In March of this year the first R211 subway car officially rolled into service on the A line, and, following a successful pilot phase, a second R211 subway car was officially put into service on Thursday, June 29.
News of the new subway cars was first announced back in early 2019 by the MTA, though the first R211 subway car didn’t debut on the A line until March of this year when it rolled onto the tracks at the Inwood-207 St. terminal in Upper Manhattan.
And New Yorkers will now have even more of a chance to ride the new trains as, starting in August, the MTA will roll at least two new trains into service each month.
The new subway cars are a critical part of the MTA’s ongoing modernization efforts.
They feature 58-inch-wide door openings (eight inches wider than standard door openings on existing cars), updated digital displays, brighter lighting, security cameras, and electronic signal equipment to help speed up train service.
The new trains are part of the “Fast Forward” plans announced in early 2018 that will allow 50 years worth of subway updates to take place in only a decade. Nearly 5,000 new subway cars will be introduced to the tracks within that time.
“We continue to forge responsive, customer-centered approaches to our work. This means…introducing new technology, such as our R211 subway cars,” said NYC Transit SVP of Subways Demetrius Crichlow.
“For those who have not had the chance to ride the R211, your chances have doubled after a successful pilot. Beyond the cool experience of riding on a new train car, the R211s give riders and rail fans a modern and reliable riding experience,” added Crichlow.
News of the new R211 subway car coincides with subway service enhancements that have officially been implemented.
The enhancements include weekend service increases in Brooklyn and Queens on the G, J, and M lines, with trains arriving every 8 to 9 minutes compared to their current schedule of every 10 to 11 minutes.