.
The station was operated by the BMT until the city government took over the BMT's operations on June 1, 1940. 49th Street was originally built in the same style as the other BMT Broadway stations. The station underwent an experimental renovation in October 1973. New tiling of red glazed brick was installed over the original BMT-style tiled walls, reducing the platforms' widths by several inches; in addition, special ceiling soundproofing and terrazzo flooring were installed. Since the renovation, three of the four street entrances have been reconstructed, leaving only the 47th Street exit on the southbound platform with the red brick appearance; additionally, the soundproofing experiment was not repeated at any other station. Additional false brick tiles were added some time after the 1973 renovation, indicating the presence of a station facility. A passageway leading to an exit at West 47th Street and Broadway was also added after the renovation. Also, one of the staircases on the southbound side is walled off, making only one staircase available to the southbound side. Yellow tactile treads on both platforms' edges were installed in 2015.
South of this station, the downtown local track descends slightly before ascending again. This is due to Broadway and Seventh Avenue intersecting at the narrow point of Times Square under 45th Street. As a result, the downtown local track of the BMT Broadway Line has to cross beneath the uptown local track of the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line.
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