During the run, the contestants making the run must, for each station in the Transit Authority system, at least once either
- board a train at that station, or
- depart from a train at that station, or
- ride a train over a segment of right-of-way which includes that station.
Given these definitions of express and local service, an example is herein demonstrated. The 4 train is officially titled as a Lexington Avenue Express train, runs local during overnight hours. Thus, if we were to be riding the 4 train at 11:30 AM on a weekday, we would not stop (barring unforeseen circumstances) at the 23rd Street station in Manhattan, which is normally served only by the 6 train, officially known as the Lexington Avenue Local train. However, we would be passing the 23rd Street station on the Lexington Avenue express right-of-way, thus satisfying the conditions set by (C.) above. Note: this definition would be insufficient for a Class B Challenge, which requires that contestants “touch” each station (i.e., ride a train that will make all applicable stops on a given line), and would also fail to meet the standards for a Class A Challenge, which not only requires that contestants “touch” each station but that they ride each and every line in its entirety from end to end, regardless of duplication.
Further Notes
The term “station” deserves clarification here. Station is defined for a Class C Challenge as some part of a regularly-used, currently in revenue service passenger platform. However, as this is not a Class B Challenge, we are not required to “touch” through all parts of a complex station like Times Square-42nd Street in Manhattan. It is merely enough to have “passed” through Times Square-42nd Street on any of the lines that regularly service it in order to count Times Square-42nd Street as having been “passed.” Were this a Class B Challenge, we would be required to “touch” the Times Square-42nd Street station at four (possibly five) levels (the West Side IRT, the Broadway BMT, the 42nd Street Shuttle, the Flushing Local, and possibly the West Side IND) in order to fully qualify as having “touched” all of the Times Square-42nd Street Station.
Additionally, as we are only required to “pass” each station, we are not necessarily required to ride every line of the subway system if we have already “passed” a station covered by that line.
Finally, per General Rule XIV outlined on the Amateur New York Subway Riding Committee site, “each contestant making the run must pay one token fare upon entering the Transit Authority system prior to the run, and until the completion of the run must pay no further fare nor reenter premises of the Transit Authority by fraudulent means, or be means of any sort of pass.” As tokens are no longer being used by the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA), it is necessary to substitute “Metrocard” for “token,” since the Metrocard has now replaced the token as the only legal method of fare payment on the NYCTA. In keeping with the spirit of General Rule XIV, though, once contestants have entered the subway system, they are not permitted to exit the system (i.e., leaving any area of fare control) until the Subway Conquest is complete. This prohibition is applicable even to free out of system subway transfers, as the Single Ride Metrocard (here distinguished from a flat rate Monthly, Weekly or Daily Metrocard) is not legally permitted to make such a transfer. The Single Ride Metrocard is the closest present day equivalent of the now obsolete subway token, and in order to ensure that all transfers made during the course of the Subway Conquest are legal, the contestants will abide by the terms and conditions of the Single Ride Metrocard.
