The R262 - The largest subway replacement car order in NYC history

Back in March, the MTA announced their ambitious plan to replace virtually the entire A-division fleet (which consists of the numbered lines and the 42 St Shuttle), with the exception being the R188s on the 7. The annoucement came at a press conference in which they annouced an RFP for proposals from manufacturers, with submissions due in September. 

The base order is 1,140 subway cars, which is just enough to replace the aging R62 and R62A subway cars (which currently run on the 1, 3, and 6 lines). Bidding started on April 30th, and it's expected to continue until 2028, when a contract will be awarded. The order will contain a mixture of regular "closed-end" R262s and open-gangway R262OGs. There is also an additional option for another 1,250 cars to fully retire the R142 and R142A cars (which run on the 2, 4, and 5 lines) as well, which would in total add up to 2,390 cars, making it easily the largest subway car order in New York's history.

The annoucement came as a shock to many, considering the time we have with the R142 & R142a cars (some of the most beloved cars in the system by many) which aren't even 30 years old, and aren't in need of replacement, has now become limited. Many have questioned these NTTs early retirement, and the answer is purely the cost. It would be extremely expensive to outfit the entire R142/A fleet with CBTC, and with the speed of the MTA, by the time the first R262s arrive in New York, the oldest R142s will already be over 40 years old, and will be ready for replacement anyway. With that being said, it's just not economically practical to overhaul all these cars that will be on their way out soon anyway. 

Additionally, while it could be argued (probably by me) that considering a decent handful of the R142A's have already been retrofitted with CBTC to run on the IRT Flushing Line, the MTA could likely do it again, for a decent price, it's also important to realize that it may be for other reasons as well. For example, it may be for the increased capacity offered by open-gangway trains on the 2/4/5/6. During rush hours, the Lexington Av line has always been known for being one of the most overcrowded lines in the system, and the 2 in particular is known for being crushloaded past 96 St. And while they could likely buy enough R262s for the 2/4/5/6, and send the remaining R142/R142A's to the 1, 3, and 6, it's likely that the MTA would rather begin the procurement process now rather than wait until their 40, end up in procurement hell, and end up having to deal with constant breakdowns and service reductions all the way until the end.

However, with that being said, I would like to emphasize that it's not like the R142As will be gone next year. The truth is it's safe to say the R142/A's won't be going anywhere anytime soon. The first of the option cars likely won't arrive into New York until the early to mid 2030s at best, and full delivery likely won't conclude until the early to mid 2040s, therefore we still have a lot of time with them. Officials have said that once the delivery process begins, the MTA is likely to receive 30 cars per month, as part of the giant capital program secured by $68 billion in funds. 

The renderings for the R262 honestly look pretty sexy. The cars look very furtustic looking, and while I'm not the largest fan of the R211's design, it will be a modern touch for a system which has some of the oldest infrastructure in the world. The R262 will feature high quality electric couplers to support improved audio, listening devices, hearing aids, and digital signage. They will also feature dynamic and regenerative braking, which will feed energy generated from braking back into the third rail, saving tons of energy, and making these cars some of the most ECO-friendly in NYC. 

Additionally, these cars will feature modern signage and will be equipped with CBTC, allowing for installation of the modern signalling system along the highly congested Seventh Avenue (1/2/3) and Lexington Avenue Lines (4/5/6). In all, this order is monumental for New York, and as MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber put it "it's more cars than all the cars in Chicago Transit Authority and Boston MBTA combined." It's a huge order, one that will define how the subway looks for decades to come. But it's also not a bad thing; standardization makes everything easier, and having one car type is much easier for maintenance related purposes, however, I should note that should an issue arise with the cars, it becomes a much more cumbersome issue to deal with.

In conclusion, this order is the future of NYC Transit. This one order will completely shape the system as a whole for decades to come, opening the door for improvements such as CBTC which will greately improve service and reliability. What we are seeing now are the subway cars that will lead the A division for the next 40-50 years, which is a crazy amount of time when you think about it. Once all is said and done, and all R262s are on the property the system won't look anything like it does today. All remaining SMEEs will be retired, with only a very small handful remaining for garbage and work duty, and the R142 and R142A  cars will join them on a farm somewhere upstate with all the other retired trains to frolic and play together for eternity.