On February 3rd Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) showcased one of the two R211 open gangway subway trains at the Coney Island Yard in Brooklyn that are currently undergoing testing and expected to be placed into revenue service in the last quarter of 2023 to determine potential future NYC Transit fleet purchases for open gangways. The open gangway cars are part of a 535-car order of the R211 model. That includes 20 cars with the open gangway feature unveiled today, an additional 515 cars with standard futuristic amenities, and 15 Staten Island Railway five-car trains.
These R211 cars are a critical part of the MTA’s ongoing modernization efforts and will be phased into service beginning on the A and C lines. The R211s feature 58-inch-wide door openings that are eight inches wider than standard door openings on existing cars. The wider doorways are designed to speed up boarding and reduce the amount of time trains sit in stations. While very similar to the standard R211 cars, the open gangway cars feature soft, accordion-like walls that connect subway cars and allow riders to move freely between them.
Testing on the standard R211s delivered is underway and are expected to be placed in passenger service in the Spring.
Both new subway car models include security cameras, additional accessible seating, digital displays that will provide more detailed station-specific information, brighter lighting and signage, among other features that improve the customer experience.
In October 2022, the MTA announced Board 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, there is a second option for an additional 437 cars that could feature open gangways.
-via Press Release