Subway riders in New York City can expect to experience more spacious and interconnected commutes as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has confirmed an order for 80 additional 'open gangway' subway cars. These cars, devoid of the usual separating doors, connect to form continuous, open-interior trains, giving passengers the ability to move from one end to the other without restrictions. The MTA is set to greenlight this purchase tomorrow, as part of a broader acquisition of 435 new train cars with a hefty price tag of $1.3 billion, to be incrementally delivered by 2028, Gothamist reported.
These advents in public transit coincide with the launch of the long-awaited congestion pricing on January 5, meant to encourage more sustainable modes of transportation. According to MTA Chair Janno Lieber, the fresh fleet will be financed using the revenues from this initiative. "We're moving forward with them. Broadly speaking, if congestion pricing were not going forward, then it would impact how many cars across the system we were buying. But this particular order, the time frame of the option and pricing really requires us to go forward," Lieber told CBS News New York.
In a strategy to better accommodate the diverse needs of New York's commuters, some of the modernized cars currently carried by the C line are scheduled to make their way to the G train early next year. An additional benefit, MTA officials underlined, is that open gangway C trains do currently not run on weekends, but with the new shifts in deployment, they will service the G line daily.
Appreciating the distinctive character of the Crosstown Line and the anticipated improvements, Lisa Daglian, executive director for the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, commented, "As any G train rider knows, these new train cars will go a long way to making for a better ride." While rapid transit continues to evolve in the cityscape, the planned upgrades are also set to gradually replace antiquated R-68 subway cars launched in the 1980s with the latest R-211 models, which promise increased capacity and reduced wear and tear on the system, as mentioned in remarks made by NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow to Gothamist.
Beyond the rails, the MTA is also set to enhance bus service, aligning with Governor Kathy Hochul's initiative to expand commuting options in light of the impending congestion pricing. Straphangers can expect to eventually choose from eight express bus routes starting in March and an increased number of local bus routes by the summer of 2025.
