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Flashback: The JFK Express
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 25, 2009
Modified Nov 28, 2009
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 25, 2009
Modified Nov 28, 2009
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An express train that'll take you from Midtown to JFK Airport, with specially installed luggage racks and a conductor punching tickets, all for just $3.50? That would probably come in handy for many people today, but it no longer exists. CityRoom takes a nostalgic look back at the JFK Express, which operated from 1978 to 1990, running down Avenue of the Americas in eight stops, then non-stop to the airport.
So why did they kill the Express (which even came with a cute jingle, "Take the train to the plane")? Allegedly because there were too many complaints. Riders didn't like having to switch to a shuttle bus for the last stretch, and "everyday subway-goers had to be reminded not to step onto the specially marked express trains, which loaded at the regular subway platforms." So we'll have to settle for the train to the airtrain to the plane.
The MTA's Jeremy Soffin told the site, "There may not be sufficient demand to revive the JFK Express, but I can definitely see the "take the train to the plane" jingle making a comeback." (Old television ads can be seen after the jump).
Tagged
airtrain
flashback
jfk airport
JFK Express
travel
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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