The open gangway subway trains are an exciting sight on the C line — in no small part because they’re so rare. The MTA has just two of the trains, which went into service earlier this year. They do not have doors between cars, providing a more spacious feel and allowing riders to stretch their legs if they please.
Most C train cars date back to the 1970s. Riders on the line have a roughly 1 in 9 chance to catch one of the open gangway models during peak periods, according to the MTA. In fact, the fancy new cars make up less than one-third of a percent of the MTA’s entire subway fleet.
They’re the unicorns of New York’s transit system – and riders shouldn’t expect more of them any time soon.
The MTA ordered the open gangway trains as part of a larger purchase of subway cars in 2018. The goal was to see how the doorless cars, which are common in subway lines in London and Paris, would work in New York City.
That testing process hasn’t been without some hitches. We previously reported on an MTA memo stating the open gangway trains would only run on the C line. The trains had previously been planned to run on the A line, but there were logistical issues involving safety protocols along the express tracks. (The MTA has disputed the significance of the memo).
In 2022, the agency ordered another batch of cars — called R211s — but didn’t buy any more open gangways.
MTA spokesperson Kayla Shults said the R211s “have all the same exact features as the open gangway train sets except for the gangways.” Those features include wider doors, digital displays and security cameras. Those cars are primarily used on the A line. Shults pointed out that A train riders have a roughly 60% chance of boarding a shiny new car, as opposed to a clunky old bruiser.
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Question from Ralph in Queens
When will the N line be getting newer subway cars?
Answer
The MTA will need modern train cars to make good on its plan to update the signal system on the stretch of tracks that carry the N and W trains in Astoria. But that project lost its funding when Gov. Kathy Hochul paused congestion pricing in June.
The MTA tells On The Way there is no timeline for phasing out the old cars on the N line. This is not great news for riders on train cars that are four decades old, with a color scheme that has Nixonian vibes.