Brooklyn southbound N trains lose service for year and a half

July 16, 2017 By Paul Frangipane Special to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Southbound N trains like this one at New Utrecht Avenue will be closed for a year and a half for renovations, starting July 31. Eagle photos by Paul Frangipane

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After almost a year and a half of Sea Beach Line N trains losing northbound service for repairs, Brooklyn commuters will be prepping this upcoming week for southbound N service closures at seven stations starting July 31, officials said.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) slapped up signs at N train stations heading down to Coney Island that warn commuters that starting the last day of the month, southbound N train service will stop until late 2018 in the final phase of the MTA’s major $395.7 million renovation to modernize the decaying stations, the MTA announced Friday.

Service will run express from 8th Avenue to Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue, making stops at 8th Avenue, Bay Parkway and Coney Island.

The closed stations include: Fort Hamilton Parkway, New Utrecht Avenue, 18th Avenue, 20th Avenue, Kings Highway, Avenue U and 86th Street.

To get down to those stations, commuters can use northbound trains at 8th Avenue, Bay Parkway and Coney Island, which will have southbound service from temporary middle-track platforms, according to the MTA statement.

“The Sea Beach corridor opened over 100 years ago and needs to be brought into a state of good repair while adding new amenities and technology to improve our customers’ experience,” MTA Interim Executive Director Ronnie Hakim said in the statement.

The stations that serve nearly 53,000 weekday passengers, opened in 1915.

The renovations will bring improved platforms and overpasses, new stairways and handrails, repairs to corroding columns, new paint jobs, upgraded communication systems and disability accessibility.

New stations will feature artwork and the 8th Avenue and New Utrecht Avenue stops will be fully disability accessible with two ramps at 8th Avenue and four elevators at New Utrecht.

The northbound half of the project began in January 2016 and finished on May 22, leaving passengers rushing out of southbound trains to catch the northbound Bay Parkway trains all last year.

The nearly $400 million renovations were funded by the 2010-2014 MTA Capital Program.