MTA's New Subway Cars Open For Tours

NEW YORK, NY — New York City's aging subway cars are struggling to hold the millions of people who ride them every day. It'll be another three years before the MTA replaces them, but you can take a look at the subway of the future starting Thursday.

The MTA is opening a prototype of the new R211 train car for public viewing from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6 at the 34th Street-Hudson Yards station in Manhattan. The trains, set to hit the rails in 2020, feature wider doors and an "open gangway" design that lets straphangers move freely between cars.

Once you take a look, tell the MTA what you think. Transit authority workers will help riders fill out surveys at the 34th Street station. The MTA will also collect feedback on its website, Facebook and Twitter.

The new cars are designed to prevent overcrowding, one of the prime causes of frequent subway delays. They'll eventually get rolled out on the lettered subway lines and the Staten Island Railway.

You can tour the prototype car at the Hudson Yards station Thursday to next Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

(Lead image: A rendering of the "open gangway" subway cars the MTA plans to test on New York City subways. Image from the MTA)