96th Street contains four tracks and two island platforms that allow for cross-platform interchanges between local and express trains heading in the same direction. Express trains run on the innermost two tracks, while local trains run on the outer pair. The local tracks are used by the 1 at all times and by the 2 during late nights; the express tracks are used by the 2 train during daytime hours and the 3 train at all times. The platforms were originally long, as at other express stations, and , but as a result of the 1958–1959 platform extension, became long. During normal service, southbound local trains use track B1 and southbound express trains use track B2. Northbound express trains use track B3 and northbound local trains use track B4. These track designations are not posted in the station, but are used in the chaining of each individual track, used to measure distance by train crews on the subway.