NYC’s shiny new trains sidelined only one month after their debut — and it isn’t clear once they’ll be again
The Metropolitan Transit Authority sidelined Staten Island’s latest practice automobiles only one month after their debut — and it’s not clear when precisely they’ll be again on the tracks.
5 shiny, new blue-and-silver R211 automobiles are sitting within the yard of the MTA’s Clifton Maitenance store due to a difficulty with sign programs that was uncovered throughout routine testing, an MTA supply stated.
The problem comes as a blow to the rail system in “The Forgotten Borough,” with the automobiles a part of a $1.4 billion purchase that was speculated to improve Staten Island Railway’s antiquated automobiles.
“We’re very dedicated to Staten Island,” MTA CEO Janno Lieber advised reporters Monday. “I do know it’s sport on the market to take pictures on the MTA, however we’re investing closely in Staten Island. We’re decided to be sure that they’ve entry.”
The brand new automobiles are nonetheless underneath guarantee and repairs is not going to price taxpayers, in response to an MTA spokesperson who couldn’t say when the brand new automobiles could be again in service.
“It’s not shocking that throughout the preliminary roll out of any practice automotive fleet, some programs would wish consideration as was the case right here. We count on the R211’s to be on the rails as regular quickly,” the spokesperson stated.
The 5 automobiles had been a part of a 535 automotive order the MTA positioned with producer Kawasaki in 2018 value an estimated $1.4 billion – making every automotive value round $2.6 million.
They’re the primary of 75 for use on Staten Island’s rails to switch many of the trains there, in response to the Staten Island Advance, which first reported on the difficulty.
When the automobiles launched MTA bragged in a press launch they’d have “state-of-the-art facilities” like wider doorways for faster loading and unloading, and the automobiles had been a “important half” of the MTA’s ongoing modernization efforts.
The brand new automobiles had been speculated to be six instances extra dependable than automobiles within the present fleet and capable of journey a mean of 240,000 miles between replacements and main repairs, in response to the discharge.
In October 2022, the MTA introduced the MTA Board had permitted an order for a further 640 of the R211 subway automobiles.
The company pulled six new R211 rail automobiles out of service final yr in October resulting from tools issues that point simply months after the high-tech trains had been unveiled.
