The transport operator for New York City and its metropolitan area, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has launched a RFP for the largest contract for new metro cars in its history.
The project, part of the MTA’s 2025–2029 strategy, includes an agreement for 2,390 new metro cars for New York, with a firm order for 1,140 units. These will replace the R62 and R62A fleet operating on lines 1, 3, and 6.
If the option for the additional purchase of 1,250 cars is exercised, they will be used to replace the R142 and R142A trains on lines 2, 4, and 5.
Proposals are due by September 8, 2026, and the contract is expected to be awarded by early 2028.
“Thousands of new metro cars providing better service and a more reliable commute for millions of people every day—that’s what we can achieve when we fully invest in public transit. We are in the midst of a public transit renaissance in New York, with growing ridership, the best service in a generation, and historic investments to modernize the backbone of our city,” said Governor Hochul.
With the purchase of 2,390 new metro cars, New York ranks first compared to other major U.S. cities, such as Chicago and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, which operates in Boston and its metropolitan area.
The new metro trains will be funded through the MTA’s 2025–2029 Strategy and also include funds available through the 2020–2024 Capital Plan, supported by revenue from congestion pricing.
This includes investments of over 68 billion EUR, and the historic contract for new metro cars is a huge step toward implementing the strategy and increasing the appeal of public transit.
This historic contract could replace up to 36.4% of the entire train fleet, given that the base order alone accounts for 17.3%. The entire metro fleet consists of 6,574 cars.
The new trains will significantly improve reliability, with a higher mean distance between failures (MDBF)—a measure of how long a car can operate without issues, repairs, or maintenance. The R262 model has an MTBF requirement of 200,000 miles, compared to the 89,000-mile average of the R62/R62A cars. This modernization will reduce the number of issues passengers encounter on the route and minimize the time cars are out of service.
The last major metro car procurement contract awarded by the MTA prior to the current tender was for 378 modern R268-type cars, which were awarded to manufacturer Kawasaki Rail Car. This order, approved in October 2025, is part of the 2025–2029 Capital Plan and aims to replace the outdated R68 and R68A cars.
Previously, MTA also ordered R211 cars, also built by Kawasaki Rail Car, under successive contracts for the modernization of the train fleet.
Kawasaki is MTA’s most recent supplier of metro cars, and its contracts include scheduled deliveries from 2028 through 2030.
The launch of the bidding process follows the February announcement, when MTA CEO Janno Lieber, appointed Jessie Lazarus to lead a new organization responsible for the MTA’s rolling stock strategy, ensuring a focus on procurement and lifecycle costs for the MTA’s most strategic assets, including buses, metro cars, and commuter rail trains. As head of the new Rolling Stock Program, Lazarus and his team are managing the procurement of all metro trains, buses, and commuter rail trains, including the $12 billion USD investment in the 2025–2029 Capital Plan to replace the MTA’s aging fleet.
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