Bedford Park Boulevard–200th Street station opened on April 15, 1918 as part of the final extension of the IRT Jerome Avenue Line from Kingsbridge Road to Woodlawn. This station was renovated in the Summer–Fall 2006. During this time, the street levelmezzanine area and the platforms were renovated. The platforms had yellow tactile edge warning strips installed, and the IRT directional tablets inside fare control have been preserved. Until the 2006 renovation, the downtown platform had several old small 200 signs behind a chain-link fence toward the front of the platform; however, they were removed. Until renovations in 2006, it was the only station in the entire subway system and along the IRT Jerome Avenue Line to have a barbed wire fence on a platform–the Manhattan bound platform. This was added in an earlier renovation from the 1980s with the intent of preventing graffiti artists from tagging the 4 train. The barbed wire fence was completely removed from the Manhattan-bound platform during renovations. From October 26, 2009 to December 11, 2009, a pilot program had five southbound 4 trains running express in the AM rush hour. Although Bedford Park Boulevard is not designed as an express station, the trains used a switch for the express track south of the station.
Station layout
The station has three tracks and two side platforms. The middle track is generally not used in revenue service. The Jerome Yard/Concourse Yard complex is located on the west of the station. The track connections to Jerome Yard are at the north end. Concourse Yard has a single track connected to the southbound local; south of the station. The Concourse Yard serves as one of the few interconnections between the IRT and IND divisions.
Exits
The station building is at street level with the tracks above the building due to the street layout. The station has a brick mezzanine and stairway walls with "BPB" and restroom mosaics in the station house. A storeroom is located on the landing of the stairs to the platforms. Walking to the east connects to the New York Botanical Garden and a Metro-North Railroadstation of the same name, and walking to the west around the yard complex connects to Lehman College and the Bronx High School of Science.
