▁and ▁is ▁occasionally ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁Eastern ▁District ▁Line . ▁This ▁refers ▁to ▁Williams burg , ▁which ▁was ▁described ▁as ▁Brook lyn ' s ▁" E astern ▁District " ▁when ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁Williams burg ▁was ▁an nex ed ▁by ▁the ▁former ▁City ▁of ▁Brook lyn . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁location ▁where ▁the ▁original ▁Brook lyn ▁sub way ▁port ions ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁were ▁laid ▁out . ▁Only ▁later ▁was ▁the ▁line ▁connected ▁to ▁the ▁tracks ▁leading ▁to ▁Can ars ie . ▁Eastern ▁District ▁High ▁School , ▁near ▁the ▁line ' s ▁Grand ▁Street ▁station , ▁had ▁preserved ▁this ▁to pon ym ▁until ▁it ▁was ▁closed ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁later ▁re open ed ▁as ▁Grand ▁Street ▁Edu c ational ▁Camp us . ▁ ▁The ▁Can ars ie ▁Line ▁was ▁first ▁a ▁steam ▁rail road , ▁then ▁a ▁Brook lyn ▁Rap id ▁Trans it ▁Company ▁( B RT ), ▁later ▁Brook lyn – Man h attan ▁Trans it ▁Corporation ▁( B MT ), ▁elev ated ▁line . ▁It ▁was ▁extended ▁into ▁Manh attan ▁via ▁sub way ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 – 1 9 2 8 . ▁Since ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 0 s , ▁the ▁line ' s ▁signal ▁system ▁has ▁been ▁converted ▁to ▁an ▁autom ated ▁system . ▁The ▁Manh attan ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁was ▁partially ▁closed ▁during ▁off - pe ak ▁hours ▁from ▁early ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁to ▁April ▁ 2 0 2 0 ▁to ▁allow ▁for ▁a ▁renov ation