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The future of NYC's subway system is here!
The first five subway cars of the R211 fleet, you know, the ones with the open gangways, have arrived and the MTA officially showed them off to the public this week.
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When they eventually run on lettered lines next summer, they will bring about quicker boarding, according to the MTA.
Kawasaki, the company producing the R211 cars, has also designed them to have brighter, more colorful real-time information displays and advertisements, illuminated door opening alerts and security cameras.
Eventually, 20 of these cars will have the open gangway, an accordion-like connector that allows riders to move freely between them like a long, moving hallway. These apparently reduce crowding and distribute passenger loads more evenly throughout the train. This design has already been implemented in other cities like London and Tokyo.
While it's certainly futuristic, it also means you won't be able to hop between cars to escape Showtime, a swampy smell and or an aggressive character. And when there's the unavoidable subway surfing rat, how will the new cars handle a stampede of frightened riders? Will peering down the lengthy gangway instill existential dread or ease our claustrophobia? We want to know.
"Today is an exciting day for everyone in the Department of Subways," said Demetrius Crichlow, Acting Senior Vice President for the Department of Subways at New York City Transit. "The impact for customers is going to be huge once we complete testing and get these on the rails. Our riders will experience enhancements to the ridership experience with expanded doors that will help speed up boarding time. I can't wait for customers to experience the R211 experience starting next summer."
MTA posted a first-look TikTok on Thursday, saying the cars are ready for their "modernized" signal system...
@mta An exclusive look inside our brand new car class 😌
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