New Yorkers have a famously complicated relationship with the MTA. We put up with subway rats sprinting across platforms, mystery ceiling drips, and endless delays that feel almost personal. And while every rider has a strong opinion about which subway line caused the most grief over the last 12 months, the data has spoken: in 2025, the B train once again earned the not-so-coveted title of NYC’s slowest and most unreliable subway line.
According to MTA data analyzed by the New York Post, the B train arrived late a whopping 26% of the time in 2025. Shockingly, that’s actually an improvement. In 2024, the B arrived on time just 65.1% of the time, and back in 2019 it hit an all-time low of 65.4%.
Overall, the B managed an improved average on-time rate of 78.5% in 2025. Things briefly looked up in November, when that number climbed to 80.7% following subway timetable changes–but don’t get too optimistic just yet.
Between sharing tracks with multiple lines, crawling through major junctions, and relying on outdated signal systems for much of its route, the B train is fighting an uphill battle. And there’s another catch: the MTA considers a train “on time” if it arrives within five minutes of its scheduled arrival. So yes—”on time” is, well, not exactly “on time” at all.
The B train wasn’t alone in its struggles. More than a dozen subway lines posted on-time averages of 85% or less in 2025, including:
- D line – 79.4% on-time average
- Q line – 79.7% on-time average
- M line – 80.4% on-time average
- F line – 81.5% on-time average
The G, J/Z, R, N, A, C, and 2 trains performed slightly better, but still failed to crack the 85% mark.
Still, this is an improvement compared to past years.
In November 2025, 84.4% of subway trains ran on time systemwide–higher than many riders probably expected. New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow even called it the system’s “best November in modern history outside of the pandemic era.” September also set records, with an 85% on-time average, alongside the “best August in a decade” at 85.1%.
For context, overall systemwide reliability in 2024 sat at 82.1%.
If you’re looking to stack the odds in your favor, your best bet is the L train. It was the most reliable subway line in 2025, arriving on time about 90.3% of the time–though that’s slightly down from its 91.9% average in 2024.
Excluding the 42nd Street and Franklin Avenue shuttles, the L was the only subway line to surpass a 90% on-time rate this year. The 7 train came close at 89.8% (down from 91.1% in 2024), followed by the 6 at 89.6% and the 1 at 89%.
Some good news for strugglers: the C, 2, and B trains all saw noticeable reliability improvements compared to 2024, with on-time averages increasing by 15.5%, 14.4%, and 13.4%, respectively.
Now that we’ve officially entered 2026, all we can do is hope one of the MTA’s New Year’s resolutions is fewer delays–and a little less mystery liquid. 🤞🚇