Back when the train first started running 83 years ago, it was called the GG line; the double letters were used to denote local service. This first iteration of the train ran from Nassau to Queens Plaza as a shuttle service.
In 1939 the G line got people to the World’s Fair; when the fair ended in 1940, the service extension was discontinued.
In 1985 the double letter train naming was discontinued, and finally the GG became the G!
In 1990, the G train started running to 179th Street in Queens during late nights to replace the F line. Seven years later, late night G service was cut back to Court Square, being replaced by the F running local.
The G train originally became shorter than all the other lines so service frequency could be increased and waiting times reduced. At that time, there weren’t enough cars in service to create additional full-length trains; and ridership wasn’t high enough to warrant the creation of longer trains. G riders can now expect full-length trains once the L train shuts down for repairs in 2019.
The G Train’s route is 11.4 miles long—the length of 167 football fields.