The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has commenced the rollout of its new R211 subway cars on New York’s A line.
These vehicles are part of the agency’s 535-car order for the R211 model, which includes 440 standard cars, 15 Staten Island Railway five-car trains and 20 open gangway cars.
This investment is a key component of the MTA’s ongoing modernisation efforts.
The new vehicles feature 58-inch-wide door openings that are eight inches wider than the door openings on existing cars. This change is designed to speed up boarding and reduce the amount of time that trains sit in stations. By reducing station dwell times, it is possible to run a greater number of services on the line.
Furthermore, the metro cars are equipped with security cameras, additional accessible seating, digital displays with more detailed station-specific information, and brighter lighting and signage.
“Faster, cleaner, safer is what we often say is our goal within NYC Transit, and what we’re delivering with the R211s are faster, cleaner and safer trains. These cars feature security cameras and digital displays along with wider doorways that will help speed up boarding times and run more reliable service.”
In addition to the initial 535-car order, the MTA Board has recently announced approval to order an additional 640 R211 subway cars, bringing the total number of new subway cars to 1,175 within the next two years.
This second set of new subway cars is expected to be delivered in early 2025.
If testing is successful, the agency may also exercise a second option for an additional 437 cars with open gangways.
“The new cars are going to give our riders a more modern passenger experience, so riding the subway no longer feels like a step into the past. We’re investing over $6 billion in new train cars as part of the historic $55 billion MTA Capital Program and it’s not just for aesthetics, because these new train cars enable us to run more frequent service.”
