The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the public transport authority serving the New York metropolitan area, is seeking manufacturers to supply 252 new railcars for Metro-North Railroad. The contract also includes an option for an additional 377 railcars, which could support future network expansions. 
The procurement concerns single-level passenger coaches and marks Metro-North’s first order for this type of rolling stock in several decades. The initial fleet will replace ageing Shoreliner coaches built during the 1980s and 1990s, currently operating on the Hudson and Harlem lines.
These vehicles account for around 23% of Metro-North’s active passenger fleet. Funding is provided through the MTA’s 2025–2029 Capital Plan, which allocates USD 68 billion for transport system modernisation.
USD 6 billion allocated to Metro-North modernisation
The MTA capital programme includes USD 12 billion for new rolling stock across the wider network, including USD 6 billion dedicated to Metro-North for passenger coach renewal and infrastructure upgrades.
Metro-North Railroad operates suburban rail services north of New York City, serving key commuter corridors in New York State and Connecticut. The network carries more than 250,000 passengers daily.
“It is time to modernise the Metro-North passenger experience with more modern and reliable railcars,” said Janno Lieber, Chair and CEO of the MTA. He added that the procurement process is designed to encourage manufacturers to deliver equipment “faster, better and more cost-effectively than in the past”.
The base order will replace the current Shoreliner fleet, which has been in service since the 1980s. According to the MTA, the new vehicles are intended to provide greater passenger comfort while offering operators more flexible and reliable equipment capable of remaining in service for the next four decades.
Jessica Lazarus, MTA Chief of Rolling Stock Programmes, said replacing the ageing coaches would provide Metro-North passengers with “the comfortable and convenient journey they deserve”, while giving operators modern equipment for the next 40 years.
She noted that the new tender structure demonstrates the authority’s intention to attract a broader range of rolling stock manufacturers capable of meeting MTA’s stringent safety and performance requirements.
Accessibility, Wi-Fi and onboard surveillance
The contract covers three types of vehicles: cab cars with toilets, trailer cars with toilets and trailer cars without toilets. Each coach will provide approximately 100 seats.
Technical specifications focus on improving reliability, accessibility, safety and the overall passenger experience. The new railcars will feature two wheelchair spaces per vehicle, ADA-compliant accessible toilets, enhanced passenger announcement systems, digital information displays, onboard Wi-Fi, device charging points, bicycle and luggage storage areas, and CCTV systems.
The coaches will be fully compatible with Metro-North locomotives and suitable for operation across the existing network as well as any future extensions.
MTA is also seeking to improve fleet reliability. The current coaches achieve an average distance between failures of around 430,000 miles (692,000 km), while the new fleet is expected to reach 570,000 miles (917,000 km).
This indicator measures how far a vehicle can operate before requiring unscheduled repairs or maintenance. For Metro-North’s more than 250,000 daily passengers, improved reliability is expected to translate into more dependable services.
Manufacturers have until October 2026 to submit bids. MTA expects to award the contract in early 2027, with the first new railcars scheduled to enter service in 2029.
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