New subway cars still need repairs months after MTA pulled them off rails

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The MTA’s newest subway cars are slowly returning to the rails after unexpected mechanical problems with a key component: the gears that make the trains go. 

MTA officials confirmed that two out of seven of the modern trains known as R211s are still out of service. In October, I reported that six out of seven of the trains had been pulled for repairs just months after going into service. 

The MTA’s response to that initial story highlights how the agency’s public relations pros often respond to bad press: through obfuscation. 

Initially, an MTA spokesperson only confirmed there was an issue with some of the R211s traveling on the A line. But the spokesperson couldn’t say how many trains had been pulled out of service because of the “dynamic” situation. (Each of the trains cost $2.7 million, by the way.) 

Only after we published our initial story did New York City Transit President Richard Davey clarify that nearly all of the “cutting edge,” “top of the line” trains were already back at the train yard for repairs. 

The problem was in the gearbox, which makes the wheels on a train turn. If the steel wheels don’t turn, they drag. If they drag, the wheel becomes partially flattened. Distorted wheels make loud, clanking sounds that are probably familiar to the seasoned commuter. 

An expert at the MTA explained to me it’s not uncommon for new trains to have problems, even after all the testing. In 2020 the MTA pulled nearly 300 of its newest trains at that time because the doors weren’t shutting properly. 

Davey emphasized that the cars are still under warranty. The manufacturer of the trains will make the repairs, at no cost to taxpayers.

But there was one question he didn’t answer with specificity: When will the trains be fixed? All he could say was it should take weeks, but not months. Now it’s mid-December, and two of the newfangled trains are still being repaired.

This week in NYC transit news

• NJ Transit said service between Newark and Penn Station in Manhattan was delayed Thursday morning after a bull got onto the tracks near Newark Penn Station. Read more.
• Rail fans got the chance to snag train seats, master controllers, rare signage and even pieces from the discontinued Brightliner trains at the MTA's memorabilia sale. Read more.
• Traffic experts are warning that drivers with phony or defaced license plates that evade toll sensors could undermine congestion pricing’s goal of bringing in $1 billion a year. Read more.
• A 14-block stretch of 10th Avenue in Manhattan now has a wider bike lane and other safety improvements for cyclists and pedestrians. Read more.
• The MTA released a major redesign plan for the Queens bus network that would create 15 new routes and shorten wait times during daytime hours. Read more.
• Police this week arrested a suspect in connection with a November rush-hour shooting on a C train in Brooklyn. Read more.
• A cyclist is suing the city after the NYPD ticketed her for running a red traffic light — even though she had the right to cross the intersection with the pedestrian walk signal. (Streetsblog)
• New York City Transit confirmed last week that workers at the East New York bus depot were running buses indoors to stay warm because the heat wasn’t working at the facility. (THE CITY)

Curious Commuter

Question:

If I take the Triboro Bridge to 125th Street and park at 62nd Street, then I don’t have to pay for congestion pricing, right?
- Fontini, from Queens

Answer:

That’s exactly right, Fontini. If you want to avoid the congestion tolls while driving into Manhattan you must either remain north of 60th Street, or stay on either the FDR Drive, West Side Highway or Battery Park Underpass. But your question points to a concern among many uptown car owners who fear they’ll lose their streetside spaces as more people strategically park their cars just north of the congestion zone.

Have a question? Follow @Gothamist on Instagram for special opportunities and prompts to submit questions.
You can also email cguse@wnyc.org or snessen@wnyc.org with the subject line "Curious Commuter question."