Catherine Cowdrey L train (Vol 2)
by Langston Reese# The L Train’s Rockaway Parkway-Bound Announcement Changes — and the Birth of the Vol. 2 Voice!
Back in the day, the L train’s Rockaway Parkway-bound announcement sounded a little different from what riders are used to hearing today. Instead of announcing **“This is a Rockaway Parkway bound L train,”** the original announcement said, **“This is a Canarsie bound L train.”** Yes, really! Before the wording changed around 2010, the announcement used *Canarsie* rather than the specific terminal name, *Rockaway Parkway*.
## Why did the announcement change around 2010?
The change was intended to make the announcement **clearer, more informative, and more specific for passengers**. The original phrase, “This is a Canarsie bound L train,” identified the general neighborhood the train was heading toward, but it did not actually tell riders the name of the terminal station: **Canarsie–Rockaway Parkway**.
By changing the wording to **“This is a Rockaway Parkway bound L train,”** the announcement gave passengers a more precise destination reference. Instead of simply hearing the name of the neighborhood, riders heard the name associated with the train’s actual terminal. This was especially helpful for visitors, occasional riders, and anyone unfamiliar with the L line’s southern terminus.
It might seem like a small change, but it made the announcement more useful: the train was no longer described only by the neighborhood it served, but by the specific station it was bound for!
## The older “The next stop is…” announcement — even at the last stop!
And here’s another crazy detail: the original “This is a Canarsie bound L train” announcement was paired with a different version of the **“The next stop is…”** announcement.
That older recording could even be heard at the train’s last stop, where there wasn’t another stop ahead to announce. LOL — imagine hearing “The next stop is…” when you’re already at the terminal! It sounds strange by today’s standards, but it’s part of what makes these older MTA recordings so interesting.
Similar older announcement patterns could also be found on the 4, 5, 6, J, and Z trains, and possibly the brown M train as well.
## The birth of the L’s Vol. 2 voice
Around the same period as the wording change, the L train’s so-called **Vol. 2 voice** became another fascinating part of its announcement history. This version has a distinctive sound compared with other recordings used on the line.
What makes it especially interesting is that the Vol. 2 recording is believed to be the **only Vol. 2 announcement used on the L train**. Rather than an entire collection of Vol. 2 announcements covering the line, this particular recording stands out as an unusual, isolated example.
The transition from “Canarsie bound” to “Rockaway Parkway bound” gives announcement enthusiasts another detail to listen for when comparing recordings from different periods. The wording, voice, and accompanying next-stop announcements can help distinguish the older announcements from the newer versions.
## Where to find them: Mr Railfan’s YouTube channel
You can look for these recordings on **Mr Railfan’s YouTube channel**, specifically in the **“New Lots Avenue Station Announcements”** video, under the **B-Division section**. The material features L train announcements associated with different rolling-stock types, including the R143 or R160.
And there’s an even more unusual catch: a **very rare R179 L train to Rockaway Parkway announcement from 2019!**
This is particularly interesting because R179s are not the equipment most people associate with regular L train service. One possible explanation is that R179s were being used on temporary shuttle service between Broadway Junction and Canarsie–Rockaway Parkway. You recall seeing a YouTube video whose title described R179 shuttles operating over that stretch, which could explain the unusual recording. However, the exact circumstances would need to be confirmed using the original video or service records.
## Why these recordings matter
The change from “Canarsie bound” to “Rockaway Parkway bound” demonstrates how even a short announcement can evolve to provide passengers with more precise information. The original phrase identified a neighborhood; the newer wording identified the destination station more specifically.
Between the older next-stop announcement that could play at the terminal, the unusual Vol. 2 recording, the familiar R143 and R160 announcements, and the exceptionally rare R179 example from 2019, the L train has a surprisingly interesting announcement history hiding in plain sight!
For subway announcement fans, these little differences are the details that make listening to the trains so much fun.
