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Flushing Local

Main Street to Times Square

The 7 Flushing Local is a service of the New York City Subway, running local service along the full length of the IRT Flushing Line, with express service (7 Flushing Express) denoted by a diamond-shaped 7 train logo rather than a circular one. The express service runs in the peak direction (to Times Square during mornings, to Main Street–Flushing during evenings) between 06:30 and 22:00 (6:30 am and 10:00 pm ET) on weekdays. Express service to Manhattan is also provided after games at Shea Stadium. The service is colored purple on official maps and signage and is the only route on the Flushing Line. This route is the only one in the system to run 11-car trains, the longest trains on the IRT. Odd train lengths are rare, as cars are typically produced and operated in pairs. The 7 is known as the International Express because the route travels through several different ethnic neighborhoods.

This line was the last stronghold for the Redbird series of subway cars. Until 2002, the entire fleet was dominated by the R33/36 World's Fair Version. As time passed, the Redbirds were being phased out and replaced by the Bombardier-built R62A cars. On November 3, 2003, the last Redbird train made its final trip on this line, making all stops between Times Square and Willets Point–Shea Stadium.

The 7 is the official train of the New York Mets since it serves Shea Stadium at Willets Point–Shea Stadium station. Several Redbird cars running on this line were decorated with the team's logos and colors during the 2000 Subway Series against the New York Yankees.

An R36 7 local northbound at 33rd Street–Rawson Street. This picture was taken sometime before the distinctive red cars were retired in 2003.

Manhattan-bound 7 train of R62As at Willets Point-Shea Stadium, which have now taken over the entire 7 fleet

On June 13, 1915, the first test train on the IRT Flushing Line ran between 42nd Street-Grand Central Terminal and Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue, followed by the start of revenue service on June 22. Over the next thirteen years, the line was extended piece by piece to its current form between Times Square and Main Street Flushing.

The 7 designation has been assigned to its current route since the introduction of front rollsigns on the R12 in 1948. Rollsigns on current equipment (R62A) include the number 11 to substitute for the express 7 designation. At some point, the line will receive new cars which have digital rollsigns but are only able to display one digit. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has no plans to change its designation, however.

An extension of the line to 34th Street and 11th Avenue is in the works.

Station service legend
	Stops all times
	Stops all times except late nights
	Stops late nights and weekends only
	Stops weekdays only
	Stops rush hours in the peak direction only
Time period details

		Station		Subway transfers	Connections
Queens
		Flushing–Main Street			LIRR Port Washington Branch at Flushing Main Street Q48 to LaGuardia Airport
		Willets Point–Shea Stadium			LIRR Port Washington Branch at Shea Stadium (special events only) Q48 to LaGuardia Airport
		111th Street			Q48 to LaGuardia Airport
		103rd Street–Corona Plaza
		Junction Boulevard			Q72 to LaGuardia Airport
		90th Street–Elmhurst Avenue
		82nd Street–Jackson Heights			Q33 to LaGuardia Airport
		74th Street–Broadway		E  F  G  R  V  (IND Queens Boulevard Line)	Q33 to LaGuardia Airport Q47 to LaGuardia Airport Marine Air Terminal
		69th Street
		Woodside–61st Street			LIRR City Terminal Zone at Woodside
		52nd Street
		46th Street–Bliss Street
		40th Street–Lowery Street
		33rd Street–Rawson Street
		Queensboro Plaza		N  W  (BMT Astoria Line)
		45th Road–Court House Square		G  (IND Crosstown Line at Long Island City–Court Square) E  V  (IND Queens Boulevard Line at 23rd Street–Ely Avenue) Out-of-system transfers with MetroCard
		Hunters Point Avenue			LIRR City Terminal Zone at Hunterspoint Avenue (peak hours only)
		Vernon Boulevard–Jackson Avenue			LIRR City Terminal Zone at Long Island City (peak hours only)
Manhattan
		Grand Central–42nd Street		4  5  6  <6> (IRT Lexington Avenue Line) S  (42nd Street Shuttle)	Metro-North Railroad at Grand Central Terminal
		Fifth Avenue–Bryant Park		B  D  F  V  (IND Sixth Avenue Line at 42nd Street–Bryant Park)
		Times Square–42nd Street		1  2  3  (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line) A  C  E  (IND Eighth Avenue Line at 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal) N  Q  R  W  (BMT Broadway Line)	Port Authority Bus Terminal

• Express trains run on Weekdays from 06:30 to 22:00 (6:30 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. ET), to Manhattan during a.m. hours, to Queens during p.m. hours and after games at Shea Stadium.

The 7 train is referenced by former Major League Baseball relief pitcher John Rocker in a prejudiced remark he made for Sports Illustrated in January 2000.

• MTA New York City Transit - 7 Flushing Local
• MTA New York City Transit - 7 Flushing Express
• Fiscal Brief September 2002
• wcbstv story
• Newsday story
• NY1 story
• MTA NYC Transit - 7 schedulePDF (263 KiB)