174th Street station (IRT White Plains Road Line)

The initial segment of the IRT White Plains Road Line opened on November 26, 1904, between 180th Street–Bronx Park and Jackson Avenue. Initially, trains on the line were served by elevated trains from the IRT Second Avenue Line and the IRT Third Avenue Line. Once the connection to the IRT Lenox Avenue Line opened on July 10, 1905, trains from the newly opened IRT subway ran via the line.[3][4][5]

In 1909, to address overcrowding, the New York Public Service Commission proposed lengthening platforms at stations along the original IRT subway.[6]^:168 On January 18, 1910, a modification was made to Contracts 1 and 2 to lengthen station platforms to accommodate ten-car express and six-car local trains. In addition to $1.5 million (equivalent to $41.2 million in 2019) spent on platform lengthening, $500,000 (equivalent to $13,719,643 in 2019) was spent on building additional entrances and exits. It was anticipated that these improvements would increase capacity by 25 percent.[7]^:15 The northbound platform at the 174th Street station was extended 43 feet (13 m) to the front and 40 feet (12 m) to the rear,[7]^:114 while the southbound platform was not lengthened.[7]^:106 On January 23, 1911, ten-car express trains began running on the White Plains Road Line.[6]^:168[8]

The New York State Transit Commission announced plans to extend the southbound platforms at seven stations on the line from Jackson Avenue to 177th Street to accommodate ten-car trains for $81,900 on August 8, 1934. The platform at 174th Street would be lengthened from 361 feet (110 m) to 489 feet (149 m).[9]

The Bergen Avenue cutoff, which allowed Third Avenue trains to access the White Plains Road Line, was abandoned on November 5, 1946, as part of the gradual curtailment of elevated service on the IRT Third Avenue Line.[4] On June 13, 1949, the platform extensions at this station, as well as those on other White Plains Road Line stations between Jackson Avenue and 177th Street, opened. The platforms were lengthened to 514 feet (157 m) to allow full ten-car express trains to open their doors. Previously, the stations could only accommodate six-car local trains.[10]

The station was closed from July to November 2003 and was completely rehabilitated.[11]

The station does not have a mezzanine, therefore in-system transfers between the two directions are not possible. The station houses are at the same level as the platforms. The two southbound exits lead to the northwestern corner of the skewed intersection of 174th Street and Southern Boulevard. The two northbound exits are on either eastern corner of that intersection.[13]