Subway riders were fuming after the MTA announced it was swapping the M and F routes between Manhattan and Queens — in a move that will affect about 1.2 million straphangers.

The routes will be permanently swapped on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. at eight stations starting Monday, according to the MTA.

Commuters told The Post they expect their commute times would increase and trains would be more crowded under the new plan, but MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber claimed the switch would only be beneficial.

“Nobody here is being hurt by this. Everybody benefits,” Lieber said from the 21 St-Queensbridge station Wednesday.

He described the switch as a data-driven fix for backups at Queens Plaza.

“This is something we’ve thought about internally for a while, and now by using data we’ve de

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