MTA declares requests for greatest subway automobile order throughout convention in Sundown Park

MTA representatives introduced they’re looking for proposals from railcar producers for the most important subway automobile contract in its historical past throughout a press convention in its Railcar Acceptance and Testing Facility, 985 Third Avenue, on March 19.

The Request for Proposals (RFP) is for 1,140 subway vehicles to switch the present R62 and R62A fleets working on the 1, 3, 6 traces, and an choice to buy an extra 1,250 vehicles is exercised, to switch the R142 and R142A vehicles on the two, 4, 5 traces.

“We’re speaking about changing vehicles which were round for the reason that Nineteen Eighties, ” stated New York Metropolis Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. “Is anybody else driving 40-year-old-cars? Although we’ve managed to realize historic on-time efficiency whereas including service with this fleet, it’s time to enter the trendy period. And our first-of-its-kind Railcar Acceptance and Testing Facility serves as a logo to New Yorkers that we’re severe about delivering on the promise of this historic procurement.”

In whole, the contract contains 2,390 new subway vehicles, which is extra vehicles than the Chicago Transit Authority’s subway fleet and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority’s mixed. 

The brand new vehicles, mannequin R262, might be funded by the MTA’s 2025-29 Capital Plan, which obtained $68 billion in funding from Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature within the FY26 Enacted State Funds. 

In line with the New York Occasions, the brand new fashions embrace clearer audio in vehicles, an up to date brake system and the potential of extra ‘open gangway’ designs.

This historic automobile contract might change as much as 36.4 p.c of the subway’s complete fleet. The subway’s complete fleet consists of 6,574 vehicles.

Proposals are due Sept. 8, 2026, and a contract is anticipated to be awarded by early 2028.

“This new subway order is probably the most seen proof that we’re delivering the trendy transit system that New Yorkers are hoping, and anticipating, and deserving,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber stated. “We have now vehicles in service which can be 40-50 years previous that have been acquired by the late nice Dick Ravitch, my long-ago predecessor, within the early Nineteen Eighties. 

“All of us have a smooth spot for the older vehicles, particularly the orange and yellow seats on the R46 and R62 fashions, but it surely’s a incontrovertible fact that these previous vehicles break down far more ceaselessly than the brand new vehicles.”

“Hundreds of recent subway vehicles working higher service and a extra dependable trip for hundreds of thousands day-after-day — that’s what we will obtain after we absolutely spend money on transit,” Hochul stated. “We’re within the midst of a public transit renaissance in New York, with rising ridership, the very best service in a technology and historic investments to modernize the lifeblood of our metropolis. By bringing much more open gangway vehicles to the subway, we will make actual enhancements to riders’ security and general expertise.”