FOX 5 NY’s Arthur Chi’en explains the F and M subway line switch that will happen in New York City soon.
NEW YORK – The F and M trains will be switching routes between Manhattan and Queens starting next week, and while officials say the move will help relieve congestion on the tracks, some New Yorkers are worried it will affect their commute.
F and M trains swapping stops
What we know:
Starting on Monday, Dec. 8, the F and M lines will permanently switch stops between Manhattan and Queens, but only on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Going forward, the F train will now stop at:
Queens PlazaCourt Sq-23 StLexington Av/53 St5 Av/53 St
The M train will stop at:
21 St-QueensbridgeRoosevelt IslandLexington Av/63 St57 St
At night and on the weekends, the trains will operate the same way.
Why are the F and M trains swapping?
Dig deeper:
The MTA says they’re making the change to help reduce congestion on lines that share tracks, particularly at the switch at Queen’s Plaza. The change means that the E train will now share tracks with just two other lines, down from three. The M train will go from sharing the tracks with four other trains, down to three.
Officials said the swap will help speed up the E, F, M and R trains.
What they’re saying:
Janno Lieber, chair and CEO of the MTA, said that while “nobody likes change,” the swap has its benefits.
“Folks in this station on Roosevelt Island are going to get less crowded trains, whichever direction they’re headed to,” Lieber said. “The F train coming from eastern Queens is really, really crowded in the morning, so you have more chance of getting a seat.”
Some commuters tell FOX 5 NY though, that the change will make their daily commute more complicated.Â
One man who commutes to Uptown Manhattan every day, says he’ll have to find a new route that will include an extra transfer.
Another told FOX 5 NY that “It happened before, and it was confusing. But now I guess I’ll be slightly confused again.”
What’s next:
The changes start at 6 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 8.
A map detailing the new stops is below.
A map showing the MTA’s changes to the F and M lines starting on Dec. 8, 2026.
The Source: Information in this story is from the MTA.