The Culver Shuttle was a New York City Subway shuttle, running along a remnant of the BMT Culver Line, most of which is now the IND Culver Line. The shuttle was originally part of the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT)'s 5 service, providing through service on the Culver Line between Coney Island and Manhattan. The F train is the current successor to Culver Line service. The line had 1,000 riders a day during its final month of service in 1975.

On October 30, 1954, a connection opened between the BMT Culver Line and the Independent Subway System (IND's) South Brooklyn Line at Ditmas Avenue. BMT Culver Line trains were truncated to Ditmas Avenue, while the D train, a formerly-IND service, now ran on the Culver Line between Coney Island and Ditmas Avenue, continuing to Manhattan. Since 1967, service on the Culver Line to Manhattan has been provided by the F train.

After 1954, some Culver Line trains continued to run to Chambers Street in Manhattan. In May 1959, they were all truncated to a shuttle between Ninth Avenue and Ditmas Avenue. The change facilitated increased service on the other services on the Fourth Avenue Line.

This Culver Shuttle, assigned the label SS in 1960, last ran on May 10, 1975. The elevated trestle between Ninth Avenue and Ditmas Avenue, along with the 13th Avenue and Fort Hamilton Parkway stations stood abandoned until being demolished in the mid-1980s. The only remnants of the Culver Shuttle are the lower platforms and tracks at Ninth Avenue and a section of the trestle attached to the Coney Island-bound platform at Ditmas Avenue. The right of way has been sold, as houses have been built on the old right of way near the Ditmas Avenue station.

As a replacement, the transit authority offered free transfers to the parallel B35 bus route.

Signage history

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File: Bmt triplex no 5.png|The BMT 5 bullet used on the D Triplex, when the Culver Shuttle was a full route

R1 BMT 5.gif|Pre-1967 BMT 5 bullet used on the R1s to R9s

File:SS Train (1967-1968, Orange).svg|1967-1968 SS bullet

File:SS Train (1967-1979).svg|1968-1975 SS bullet

</gallery>

References

  • CulverShuttle.com - Photos and history of the Culver Shuttle
  • BMT Culver Line (NYCSubway.org)
  • BMT Culver Shuttle Closes (The Third Rail)
  • CULVER’S TRAVELS. The demolition of a Brooklyn elevated link (Forgotten New York)