Dive Brief:
- The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority is seeking proposals from rail car manufacturers to replace more than a third of its subway fleet, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday.
- The MTA plans an initial order of 1,140 subway cars, with an option to purchase an additional 1,250, which together would account for 36.4% of the subway’s fleet of 6,574 cars.
- The order is part of the MTA’s $68 billion 2025-2029 capital plan and 2020-2024 capital plan, which are partially funded by New York’s congestion pricing program.
Dive Insight:
New York City’s subway cars average 25 years old, with some nearing their 50th birthdays. The new rail cars will improve reliability, according to the MTA, reducing the number of en route problems and the amount of time cars are taken out of service for repairs.
“So much of our capital investment goes unseen, but this next subway car order — our largest ever — is a major step to visibly delivering the modern transit system New Yorkers deserve," MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said in a statement.
In preparation for the procurement, the MTA established a rolling stock program in February, headed by Jessie Lazarus, who previously served as the authority’s deputy chief of commercial ventures. The program directs the MTA’s acquisition strategy for buses, subway cars and commuter rail trains.
The MTA opened a new railcar acceptance and testing facility in November. The Brooklyn facility will test all new subway cars before they are put into service.
“These efforts result in a streamlined contract that adopts a balanced approach between the current challenges that contractors face and ensuring that the Authority retains the necessary tools at its disposal to ensure the timely delivery of quality cars that riders deserve,” the MTA said in a news release.
Potential suppliers include Kawasaki Rail Car Manufacturing, which was awarded a contract last year for 435 MTA subway cars; Hitachi Rail, a supplier to the Maryland Transit Administration for Baltimore’s Metro System and Miami-Dade County Metrorail; and Alstom, a New York manufacturer that has produced over 4,200 subway cars for the MTA.
“Thousands of new subway cars running better service and a more reliable ride for millions every day — that’s what we can achieve when we fully invest in transit,” Gov. Hochul said in a statement. “We are in the midst of a public transit renaissance in New York, with growing ridership, the best service in a generation and historic investments to modernize the lifeblood of our city.”
Proposals are due Sept. 8, and the MTA expects to award a contract by early 2028.
