See the first new trains set to debut on the Staten Island Railway this year
When it comes to New York City boroughs, Staten Island often gets left out of conversations, and its old transit system is no exception. The Staten Island Railway, which crosses the entire island and is an essential part of many of its residents’ day-to-day lives, hasn’t gotten any new train cars in fifty years.
That’s about to change, though: new train cars made by Kawasaki, the MTA’s primary manufacturer, are going to be tested on the railway starting in mid-August if everything goes according to plan.
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The new trains are going to be the R211 models that are also replacing several of the old trains in the other boroughs. Out of the MTA’s 400 R211 orders, 75 are going to the Staten Island Railway, per the MTA.
The new cars feature 58-inch-wide door openings—eight inches wider than the older cars common throughout the system—which will make boarding and exiting the cars easier and more efficient, especially during rush hours.
These new models also include more accessible seating options, digital displays, and brighter signage and lighting.
“The R211 cars are a welcomed upgrade to the Staten Island Railway, which has maintained its 70ss design and operational abilities since the current R44 cars entered service in 1973,” said Assembly Member Sam Pirozzolo in an official statement. “I hope Staten Islanders enjoy this modernized experience, and I look forward to seeing them in action.”
The MTA still doesn’t know when, exactly, the Staten Island public will be able to hop on these shiny new train cars, but the full 75-piece order is expected to be delivered by the end of the year. They still need to be tested throughout the summer and fall before they officially replace the current R44s, which were created in the 1970s.
Although confirmation that the trains are finally going to be put on the track in August is good news, the delivery is actually already two years late, which the MTA blamed on delays by the manufacturing company, as reported by Gothamist.
The first cars were delivered to Staten Island in October of last year and have been sitting in a storage facility on the island since then.
Some Council Members have opposed the addition of these new trains on Staten Island, considering potential budget cuts by Governor Kathy Hochul, and have called for more of them to be added to the C line that runs across the other, more populated boroughs.
Regardless of how many of the new trains end up in Staten Island, they’ll be a welcome addition to the borough’s crumbling transit system.
Considering the MTA’s messy track record and painfully slow improvements, “better late than never” definitely applies here.