Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
G Train Hell: Greenpoint Tunnel Will Be Closed For 12 Weekends
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 5, 2013
Modified Jun 5, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 5, 2013
Modified Jun 5, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
You thought it was bad that the R train tunnel connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn will be shutdown for over a year? Well here's the cherry on top: the Greenpoint Tube, which connects the G train between Queens and Brooklyn, will be shuttered for 12 weekends starting this summer. And THEN next year, it will be closed 24/7 for five weeks over the summer. As if the G train wasn't ruining enough lives as it is.
According to the MTA, power cables in the tube that were immersed in salt water are corroding from the inside, while corrosion on the outside of rails and fasteners raises the potential for short circuits. The controls for ventilation, lighting and communication systems were destroyed and have not been restored to their pre-Sandy condition.
The Greenpoint Tube, which carries the G train under Newtown Creek, will be closed for twelve, 53-hour long weekends starting July 6. The northernmost three stops—Greenpoint Avenue, 21st Street and Court Square—will be closed during these weekend shutdowns. G trains will still operate to and from Church Avenue and Nassau Avenue; a shuttle bus linking the shuttered stops will be provided.
The closures are planned to start at midnight on each Friday of the following weekends: July 6-7, 13-14, 20-21; August 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25; September 7-8, 28-29; October 5-6; December 7-8, and 14-15. Then everything will be dandy, until next summer, when it shuts down for five hellish consecutive weeks in a row. And, of course, let's just all hope we don't have another superstorm in the fall, because that would really put a crimp in everything.
Tagged
g train
greenpoint tube
hell
MTA
subway
train
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. ET
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
Critics say the moratorium harms businesses in neighborhoods without a tradition of street fairs.
By
Carol Chen
News
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
Critics say the moratorium harms businesses in neighborhoods without a tradition of street fairs.
By
Carol Chen
Inside the Midtown Bus Terminal rebuild: Decks over Lincoln Tunnel approach, a new park
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Black couple seeking Queens apartment sues over racist text from broker
By
Brittany Kriegstein
NJ early voting begins Saturday. Here's everything you need to know.
By
Mike Hayes
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .