103rd Street station (IND Eighth Avenue Line)

New York City mayor John Francis Hylan's original plans for the Independent Subway System (IND), proposed in 1922, included building over 100 miles (160 km) of new lines and taking over nearly 100 miles (160 km) of existing lines. The lines were designed to compete with the existing underground, surface, and elevated lines operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and BMT.^[4][5] On December 9, 1924, the New York City Board of Transportation (BOT) gave preliminary approval for the construction of the IND Eighth Avenue Line.^[6] This line consisted of a corridor connecting Inwood, Manhattan, to Downtown Brooklyn, running largely under Eighth Avenue but also paralleling Greenwich Avenue and Sixth Avenue in Lower Manhattan.^[6][7] The BOT announced a list of stations on the new line in February 1928, with a local station at 102nd Street.^[8]

The finishes at the five stations between 81st Street and 110th Street were 18 percent completed by May 1930.^[9] By that August, the BOT reported that the Eighth Avenue Line was nearly completed and that the five stations from 81st to 110th Street were 99 percent completed.^[10] The entire line was completed by September 1931, except for the installation of turnstiles.^[11] A preview event for the new subway was hosted on September 8, 1932, two days before the official opening.^[12][13] The 103rd Street station opened on September 10, 1932, as part of the city-operated IND's initial segment, the Eighth Avenue Line between Chambers Street and 207th Street.^[14][15] Construction of the whole line cost $191.2 million (equivalent to $4,511.9 million in 2025). While the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line already provided parallel service, the new Eighth Avenue subway via Central Park West provided an alternative route.^[16]

Ground	Street level	Exit/entrance
Basement 1	Northbound express	← do not stop here
	Northbound local	← weekdays toward Bedford Park Boulevard or 145th Street (Cathedral Parkway–110th Street) ← toward 168th Street (Cathedral Parkway–110th Street)) ← toward Inwood–207th Street late nights (Cathedral Parkway–110th Street))
	Side platform
	Mezzanine	Fare control, station agent, OMNY machines
Basement 2	Southbound express	→ do not stop here →
	Southbound local	→ weekdays toward Brighton Beach (96th Street) → → toward Euclid Avenue (96th Street) → → toward Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue late nights (96th Street) →
	Side platform

This underground station has two levels with northbound trains using the upper level and southbound trains using the lower one. Each level has one side platform to the west of two tracks.^[17]

Both platforms have no trim line, but name tablets read "103RD ST." in white sans-serif lettering on a midnight blue background and black border. Small black "103" signs with white numbering run along the tiles at regular intervals and directional signs in the same style are below the name tablets. Blue columns run along both platforms at regular intervals with every other one having the standard black station name plate in white numbering.

Within this station, the northbound express track descends to allow the northbound local to cross over it, before rising up at 110th Street, where the line becomes the standard four tracks side by side with the local tracks on the side and express tracks in the center.^[17]

The IRT Lenox Avenue Line passes underneath this station at the extreme north end on West 104th Street to 110th Street–Malcolm X Plaza. The line is not visible from the platforms. On the east side of Central Park West and West 104th Street, adjacent to Central Park, is an emergency exit enclosed in a small brick house for the IRT line, which passes underneath the station. From here the line curves northeast, running directly under Central Park's North Woods at this point.