Rightly so, the subway repairs are made on the weekends. One can find this information on the website listed under: “Welcome to The Weekender
The Weekender is your guide to understanding planned service changes in effect for system maintenance and construction. Check by line or by station. Zoom in on the diagram. If a station is blinking, click to get details and travel alternatives.”
That reads so efficient and workable. In addition to this, a MTA employee goes to the affected stations and posts on the pillars 8×10 black and white signs reiterating the changes that usually begin Friday late and go until Monday early.
Well, last Saturday, needed the E to JFK. Went to W14th Street where the E regularly runs. [Forgot to check the Weekender] Arrive to signs saying that the E will not be stopping here, but running on the F line and to go to W4th Street to board. Well, you have to know is that the A/C also stop at W4th Street and will be coming through this station, W14 Street, so I cross over to another platform to catch a downtown train to W4th. Arrive at W4th and the 8×10 black and white signs say catch the E on the F line – lower tracks. Go to lower tracks where more 8×10 bl/white papers say: E stops here. Indeed on the F line. Wait for E. 5 minutes. An F train comes, I go to stand where the conductor will look out and as I get there, the train pulls away, I call out,”Will the E stop here?” There is so much noise, she shrugs her shoulders and bending her elbows with palms showing, leaves the station. Looking about I see a number of folks with suitcases and the’ look of travel’ in their eyes. One traveler comes to chat. He is trying to explain he did not want to tell the conductor where he was going when she asked in response to his question: ‘Does the E train stop here”. It is, says he, none of her business where he is going. I tried but thought the better of it to explain to him there was a method to her madness, but he was so bent on discussing the privacy issue, I turned away. One minute later, I hear one of those vague announcements over the PA system. These PA system announcements are usually sounding if they are a foreign language. This one seems to be saying, “The E train is stopping on the upper level”. I listen again and that i what I hear. So with less than a smile on my face, I lug my baggage back up the two flights of stairs to the original track and platform on which the E should stop. I position myself by the zebra-hanging-board- where I know the conductor will shake a finger and jut out his/her head. I see NO 8X10 SIGNS that the E will stop here. Only that the E is running on the F track [ from whence I came]. A C train arrives, and before the conductor can shake a finger, I am asking him about the E train and does it come on this track or is it as the sign says, lower level. He starts to say something, pauses and then says ” The plan has changed and is cancelled. There is no construction on the E track, the train is running as usual”. Wide eyed, I repeat his words: “The E trains are running as scheduled and will come on this track.” As the trains pulls away -the average stop is 15 seconds- he says yes. i look around and no others from the lower level bearing suitcases have joined me. Three minutes later the E train does arrive, on the E track and without incident we carry on to JFK. I did not have the opportunity to save the entire lower level. If you don’t hear/understand English you were snap out of luck to make your plane on Saturday.