The C Train

At last an outlet for my frustration as kicking the train has had little effect. After 6 this train — hold on, I only take it after 6 anyway, for a major transit city is CRAP. C is for CRAP. There must be 2 – 3 trains an hour. There are 3 or 4 A trains (A for antagonistic) or 2 e trains (E is for empty) that nobody uses for every C. Whose in charge? When a C finally pulls in its packed.
Why are there no digital time boards on platforms. The mta is a 3^rd world service, every city in the world has boards displaying next arrival times except New York… Is it because they don’t want to say the next train is 30 minutes? 3^rd world transit line, even Kabul has train times displayed.

every c train experience feels like throwback city. I envision folks rocking boomboxes on their shoulders, graffiti on windows, and lots of absurd hairdos. like traveling museums, the c line must recycle the oldest MTA subway cars. they are so poorly designed (many times you find yourself standing without a pole to hold onto) with hardly audible speakers, yet so fun to ride.
and they are usually filthy. and filled with odd characters when ridden at off hours. gotta love the c train

This review is for the subway system as a whole. We spent the weekend in New York and relied heavily on the subway to get us to and from various destinations.
Generally the subway system is laid out nicely, is easy to find which train you need to get on, to get you where you need to go. The problem, the very big problem, is that things happen. For instance we wanted to take the e train to the World Trade Center. We went to the correct station and went to the correct track, only to find that the e train service was delayed and subsequently moved to the F train track.
Eventually we made it to our destination on the e-​train be way of the F train track. Later on we try to take the e train somewhere, went to the correct station and upon arrival you are met with gates preventing us from going into the subway system it all. Unscheduled closure of that particular station. We were very frustrated at this point so we just grabbed a taxi.
Some of the other problems weare that you need a metro card to travel on the subway. No problem, we purchased a MetroCard, the problem comes in when you need to refill your metro card and you are at a station where there is no human attendant. The automated machines often don’t work, and when they do some of them require cash only.
Subways were generally clean, a great way to get to and from places, and are a great value. I just wish that the automated machines worked properly if at all, and then when the MTA says the train is going to be somewhere on a particular track at a particular station, that it is accessible.
Don’t get me wrong I think the subway is the way to go, but if you have somewhere to be at a certain time, you may consider allowing yourself significant additional time to get there, or taking alternative transportation.

Awful train that goes to some of the creepiest stations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. No train timers in any C stations. Makes a sound that sounds like a thousand rats being tortured when it pulls into the station. Has a ride comparable to riding a bull.

Reading these reviews reminded me of when I’d moved to Washington Heights and commuted to my teaching job in Brooklyn’s East New York section. If I didn’t feel like walking 5 long blocks to the express stop at 168^th Street, I could use the C stop at 163^rd Street. Let’s just say that I could have created a new series for the «Law and Order» franchise from the foolishness I’d seen on that train!

Honestly, the C train is a necessary evil. It is emblematic of the subpar service of the New York City Transit system, but when it is late at night, I depend on it quite frequently.
One thing I will say is how it ironically goes faster than the A train at times. There would be times when the A train would just stop in the middle of the tracks and have multiple C trains pass by.
Thus, C train, gotta say that I appreciate you.

Worst train line in nyc. Old train that takes longer then it should and seems to be connected with the shuttle train because it will almost always arrive and will give you just enough time to see the shuttle train leave causing you to have to wait another 10+ minutes.

From a person living in Brooklyn, this train line sucks… it’s old and noisy… ALWAYS late… inconsistent…usually crowded… and there is that old train jerk you get when the train is accelerating/​stopping. Your quality of life can be so much better if you didn’t have to rely on this lame train line. A & E trains run way more often at a 3:1 ratio. Seriously, how does someone at the MTA still have a job overseeing this train line with such horrible service.

Why does this fkg train (along with the B) always take FOREVER to come?! Whether I try to take it uptown or downtown from 137^th Street, I’ve learned that I am guaranteed to wait at least 25 minutes for any train to arrive — no matter if it’s on a weekend or weekday (non-​rush hour). (Actually — I don’t think the B runs anymore on evenings or weekends? Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems that way when I try to take a B on non-​rush hour times. Guess things have changed in the last 20 years when I last relied on the B (and D) train as transportation.)
Maybe I’m spoiled because I’m on the ²⁄₃ line at 135^th, which tends to come regularly, quickly, and on time — but this fkg line is a terrible excuse for public transportation. Every time I’ve tried to take this line because, for some very strange reason the ²⁄₃ is down, I know that I will likely arrive at my destination 45 minutes after originally planned — or not at all! I feel bad for anyone who HAS TO take the B/​C line as their sole mode of transportation.
MTA — This dam*ned line should be your reason to REDUCE fares. OR, use all that extra money to fix this line when you increase rates on such a regular basis. I bet no one on the MTA board relies on the B/​C line on a daily basis — if so, I bet they would be focusing on the shi*t-show reliability of this line and trying to improve it.

I actually don’t have too much to say about the C train, good or bad. I only ride it for a very short distance: just two station stops. This usually at rush hour when I want to pop over to Manhattan for (high-​priced) drinks. I agree that waiting for the ‘C’ during rush hour; you will feel your beard growing. You can meditate on your life, even if you weren’t in the mood to do so. Tick tock, tick tock… Other trains on the same track – the A train – FIVE of these can come and go before the C shows up. When it arrives, it is so old and worn out, it has a sort of ‘misty’ look to it. The windows are hazy; figures inside a blur. Faded, threadbare, sagging at the seams. It wheezes into position and groans just to open its doors. But hey, I’ve seen this on other MTA routes. But one thing stands out to me about the C train and that is that the conductors are so lazy, inattentive, or apathetic that they don’t even call out the stations on the loudspeaker. This is inexcusable! Without visual displays (this train is too old to have them), commuters really need to HEAR the next station announced. Oftentimes, it is the make-​or-​break point of the evening. That split second when the doors stand open and you decide whether to board – conductor, godamnit, call out the next station! Wake up!

The C train is the Little Engine That Could!
Choo Choo I think I can I think I can I think I can Choo Choo
You can’t hate it! It’s too endearing

One of the turnstiles at the 168^th street station is a metrocard killer. You slide the card once, it never works again. You don’t get to enter and need to buy a new card. Nice!
Conveniently there used to be a booth with an attendant at that entrance, but it was dismantled and removed. So you are left standing there on your own.
Any idea what the status is of the issue with my metrocard? I did find an attendant in a booth at another station who looked at the card and wouldn’t do anything to help other than to tell me to «mail it in». The 10-​digit card number is 2 073 141 233. I mailed it on August 8, 2010 and never heard back (today is September 24, 2014).

Catching the C train will always hold a bit of nostalgia for me. My very humble beginnings in the Big Apple began riding the C train way down Fulton Street to the Rockaway stop at Thomas Boland Street. That was back before the bodega was replaced by houses. I remember being a fledgling MTA rider and waking up at Rockaway beach. Many a morning found me emerging from the train at dawn’s early light after a night at Webster Hall or some other such venue.
I wouldn’t return to the C train until after living with my girlfriend in Columbus Circle. Don’t like living in Manhattan. Again on Fulton Street, but this time the Clinton/​Washington stop to Clinton Hill. Loved being on the cusp between Fort Greene and Bed-​Stuy. Well before the area got all «organic», and therefore plastic.
And point of clarification: by C train I still include late night substitutions by the A train, and rerouted F trains.

The cars on the C train are WAY TOO OLD! Upgrade them please. Those gray seats are 20 years or older! Anyway, this train is pretty dangerous along with the A train. Not trains I really frequent. If I’m ever on this train, I’m transferring to the shuttle at Franklin Avenue. When this train is coming to a complete haul, please hold on because when the brakes are slammed, you can be guaranteed to hurt yourself or fall. I updated this line because I waited 30 minutes for ONE C train while four A trains passed me by. That is absolutely ridiculous.
This train is also never on time!

The C train is the absolute WORST train in New York City!
I’ve seen it all on this train: people passed out drunk IN THE MIDDLE OF A WEEKDAY, naked homeless people, ghetto Brooklyn kids fighting. 90% of my bad train experiences have happened on the C train and I’ve never even lived on the C line — I probably take the C once a month!
The C has the oldest subway cars (though, recently a few of them have been replaced by the newer cars with the electronic signs that the E train has had for years). Old cars means there’s going to be plenty of times when the air conditioner will be out during the summer. Which means you should probably stand because when the train gets crowded and you’re seated, people will be standing over you, holding onto the bar, and exposing you to their armpit funk. *sigh*
Also, give yourself an extra half hour if you need to go somewhere on this train. My usual wait time for it is around 20 minutes, even during rush hour! Seriously WTF. I’d rather take the A train and then walk or take a bus to my destination.
The C train is pretty much only good if you’re trying to travel to certain parts of Central Park and don’t want to get on a bus. Otherwise, avoid this train like the plague!

This is easily the worst subway line in NYC, and I’ve been on just about every line. The A is also pretty bad, but at least it has newer subway cars and offers express service.
The first thing you will probably notice is that the subway cars used on the C are the oldest in the system (The R32 has been in service since 1964). These cars are old, rickety and break down very often, and have the most uncomfortable seating out of all of the cars. I know that the MTA is trying to get these cars replaced, but it’s been delayed due to «budgeting reasons».
The second is that the C never seems to show up. I don’t know how many times I will be waiting for it, and two or three A trains pass by during that time. Unfortunately, I need to take the C in order to get to a certain stop, and can’t take the A. However, walking seems to be the better option in some scenarios.
Third…I seem to see the most crazies on this line. Maybe it’s because the line goes all the way out to some of the worst neighborhoods in Brooklyn, but I’ve seen some seriously messed up people on the C. This isn’t the subway’s fault, but after seeing a couple of people publicly masturbating, it definitely does not reflect well.

They should rename the C train the ZZZ train. You will fall asleep waiting for this late train every time. 2.0
Take the E or A train.

Ok guys, this train really isn’t that bad!
— If you’re trying to get to UWS from the 168^th station, you can avoid the elevator of doom to the 1 train by taking the C
— It gets you so much closer to Central Park if you’re trekking across to UES
— During rush hours, the C actually comes more frequently than the A, so sometimes you can get to your destination faster.
— If you’re already north of 125^th street, the C is no longer necessarily slower than the A, and given the frequency, you’re better off taking the C.
— This train is never crowded
— A local train is a local train is a local train (aka not much difference between this one & other ones)
There are bums/​homeless and/​or the occasional smell of urination regardless of which train you take, and the C train is as ancient as the 1 & A trains, as they all lack the fancy electronic destination grid that tells you how many stops you are from your destination (found on the E, F, M trains). Oh, and nothing wrong with sliding seats. Just stick those ear buds in your ears and the ride experience would be similar, if not exactly the same, as most other trains.

The C and the E are the same to me.
They get me to where I need to be.
Though some say the subway smells like pee.
I think these trains run as fast as can be.
I hope no one is offended by my subway rhyme. Personally, I’m a fan of the ACE. I feel pretty posh when I hop on the Eighth Avenue Line headed downtown. The trains are fast and I usually enjoy the ride, although today I was next to a screaming baby. The C is a fast commute and a great place to people watch. I also appreciate the fact that they’re now trying to incorporate art into the subway trains… pretty cool if you ask me.

Ok. The C train gets a really bad rep. Yes. MTA gives that line the older trains. Yes. You can slide around on the bench-​style seating. But it’s faster than most people think. Friends and I have done tests where one of us gets on an A train and the other on a C at the same station… and we have often arrived where we’re going within a few minutes, if not at the same time, as each other. And it’s rarely as crowded as the A. So it’s great when you’re hauling groceries or larger items and need space on the train.
It’s a local. So I can’t rate is a 4-​star review. But this is not even a bottom five of the NYC trains, y’all.