What you should know
- Do you use metro line C to get around the city? You will now find a change in the trains you take.
- This is because the MTA on Thursday introduced a new version of its modern R211 subway cars, one that features what is known as an “open gangway,” allowing passengers to move freely from one car to another.
- The agency had invested $2 billion in new subway cars, and those launched Thursday represent some of them. The new cars debuted on the train’s C line in Upper Manhattan, which officials said was a decided choice.
NEW YORK — Do you use the C subway line to get around the city? You will now find a change in the trains you take.
This is because the MTA on Thursday introduced a new version of its modern R211 subway cars, one that features what is known as an “open gangway,” allowing passengers to move freely from one car to another.
The agency had invested $2 billion in new subway cars, and those launched Thursday represent some of them. The new cars debuted on the train’s C line in Upper Manhattan, which officials said was a decided choice.
MTA Transit President Richard Davey previously said the agency thought it made more sense to install the cars on trains that run local routes, rather than express routes. If there is a mechanical defect, the entire train must be removed from service. The MTA can’t simply repair a single car like it does with its older trains. That’s the negative.
The positive side is that travelers can easily move from one car to another. And there is more space. And, of course, they are new.
The carriages also have wider doors. Advocates say these help with overcrowding and also allow greater accessibility for passengers with wheelchairs or strollers.
“Wider doors and additional accessible seats will dramatically improve the experience for all passengers and, in particular, those with disabilities,” MTA accessibility director Quemuel Arroyo said in a statement in 2023. “Futures “Open gangway pilot cars will also allow customers with mobility devices or strollers the ability to move through a train like never before, and I’m excited to try out these new cars.”
The MTA previously said that an additional 437 cars with the open gangway design could be delivered in early 2025.
The first versions of the R211 cars debuted on A line trains in early 2023. The latest version with an open gangway is similar to what passengers see on the London Subway, Paris Metro or Boston T systems.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in the nation’s capital is also exploring cars with open walkways, it announced in early 2023.
2024-02-01 19:45:53
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