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By many considered the very emblem of the NYC underground transportation system, the orange and yellow subway seats that pepper many of the currently in-use trains will officially be retired in 2025. The MTA recently announced its plans to replace all of its R46, R62/62A and R68/R68A cars with new R211/R211S trains in the new year, as laid out in its 2025/2029 capital plan, titled "The Future Rides with Us."
More specifically, the agency is looking to upgrade car models that are over 40 years old, 1,700 of which are still in use, according to an MTA representative that spoke to PIX11 News. The spokesperson also noted that, on average, the older trains break down six times as often as newer ones.
At the moment, folks riding these to-be-swapped cars are usually taking the F, N, Q, B, 1, 3 and 6 lines, so if your daily commute involves those subways in specific, get ready for a revamped experience in the new year.
In case you're looking for a preview of what's to come, we remind you that the new, high-tech R211 and R211S cars are already running on both the A and C lines: they're the ones with blue and gold seats, featuring security camera, digital displays and wider doors.
What's more, the upcoming subway cars will also be compatible with the CBTC signaling system, hopefully leading to more reliable and faster train times.
Given the plethora of improvements that our transportation system is in dire need of, this feels like a small win—but we're certainly on the right track (see what we did there?).