The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on March 19 reported seeking proposals from railcar manufacturers for what it described as its “largest subway car contract in history” with a base order of 1,140 cars to replace the R62 and R62A fleets operating on New York City Transit’s (NYCT) 1, 3, 6 lines, and if an option to purchase the additional 1,250 cars is exercised, to replace the R142 and R142A cars on the 2, 4, 5 lines. In total, the contract includes 2,390 model R262 cars for the “A” (numbered) Division, which MTA said was more cars than the Chicago Transit Authority and Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority subway fleets combined. Proposals are due Sept. 8, 2026, and a contract is expected to be awarded by early 2028. The contract will be funded by MTA’s $68 billion 2025-29 Capital Plan. The purchase also includes funds made available through the 2020-2024 Capital Plan, which is supported by congestion pricing revenues, according to MTA. The transit agency said its RFP (Request for Proposals) outlines that the future order will contain a “to be determined” number of open gangway cars, which would be a first on the A Division. It also outlines “technical specifications that are designed to enhance efficiency, security, performance, and the customer experience.” These include “higher quality announcement systems, assistive listening devices that allow hearing-impaired passengers to connect to personal devices, like hearing aids.” Efficiency upgrades, it noted, include installation of automatic passenger counting (APC) system and electric braking control…
