How to navigate the F and M train swap and new route map

F and M trains to swap routes between Manhattan and Queens starting Monday

FOX 5's Kendall Green has the story.

NEW YORK - Monday’s commute might look a little different for riders traveling between Manhattan and Queens.

What we know:

The MTA will swap the weekday routes of the F and M trains starting Dec. 8, a move officials say will improve reliability for more than 1 million daily riders.

SKIP TO: F and M train route map | Weekday F and M train

When does the F and M trains swap?

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 23: People sit on an F train at the Herald Square subway station on April 23, 2024, in New York City. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

Expand

From about 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays, the F will take over the M’s current Manhattan–Queens path, stopping at Queens Plaza, Court Sq–23 St, Lexington Av/53 St and 5 Av/53 St.
The M will begin serving 21 St–Queensbridge, Roosevelt Island, Lexington Av/63 St and 57 St — stations currently on the F line.

Express and local patterns in Queens remain the same: the F will run express and the M will run local during daytime hours.

Why are the F and M trains swapping?

MTA subway station OMNY turnstile entrance for E, F, M & R trains, Queens, New York. (Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The backstory:

The MTA said the swap will reduce the number of track merges that cause slowdowns when multiple lines share tracks. After the change, the F will share tracks with two lines instead of three, and the M will share with three lines instead of four.

Because the M currently runs less frequently, peak-hour service on the M will increase to limit longer waits for riders shifted onto the line.

F and M train route map

What you can do:

Weekday F and M train

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 7: An F-line train arrives at the Smith Street - 9th Street subway station on May 7, 2025, in New York City. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

Expand

• Take the M for 21 St–Queensbridge, Roosevelt Island, Lexington Av/63 St and 57 St.
• Take the F for Queens Plaza, Court Sq–23 St, Lexington Av/53 St and 5 Av/53 St.
• Transfer between the F and E/R at Jackson Hts–Roosevelt Av for express service in Queens.
• Transfers between lines will shift: Use 34 St–Herald Sq to transfer between F and M.
• Use Jackson Hts–Roosevelt Av for transfers between M and E/R.
• Use 47–50 Sts–Rockefeller Ctr or Jackson Heights for F–R transfers.

A free street-level transfer remains available between the Q at 59 St and the F/M at Lexington Av/63 St.

F and M train: Weekends and nights

Overnight and weekend service patterns will stay the same. The F will continue operating to Queensbridge, Roosevelt Island and 63rd Street, while the M will maintain its Brooklyn–Queens service between Delancey–Essex and Middle Village–Metropolitan Av.