59 St-Columbus Circle
The IND platforms at 59 Street consist of three platforms for the four track line with the standard two island platforms of an express station and an extra middle platform that was used as an exit platform until 1973 when opening the doors on both sides became too time consuming for modern subway cars. This middle platform was completely closed until 2010 when a fenced off portion in it's midsection was reopened as a passageway (accessed by a staircase at each end) between the northern and southern halves of the station. Previously all Uptown and Downtown 1 transfers had to use the already crowded IND platforms. This passagway via the middle platform replaced a long closed an abandoned pedestrian underpass that used to connect both sides of the 1 train platforms just west of the IND platforms. Due to the fact the IRT Broadway Line crosses at an angle across the station divides the stop into northern (connecting to uptown 1 trains) and southern (downtown) mezzanine ends, with no continous station mezzanine. The Transfer to the Uptown 1 train and exit to 60 Street has an elevator and 3 staircases up from the uptown platform, with just two up from the downtown platform up to this transferpoint. The 57 and 58 Streets end of the station and transfer to the Downtown 1 train has an elevator up from each platform with 3 staircases up from each to the mezzanine along with one directly connecting the downtown 1 to downtown platform. These sections of the station are so connected to there IRT platform counterparts that the mezzanines exits are covered in the two other sections on this website for this station covering the Uptown or Downtown 1.
Photo 1: January 1, 2005; 2: August 14, 2008; 3-5: December 30, 2008; 6: December 31, 2008; 7: June 17, 2009; 8 & 9: June 29, 2009; 10 & 11: July 22, 2009; 12: May 21, 2010; 13 & 14: May 25, 2010; 15 & 16: January 5, 2011; 17-22: January 7, 2011; 23-27: June 11, 2011; 28: August 12, 2011; 29: August 29, 2011; 30 & 31: September 8, 2011; 32 & 33: May 30, 2013; 34 & 35: November 10, 2013; 36 & 37: March 22, 2015; 38 & 39: April 21, 2016
