Local service: A train which always operates and stops at every station on the line. Express service: A train that does not always operate or sometimes skips a station.

On the New York City Subway, the E train primarily operates as an express service in Queens and a local service in Manhattan. During daytime hours in Queens, the E train runs express along the IND Queens Boulevard Line, skipping smaller stations to move quickly between major hubs like Jamaica Center and Court Square. Once it crosses into Manhattan at 53rd Street, it becomes a local train, stopping at every station along the Eighth Avenue Line until its terminus at the World Trade Center. However, this changes late at night (typically between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM), when the E train switches to local service everywhere, including in Queens, to provide coverage for the skipped stations. This "split personality" is a key feature of the NYC transit system; the E train is designed to be a high-speed commuter "workhorse" for Queens residents during the day, while functioning as a reliable, frequent local option for those navigating the West Side of Manhattan at all hours of the night.