6 train status
Lexington Avenue Local · IRT line
Updated from the MTA service alerts feed at 7:07 PM ET.
Good service
No active service alerts for the 6 train.
About the 6 train
The 6 is the Lexington Avenue local — every stop on the East Side from Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx down to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall in Lower Manhattan. It runs alongside the 4 and 5 express on the Lex trunk.
For East Harlem, the Upper East Side below 86th Street, and East Village/Lower East Side commuters, the 6 is the everyday line. It's also one of the easiest lines to use as a first-time visitor — local-only, no skip-stops, no branching.
The 6 train famously has a reverse 'phantom' loop at the South Ferry terminal that takes the train past the abandoned City Hall station. The MTA doesn't officially let passengers stay on for the loop, but it's part of NYC subway lore.
Other lines on the IRT
Common questions about the 6 train
Does the 6 train run express?
Not anymore. The 6 was historically a local-only train, and the brief weekday express service ('Pelham Bay Express') was discontinued in 2021. Today the 6 runs every stop.
How crowded is the 6 train at rush hour?
Heavily, especially the segments through Grand Central and 51st Street. UES residents heading to Midtown East jobs concentrate ridership in a narrow morning window.