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In January, MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) plans to introduce FASTRACK, a “new way of working on the rails,” along the Lexington Avenue Line, NYCT officials said in a prepared statement.

Starting on Jan. 9, the 4, 5 and 6 lines will be shut down from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., suspending all Lexington Avenue Line service between Grand Central-42nd Street and Atlantic Avenue in both directions for four consecutive weeknights.

NYCT is taking a new approach to preform critical maintenance and upgrades to the system, which includes more than 2,600 switches, 12,000 train control signals, and more than 700 miles of track and 468 stations. By shutting down a section of a subway line, workers can perform tasks more efficiently, at less cost and in a safer environment, NYCT officials said.

The system’s weeknight ridership averages about 250,000 riders. The closures will affect 10 percent to 15 percent of those riders depending on the line segment, they said.

“While providing a safer environment for our employees who will no longer be sharing tracks with in-service trains, we also anticipate an annual productivity savings of $10 million to $15 million,” NYCT officials said.

The new approach does not replace weekend work, however. Most weekend service diversions are due to major station and line rehabilitation projects, they said.