MTA Unveils Longer, Bendy Subway Trains That Will Make Boarding Easier

Soon, New Yorkers riding the C train will be among the first in the state to enjoy the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) new R211 subway cars. 

Over 500 of such trains will enter service, with two recently unveiled for a test run. One of the model’s key highlights is that it will more spacious than its predecessors, better accommodating disabled riders and allowing for faster boarding. 

According to the MTA, the train features 58-inch-wide door openings, eight inches wider than on existing cars, so passengers can hop on board more quickly and minimize the time trains spend sitting in stations. 

Some of the R211 trains will have open gangways instead of individual subway cars, essentially making them a long, bendy tube. Soft, accordion-like walls connect the multiple cars, allowing riders to move freely throughout the entire train. 

Furthermore, all the new trains will come with security cameras, accessible seating, brighter lighting and signage, and digital displays that will provide more detailed information about each station to make traveling more delightful as a whole. 

“These modern subway cars will of course upgrade the passenger experience, but they will also complement our signal improvement efforts and allow us to run more trains and provide more frequent subway service,” concludes MTA CEO Janno Lieber.

[via The Architect’s Newspaper and Metropolitan Transportation Authority, images via Metropolitan Transportation Authority]