##The C train to Coney Island program announcements.
YES, the C train actually has announcements for Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue! LOL, crazy, right?! But believe it or not, this has happened a few times before! And there's video evidence, too! 🚇
Before DJ Hammers caught an R32 C train heading to Coney Island on camera and uploaded it to YouTube, Mr Railfan had already caught several R160 C trains operating via the F line to Coney Island, including the associated announcements! His C-to-Coney Island announcement describes a rather unusual route: the C runs via the Eighth Avenue local, switches to the F route at West Fourth Street–Washington Square, continues via the Culver Line, and travels all the way to Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue. Talk about an unexpected service pattern!
Then DJ Hammers caught an R32 C train making the same unusual journey on camera, and people went absolutely CRAZY over it—not just within the transit community, but beyond it, too! 😂
But here's another interesting detail: if you listen closely to the C train announcements along the F line's Culver Line toward Coney Island, you'll notice that the C has its own station announcements after Church Avenue, covering the stops from Ditmas Avenue all the way to Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue. This is especially interesting because the A train doesn't appear to have a corresponding set of Coney Island-bound announcements.
Could this have something to do with old IND service-planning ideas? One historical theory worth exploring is the proposed orange A route, which would have run from 207th Street via Sixth Avenue and the Brighton Line to Brighton Beach. I believe the proposal faced public opposition, although the exact details—and whether that plan had any connection to the missing A announcements—would need further verification. It's an intriguing possibility, but not a confirmed explanation!
Regardless, the C having its own Coney Island announcement sequence is a fascinating little piece of NYC subway announcement history. The next time you hear those announcements, listen closely—you might catch something most people would never expect from the C train!
The next stop is Stillwell Avenue, Coney Island. Please mind the gap between the platform and the train. Transfer is available to the D, F, N, and Q trains. Thank you for traveling with us today.
