New York Subway: refurbished cars

New E-train car

New York subway  is 113 years old. It is one of the oldest and largest public transportation systems in the world (in terms of number of stations). 
The average track was laid 41 years ago, and 40% of signal equipment is more than half a century old. Much of the system contains WW II-era signaling and communications equipment.

 It’s no secret that the New York City subway has issues, with the problems that have always plagued the transit system—signal malfunctions, overcrowded trains, beat-up stations. The subway system is no doubt in distress.

MTA map. 1912

In July  at a press conference, MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota unveiled   the MTA's $800 million  "NYC Subway Action Plan" , the MTA’s new plan to stabilize and improve the system. The announcement comes fewer than 30 days after Governor Cuomo declared New York City’s subways to be in a state of emergency.

 Three months later in October  the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has launched refurbished and reconfigured R-160 cars on the E Subway line. The renovated cars have  new blue and yellow paint job and no seating at each end of the cars. Removing the seating will allow the MTA to pack 10 more riders in each  train car.  There are new LCD display screens in each car to provide rider information, LED lighting and artwork at each end of the car as well as on the ceiling.


It was not immediately clear how much the R160 refurbishments cost. Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio can’t seem to come to terms over who should pay for the ailing system’s repairs and how: Cuomo favors congestion pricing to raise funding for transit repairs while de Blasio opposes the idea and favors a millionaires tax instead.



The MTA desperately needs to replace its aging fleet, as the average age of cars is 22 years old.  New York  Metropolitan Transportation Authority   - MTA will invest $3.188 billion in new technology (NTT) New York City Subway  cars. Will it help to improve New York Subway?  Who knows....Staring this January Andy Byford, most recently responsible for the resurgence of Toronto’s public transit system (Canada) , is MTA new President. Will it help? Who knows.....