The primary of 4 state-of-the-art subway trains went into service on the G practice Tuesday, a considerable improve for the cross-borough line connecting Brooklyn and Queens.
The practice — which was taken out of service on the C line to be able to be deployed on the G line — is without doubt one of the few within the system to have a so-called “open gangway” design, wherein all 5 automobiles are linked by way of an articulated part and passengers can transfer freely between them.
The design, recognized internally because the “R211T,” was first examined on the C line final yr.
NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow stated Tuesday that the design was significantly suited to the G practice, the place shorter trains cease in the midst of lengthy platforms.
The MTA started operating “open gangway” subway automobiles on the G line on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, bringing state-of-the-art rolling inventory to the interborough line. (Evan Simko-Bednarski / New York Every day Information)
“Everyone that’s taken the G train knows the experience of hustling down the platform to make that train,” Crichlow stated. “You get to the last car of the train, and then the train is just a little bit crowded in that one last car.
“No more,” he stated. “Open gangways are open from end to end.”
Tuesday additionally marks the primary time that an open gangway automobile was put into passenger service alongside a line with a big elevated portion. Proponents of the design say open gangway automobiles may scale back incidents of subway browsing by eliminating easy accessibility to the practice’s exterior.
A second five-car R211T practice is scheduled to start operating on the G line on Wednesday, and one other two are due in service by June — all taken from the 2 10-car trains which have up till now been operating on the C line.
The MTA started operating “open gangway” subway automobiles on the G practice Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Evan Simko-Bednarski / New York Every day Information)
Collectively, the 4 five-car trains will account for almost a 3rd of the 13 trains that usually put on the inexperienced “G” bullet.
However whereas a 3rd of the G practice fleet is about to quickly be modernized, the remaining 9 will proceed to be a few of the oldest in operation.
Crichlow stated Tuesday that the MTA remains to be attempting to find a mysterious monitor defect that’s been sporting out the wheels on R160 practice automobiles operating on the E, F and R traces.
For the reason that G line is predicted to proceed utilizing its older signaling system for at the least one other two years, the MTA has been operating older R46 and R68 practice units to release R160s for the E, F and R traces.
The brand new “open gangway” subway automobiles on the G practice will assist even out passenger crowding within the automobiles, based on the MTA. (Evan Simko-Bednarski / New York Every day Information)
In January, transit officers stated the measure was momentary, and that the R160 automobiles could be again on the G by the top of March. Crichlow stated Tuesday that that was unlikely.
“The plan at this point is just to introduce the two R211 open gangway [trains] and then within the next two months you’ll have an additional two trains,” he stated. “Then the goal is, over the next capital program, the [new] R211s that we will be getting, a portion of them will come to the G line.”
The choice to ship all 20 of the MTA’s open gangway automobiles to the G practice means they’ll now not be working on the C line, at the least till extra arrive. The transit company introduced final yr that it had ordered 80 extra R211Ts as a part of a 435-car buy choice from train-builder Kawasaki.
Conventional “closed gangway” R211A automobiles presently make up the majority of service on the A and C traces.
Initially Printed: March 4, 2025 at 4:03 PM EST
