Overview

The station at South Ferry has undergone several major changes in its lifetime. The present station is actually the third incarnation of subway stations at this location. The original station consisted of two loop tracks, one serving the IRT West Side Line and one serving the IRT East Side Line from Bowling Green. But even that was not the station's original configuration.

The first station at this location was a single track loop and platform, built in 1905 as part of the IRT Brooklyn Extension, along with the IRT stations on Broadway south of City Hall (Fulton Street, Wall Street, and Bowling Green). The loop station served to terminate some trains in Manhattan at a location of high passenger flow (the various ferry terminals and docks in the area). The single loop track and station operated in this manner until the IRT West Side Line reached South Ferry in 1918.

The Outer Loop Station

Opened: Outer Loop 1905 Closed: Outer Loop 3/16/2009

The outer loop platform remained in service until 2009. It was extremely short (only five cars fit), so passengers wishing to exit at this station must have been riding in the first five cars. There were also gap fillers (small extendible platform segments) used to bridge the spaces between platform and middle door on the cars. On the platform itself was an active tower which includes indicator lights for the gap filler signal at the front end of the platform. The gap filler signal is a one-tiered signal lit up red when the filler is extended. Under the signal a sign reads "GF Signal" which is lit in white when the signal is clear and the gap fillers are fully retracted. The gap fillers retract via a proximity sensor that detects the car moving against the edge of the gap filler. While not harsh like 14th Street on the Lexington line, there is an announcement to "stand clear of the moving platform." The outer platform decoration was quite ornate with large "South Ferry" mosaic name panels and terra-cotta sailing ship plaques by Heins & LaFarge. The inner platform has small "SF" tile mosaics. There are fancy rosettes around removed old light fixtures and along the ceiling.

The Inner Loop Station

Opened: Inner Loop 1918 Closed: Inner Loop 1977

As part of the West Side Line construction, a second loop track and platform was constructed on the inside of the first. The tracks were configured in such a way that the inner loop and platform was directly connected to the tracks from Bowling Green, and the outer (earlier) loop and platform would be served by the trains from the West Side line. Essentially a separate station, the South Ferry inner loop platform was used until 1977, mostly by a shuttle to the Bowling Green station on the Lexington/Brooklyn IRT. Because of the sharp curve (even sharper than the outer loop), trains could open only their center doors at the inner loop station, and so instead of a full platform face, the platform was mostly walled off from the track with arched openings along the wall where the cars' center doors would be. Starting in the late 1950s, when the new R-type cars displaced most of the original IRT rolling stock, trains arriving from the Lexington line on nights and weekends were rerouted to share the outer loop, because on the new cars it was not possible to selectively open only the center doors. The weekday shuttle used specially modified cars that opened only center doors, and continued using the inner loop until service ended in 1977. The track past the inner loop is still used to turn the #5 train when it is terminating at Bowling Green and not running to Brooklyn. The inner loop platform at South Ferry is now used for crew quarters, offices, storage, etc. and has a separate entrance from the fare zone upstairs. There was no free transfer between trains on the two platforms. The platform walls on the inner loop station were decorated with small mosaic friezes similar to those found at other Dual Contracts-era stations.

New Island Platform Station

Opened: New Station 3/16/2009

Transfer here to: BMT Broadway Line

After September 11, 2001 the lower West Side IRT line had some upgrading done to it, including the construction of a new island platform station (with straight platform edges, no more loopy curves) at South Ferry. The new station would be able to platform two 10-car trains simultaneously and allow higher speed operation in and out of the station, ostensibly to improve running time of the long local service on the West Side.

The platform floor is rose colored tile with black, dark brown and dark gray accents and track walks are white melamine. The dispatcher is located at the north end in a large glass enclosed area. Benches are metal with no back (meaning you can face either way.)

There are three exits, all fully ADA compliant. The north exit leads to Battery Park, State Street and Pearl Street. Escalator leads to an intermediate level with another escalator to street level HEETs. A temporary canopy was found here at street level at Peter Minuet Plaza which is still being restored. The center exit leads to South Ferry, Whitehall Street and State Street. There is an escalator here and a glass arched canopy at the street level which has access via HEETs. The intermediate level runs from southwest to northeast and allows a train spotter's view of track and platform. The main exit is at the south end. Escalators bypass the intermediate level which has a gray speckled floor tile and is glass enclosed thereby allowing a train spotter's dream view of trains and the platform. The exit leads to the ferry terminal which is across a small plaza area. This exit has a glass canopy. The main mezzanine has a view of a historic wall, made of rubble stone, located on the wall behind the booth.

The railing separating the paid and unpaid area features metal leaves and stems. The station agent booth is located in the passageway to the BMT Broadway Line at Whitehall Street station-- mere feet from the full time booth at Whitehall Street.

Artwork

See It Split, See It Change, Doug Starn/Mike Starn (2007).

South Sails, Sandra Bloodworth (1990). This artwork was located in the stairway from station house to platform at the old "outer loop" station. It is unclear where it is today.

Photo Gallery - Outer Loop Station

Image 45836 (266k, 1044x711) Collection of: David Pirmann Location: South Ferry (Outer Loop Station)	Image 80810 (109k, 600x800) Photo by: Phillip Lee Location: South Ferry (Outer Loop Station)	Image 80815 (193k, 704x1044) Photo by: Filip Matuska Location: South Ferry (Outer Loop Station)	Image 80822 (164k, 1044x704) Photo by: Filip Matuska Location: South Ferry (Outer Loop Station)	Image 80823 (161k, 704x1044) Photo by: Filip Matuska Location: South Ferry (Outer Loop Station)
Image 94628 (302k, 1025x1044) Photo by: Joel Shanus Location: South Ferry (Outer Loop Station)	Image 97635 (295k, 1044x701) Photo by: David Pirmann Location: South Ferry (Outer Loop Station)	Image 97702 (218k, 1044x701) Photo by: David Pirmann Location: South Ferry (Outer Loop Station)	Image 97704 (219k, 1044x701) Photo by: David Pirmann Location: South Ferry (Outer Loop Station)	Image 97711 (250k, 1044x701) Photo by: David Pirmann Location: South Ferry (Outer Loop Station)
Image 97727 (228k, 1044x701) Photo by: David Pirmann Location: South Ferry (Outer Loop Station)	Image 97745 (221k, 1044x701) Photo by: David Pirmann Location: South Ferry (Outer Loop Station)	Image 98622 (60k, 640x480) Photo by: Oren H. Location: South Ferry (Outer Loop Station)	Image 137229 (349k, 796x1044) Photo by: Richard Panse Location: South Ferry (Outer Loop Station)	Image 139623 (90k, 1024x768) Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld Location: South Ferry (Outer Loop Station)

More Images: 1-50 51-100 101-141

Photo Gallery - Inner Loop Station

Image 249 (166k, 1044x705) Photo by: David Pirmann Location: South Ferry (Inner Loop Station)	Image 250 (63k, 858x576) Photo by: Peter Dougherty Location: South Ferry (Inner Loop Station)	Image 251 (198k, 1044x693) Photo by: David Pirmann Location: South Ferry (Inner Loop Station)	Image 252 (190k, 1044x692) Photo by: David Pirmann Location: South Ferry (Inner Loop Station)	Image 44167 (212k, 1044x696) Photo by: David Pirmann Location: South Ferry (Inner Loop Station)
Image 44168 (201k, 1044x697) Photo by: David Pirmann Location: South Ferry (Inner Loop Station)	Image 44170 (286k, 1044x692) Photo by: David Pirmann Location: South Ferry (Inner Loop Station)	Image 45695 (321k, 1024x703) Photo by: Chris Leverett Location: South Ferry (Inner Loop Station)	Image 45696 (183k, 1024x627) Photo by: Chris Leverett Location: South Ferry (Inner Loop Station)	Image 74874 (107k, 1044x788) Photo by: Matthew Shull Location: South Ferry (Inner Loop Station)
Image 79197 (88k, 695x921) Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld Location: South Ferry (Inner Loop Station)	Image 80820 (123k, 704x1044) Photo by: Filip Matuska Location: South Ferry (Inner Loop Station)	Image 80821 (118k, 704x1044) Photo by: Filip Matuska Location: South Ferry (Inner Loop Station)

Photo Gallery - New Station

Image 95378 (311k, 1044x788) Photo by: Michael Pompili Location: South Ferry (New Station)	Image 95380 (269k, 1044x788) Photo by: Michael Pompili Location: South Ferry (New Station)	Image 95385 (219k, 1044x788) Photo by: Michael Pompili Location: South Ferry (New Station)	Image 97027 (152k, 1024x775) Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld Location: South Ferry (New Station)	Image 97758 (200k, 1044x702) Photo by: Richard Panse Location: South Ferry (New Station)
Image 97763 (221k, 1044x702) Photo by: Richard Panse Location: South Ferry (New Station)	Image 97772 (255k, 1044x702) Photo by: Richard Panse Location: South Ferry (New Station)	Image 97780 (151k, 820x522) Photo by: John Urbanski Location: South Ferry (New Station)	Image 97794 (157k, 1024x768) Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld Location: South Ferry (New Station)	Image 97799 (117k, 1024x768) Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld Location: South Ferry (New Station)
Image 97918 (307k, 1044x788) Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar Location: South Ferry (New Station)	Image 97923 (248k, 1044x788) Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar Location: South Ferry (New Station)	Image 99834 (106k, 800x600) Photo by: Andrew Johnson Location: South Ferry (New Station)	Image 126557 (254k, 1044x701) Photo by: John Dooley Location: South Ferry (New Station)	Image 130819 (434k, 1044x740) Photo by: Zach Summer Location: South Ferry (New Station)