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Gap fillers, as used on the New York City Subway, are moveable platform extensions which are utilized in certain stations where the curvature of the platform creates a significant gap between the platform and subway car door. In contrast, see "Mind the gap".
Historical
The Interborough Rapid Transit Company's first cars were built with only two doors on each side which were located at the extreme ends of the car. These doors would sufficiently line up with the curved platforms so as not to leave a wide gap between the train and the platform. When the IRT modified existing cars and future car orders to contain a middle door, the gap fillers were needed because the middle door would not be near the platform. When the City of New York bought the IRT in 1940 and eventually went to a new design (starting with the R12) the end doors were moved away from the extreme ends of the carbody. This also required the use of gap fillers at certain stations.
Stations with gap fillers
The IRT stations that had gap fillers added were:
- South Ferry (outer loop)
- Brooklyn Bridge (uptown and downtown express platforms) - these were inactivated when the station was extended northward. These gap fillers are still in place and can be seen just south of the current platforms.
- 14th Street-Union Square (downtown platform ) only. There is evidence that there may have been gap fillers on the uptown express platform.
- 42nd Street Shuttle - Times Square (tracks 1 and 3)