March 13, 2023 | Rapid Transit

First Look: R211s Roll Into New York Subway Service

Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor



The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is phasing in new standard closed-end R211s from Kawasaki along New York City Transit’s (NYCT) A Line.

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber and NYCT President Richard Davey on March 10 participated in the inaugural ride.

The cars are part of a 2018 order for 535 R211a model cars, which included 440 standard closed-end cars, 20 open-gangway cars, and 15 five-car trains for MTA Staten Island Railway. (NYCT on Feb. 3 showcased one of the two open-gangway cars undergoing testing at the Coney Island Yard in Brooklyn.)

Designed to speed boarding and to reduce the amount of time trains remain at stations, the R211s feature 58-inch-wide door openings, which are eight inches wider than those of existing cars, according to MTA. The agency said these models also include security cameras, additional accessible seating, digital displays providing more detailed station-specific information, and brighter lighting and signage, among other features intended to improve the rider experience. 



NYCT in July 2021 unveiled the first of five new R211s, part of a 535-car base order, at the South Brooklyn Interchange Yard. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA)

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