New Subway Cars Phased Into Uptown A-Train Service: Security Cameras

UPPER MANHATTAN, NY — Upper Manhattanites that ride the A train will now be greeted with a new type of subway car that comes with wider doors, security cameras, and digital screens.

The R211 subway cars were introduced Friday into service on the A-train line. It is the first time in five years that a new type of subway car fleet has been introduced in the New York City transit system.

“The new cars are going to give our riders a more modern passenger experience, so riding the subway no longer feels like a step into the past,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber, in a news release. “We’re investing over $6 billion in new train cars as part of the historic $55 billion MTA Capital Program and it’s not just for aesthetics, because these new train cars enable us to run more frequent service.”

The new subway car models that will be phased into A-train service feature 58-inch wide door openings that are eight inches wider than standard door openings on cars, which are designed to speed up boarding and reduce the amount of time trains sit in stations.

The new models are part of a 535-car order of the R211a model, which includes 440 cars with the new amenities, 15 Staten Island Railway five-car trains, and 20 cars with the open gangway feature.

“Modernizing our system is the right step to ensure we are providing accessible service that competes on an international scale," Council Member Carmen De La Rosa said in a news release. "The train is the Washington Heights and Inwood connection to the rest of the city and we are excited to be some of the first riders of the new R211 model trains."