Replacement Train Cars For C, J, Z Lines Won’t Come Until 2022, Says MTA

It turns out that those replacement train cars for the C, J, and Z lines that the MTA said would be available by 2017/2018 won’t be ready until 2022 now, reportedly due to a delay from the manufacturer.

According to a budget report referenced in the New York Daily News, the manufacturer, Bombardier, will not be able to supply the new cars in time to meet the initial timetable: “This retirement will need to be delayed until 2022 due to delays in the delivery of (new) R179 replacement cars,”the document said.

This delay might be cause to drop and replace the manufacturer, stated MTA board member Andrew Albert — although we’re not sure how feasible it would be to do so and still expect speedy return on the product in the goal timetable.

However, MTA spokesperson Adam Lisberg told the Daily News expressed optimism that the worry might not be for naught and that “the new cars are planned to arrive in 2018 and the agency will “hopefully” start replacing the aging fleet on the C and J/Z lines then. But riders would still be stuck with them on other lines until 2022, he said.”

it has been 60 years since the C line got new train cars — stainless steel “Brightliners” also known by their model number, the R-32s — and nothing about them has changed since. In the meantime, demand and congestion have increased as the population has increased, and wait-times — particularly at stations such as Clinton-Washington and Kingston Throop — have risen by 10 percent and 6.5 percent, respectively, between 2012 and 2013.

Ironically, the News notes that:

. . . according to an audit from the state comptroller’s office, in 2014, the old trains were the city’s least delayed, except for the shuttles. The most delayed was the 4 train, followed closely by the 6. The L, like the C and J/Z was exceptionally punctual.