The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is preparing to introduce a new version of its latest subway R211 cars. This version is equipped with so-called “open ramps” that allow passengers to move freely between vehicles.
R211 car first version Debuts on A line train The latest version, with its open gangway, is similar to what passengers see on the London Underground, the Paris Metro and the Boston T system.
MTA Transit President Richard Davey said commuters here in New York will see the vehicles in action in the “coming weeks.”
MTA / Mark A. Herman
MTA Chairman and CEO Jano Lieber, New York City Transit Authority Chairman Richard Davey and FTA Region 2 Administrator Stephen Goodman open at Coney Island Yards on Friday, February 3, 2023 We took a demonstration ride on the R211T subway, which is equipped with ramps. (Mark A. Herman/MTA)
MTA / Mark A. Herman
MTA / Mark A. Herman
MTA Chairman and CEO Jano Lieber, New York City Transit Authority Chairman Richard Davey and FTA Region 2 Administrator Stephen Goodman open at Coney Island Yards on Friday, February 3, 2023 We took a demonstration ride on the R211T subway, which is equipped with ramps. (Mark A. Herman/MTA)
MTA / Mark A. Hellman
MTA Chairman and CEO Jano Lieber, New York City Transit Authority Chairman Richard Davey and FTA Region 2 Administrator Stephen Goodman open at Coney Island Yards on Friday, February 3, 2023 We took a demonstration ride on the R211T subway, which is equipped with ramps. (Mark A. Herman/MTA)
MTA / Mark A. Hellman
MTA Chairman and CEO Jano Lieber, New York City Transit Authority Chairman Richard Davey and FTA Region 2 Administrator Stephen Goodman open at Coney Island Yards on Friday, February 3, 2023 We took a demonstration ride on the R211T subway, which is equipped with ramps. (Mark A. Herman/MTA)
MTA / Mark A. Hellman
MTA Chairman and CEO Jano Lieber, New York City Transit Authority Chairman Richard Davey and FTA Region 2 Administrator Stephen Goodman open at Coney Island Yards on Friday, February 3, 2023 We took a demonstration ride on the R211T subway, which is equipped with ramps. (Mark A. Herman/MTA)
MTA / Mark A. Hellman
MTA Chairman and CEO Jano Lieber, New York City Transit Authority Chairman Richard Davey and FTA Region 2 Administrator Stephen Goodman open at Coney Island Yards on Friday, February 3, 2023 We took a demonstration ride on the R211T subway, which is equipped with ramps. (Mark A. Herman/MTA)
MTA / Mark A. Herman
MTA Chairman and CEO Jano Lieber, New York City Transit Authority Chairman Richard Davey and FTA Region 2 Administrator Stephen Goodman open at Coney Island Yards on Friday, February 3, 2023 We took a demonstration ride on the R211T subway, which is equipped with ramps. (Mark A. Herman/MTA)
MTA / Mark A. Herman
MTA Chairman and CEO Jano Lieber, New York City Transit Authority Chairman Richard Davey and FTA Region 2 Administrator Stephen Goodman open at Coney Island Yards on Friday, February 3, 2023 We took a demonstration ride on the R211T subway, which is equipped with ramps. (Mark A. Herman/MTA)
MTA / Mark A. Herman
MTA Chairman and CEO Jano Lieber, New York City Transit Authority Chairman Richard Davey and FTA Region 2 Administrator Stephen Goodman open at Coney Island Yards on Friday, February 3, 2023 We took a demonstration ride on the R211T subway, which is equipped with ramps. (Mark A. Herman/MTA)
MTA / Mark A. Herman
MTA Chairman and CEO Jano Lieber, New York City Transit Authority Chairman Richard Davey and FTA Region 2 Administrator Stephen Goodman open at Coney Island Yards on Friday, February 3, 2023 We took a demonstration ride on the R211T subway, which is equipped with ramps. (Mark A. Herman/MTA)
MTA / Mark A. Herman
MTA Chairman and CEO Jano Lieber, New York City Transit Authority Chairman Richard Davey and FTA Region 2 Administrator Stephen Goodman open at Coney Island Yards on Friday, February 3, 2023 We took a demonstration ride on the R211T subway, which is equipped with ramps. (Mark A. Herman/MTA)
MTA / Mark A. Herman
MTA Chairman and CEO Jano Lieber, New York City Transit Authority Chairman Richard Davey and FTA Region 2 Administrator Stephen Goodman open at Coney Island Yards on Friday, February 3, 2023 We took a demonstration ride on the R211T subway, which is equipped with ramps. (Mark A. Herman/MTA)
MTA / Mark A. Herman
MTA Chairman and CEO Jano Lieber, New York City Transit Authority Chairman Richard Davey and FTA Region 2 Administrator Stephen Goodman open at Coney Island Yards on Friday, February 3, 2023 We took a demonstration ride on the R211T subway, which is equipped with ramps. (Mark A. Herman/MTA)
MTA / Mark A. Herman
MTA Chairman and CEO Jano Lieber, New York City Transit Authority Chairman Richard Davey and FTA Region 2 Administrator Stephen Goodman open at Coney Island Yards on Friday, February 3, 2023 We took a demonstration ride on the R211T subway, which is equipped with ramps. (Mark A. Herman/MTA)
MTA / Mark A. Herman
MTA Chairman and CEO Jano Lieber, New York City Transit Authority Chairman Richard Davey and FTA Region 2 Administrator Stephen Goodman open at Coney Island Yards on Friday, February 3, 2023 We took a demonstration ride on the R211T subway, which is equipped with ramps. (Mark A. Herman/MTA)
The open gangway cars, which will debut on C trains, are a deliberate choice, Davey said.
Mr Davey said the new trains would only be introduced on slow lines, not express lines.
“We thought it would be wise to stop that train more often,” he said.
New New York City subway cars will replace cars that have been in service for nearly 50 years. But that will likely have to wait until the end of 2023, reports NBC New York’s Miles Miller.
Vehicle entrances and exits will also be wider. Supporters say the vehicles will not only relieve overcrowding but also provide easier access for passengers with wheelchairs and strollers.
“Wider door widths and the addition of accessible seating will significantly improve the experience for all passengers, especially those with disabilities,” Kemuel Arroyo, the MTA’s chief accessibility officer, said in a statement in 2023. I will.” “Future open gangway pilot cars will also be able to accommodate passengers with mobility devices and strollers.”We are looking forward to trying out these new vehicles as they will allow us to travel inside trains like never before. ”
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority also announced in early 2023 that it is considering introducing open gangway vehicles.
The MTA previously said an additional 437 vehicles featuring an open gangway design could be delivered in early 2025.