The Metropolitan Transit Authority sidelined Staten Island’s latest prepare automobiles only one month after their debut — and it’s not clear when precisely they’ll be again on the tracks.
5 shiny, new blue-and-silver R211 automobiles are sitting within the yard of the MTA’s Clifton Maitenance store due to a problem with sign programs that was uncovered throughout routine testing, an MTA supply mentioned.
The difficulty comes as a blow to the rail system in “The Forgotten Borough,” with the automobiles a part of a $1.4 billion purchase that was alleged to improve Staten Island Railway’s antiquated automobiles.
“We’re very dedicated to Staten Island,” MTA CEO Janno Lieber instructed reporters Monday. “I do know it’s sport on the market to take photographs on the MTA, however we’re investing closely in Staten Island. We’re decided to guarantee that they’ve entry.”
The brand new automobiles are nonetheless below guarantee and repairs won’t price taxpayers, in line with an MTA spokesperson who couldn’t say when the brand new automobiles can be again in service.
“It’s not shocking that in the course of the preliminary roll out of any prepare automotive fleet, some programs would want consideration as was the case right here. We anticipate the R211’s to be on the rails as regular quickly,” the spokesperson mentioned.
The 5 automobiles have been a part of a 535 automotive order the MTA positioned with producer Kawasaki in 2018 value an estimated $1.4 billion – making every automotive value round $2.6 million.
They’re the primary of 75 for use on Staten Island’s rails to exchange many of the trains there, in line with the Staten Island Advance, which first reported on the difficulty.
When the automobiles launched MTA bragged in a press launch they might have “state-of-the-art facilities” like wider doorways for faster loading and unloading, and the automobiles have been a “vital half” of the MTA’s ongoing modernization efforts.
The brand new automobiles have been alleged to be six occasions extra dependable than automobiles within the present fleet and capable of journey a mean of 240,000 miles between replacements and main repairs, in line with the discharge.
In October 2022, the MTA introduced the MTA Board had accredited an order for a further 640 of the R211 subway automobiles.
The company pulled six new R211 rail automobiles out of service final 12 months in October because of tools issues that point simply months after the high-tech trains have been unveiled.
