Yisroel R.

The MTA marked a major milestone in the modernization of New York City’s subway fleet last week, receiving its 1,000th R211 subway car at its Railcar Acceptance and Testing Facility in Sunset Park, right near Boro Park.

The milestone car, numbered 3964, arrived alongside cars 3962 and 3963, which became the 998th and 999th R211 cars delivered to New York City Transit. The cars were received on Wednesday, September 30, at the MTA facility located at the 38th Street Yard along Third Avenue between 38th and 39th Streets.

The R211s are the MTA’s newest generation of subway cars and are being rolled out as older trains are retired across the system. The cars are manufactured by Kawasaki Rail Car at facilities in Yonkers, New York, and Lincoln, Nebraska.

The new trains feature wider doors, digital information displays, security cameras, and other upgrades aimed at improving reliability and the passenger experience. The R211 fleet also includes open-gangway R211T cars, which allow riders to move between connected cars while the train is in service.

R211 trains first entered passenger service in 2023, with the open-gangway version following in 2024. The MTA has also introduced R211 cars on the Staten Island Railway as part of the replacement of its aging fleet.

Before newly delivered cars can enter passenger service, they undergo an extensive inspection and testing process. The MTA says the process includes checks of mechanical and pneumatic systems, acceleration and braking tests, and a “burn-in” period in which trains must operate for 24 hours without a failure before being cleared for service.

photos: Marc A. Hermann / MTA