This column originally appeared in On The Way, a weekly newsletter covering everything you need to know about NYC-area transportation. Sign up to get the full version in your inbox every Thursday.
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.
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."
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New subway cars still need repairs months after MTA pulled them off rails - Gothamist
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