The MTA’s new R211 subway cars have officially arrived on the Staten Island Railway (SIR), bringing the agency’s newest rolling stock to the often-overlooked 14-mile transit line on The Rock.
MTA officials took the inaugural ride on the R211S, specially designed for the SIR, out of St. George Terminal on Tuesday. The cars will run in service for a month-long pilot before more are expected to be rolled out.
The new railcars entering service will replace the R44, the oldest rolling stock in the entire MTA portfolio, which has glided on Staten Island’s tracks since 1973. New York City Transit president Demetrius Crichlow said the cars are expected to have six times better reliability than the R44.
“These beautiful new train cars are a major investment in transit on Staten Island,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber in a statement. “Between the train and the 56 bus routes, we take great pride in the service the team delivers to help make Staten Island a great place to live.”
The R211 has run on the A line since last March, while the “open gangway” version has run on the C since February.
When the R44 finally goes the way of the dodo, the oldest rolling stock in the system will be the R46, introduced in 1975 and still running on the A, C, N, Q, and W lines.
