MTA announces requests for biggest subway car order during conference in Sunset Park

MTA representatives announced they are seeking proposals from railcar manufacturers for the largest subway car contract in its history during a press conference in its Railcar Acceptance and Testing Facility, 985 Third Avenue, on March 19.

The Request for Proposals (RFP) is for 1,140 subway cars to replace the current R62 and R62A fleets operating on the 1, 3, 6 lines, and an option to purchase an additional 1,250 cars is exercised, to replace the R142 and R142A cars on the 2, 4, 5 lines.

“We’re talking about replacing cars that have been around since the 1980s, ” said New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. “Is anyone else driving 40-year-old-cars? Even though we’ve managed to achieve historic on-time performance while adding service with this fleet, it’s time to enter the modern era. And our first-of-its-kind Railcar Acceptance and Testing Facility serves as a symbol to New Yorkers that we’re serious about delivering on the promise of this historic procurement.”

In total, the contract includes 2,390 new subway cars, which is more cars than the Chicago Transit Authority’s subway fleet and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority’s combined. 

The new cars, model R262, will be funded by the MTA’s 2025-29 Capital Plan, which received $68 billion in funding from Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature in the FY26 Enacted State Budget. 

According to the New York Times, the new models include clearer audio in cars, an updated brake system and the possibility of more ‘open gangway’ designs.

This historic car contract could replace up to 36.4 percent of the subway’s entire fleet. The subway’s entire fleet consists of 6,574 cars.

Proposals are due Sept. 8, 2026, and a contract is expected to be awarded by early 2028.

“This new subway order is the most visible proof that we are delivering the modern transit system that New Yorkers are hoping, and expecting, and deserving,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said. “We have cars in service that are 40-50 years old that were acquired by the late great Dick Ravitch, my long-ago predecessor, in the early 1980s. 

“We all have a soft spot for the older cars, especially the orange and yellow seats on the R46 and R62 models, but it’s a fact that these old cars break down much more frequently than the new cars.”

“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,” Hochul said. “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. By bringing even more open gangway cars to the subway, we can make real improvements to riders’ safety and overall experience.”