May 24, 2016 By Michael Florio
The W train is approaching Astoria.
The MTA’s transit committee approved the Second Avenue Subway service plan on Monday, which includes a return of the W train to Astoria in November, according to an agency spokesman.
As part of the service plan the W train would operate locally from Astoria-Ditmars Blvd into Manhattan, terminating at Whitehall Street, effectively replacing the Q train in Queens.
This will allow the Q to be diverted to the Upper East Side, serving the Second Avenue Subway and terminating at 96th Street. The MTA states that Phase I of construction for the Second Avenue Subway will complete in late 2016.
The W train will not run on weekends or late nights.
The MTA’s full board is scheduled to vote on the plan on Wednesday.
W service was eliminated in 2010 to cut costs due to decreased MTA funding during the Recession, the agency said in February.
The agency has also drawn up a new subway map showing the resurrected W train and diverted Q train.
