R262 (New York City Subway car)

The R262 is a proposed New Technology Train-series subway car for the New York City Subway. It is expected to replace the current R62 and R62A rolling stock, which are used on the subway's A Division and were built in the mid-1980s.

R262
Rendering of the proposed R262 cars
Rendering of the proposed interior of the R262
In service	2025–2030 (expected)
Manufacturer	TBA
Replaced	All R62s and R62As
Constructed	TBD
Number under construction	0 (504 proposed) (1364 with all options exercised)[1]
Number built	0
Number in service	TBD
Formation	Five-car sets (planned); Six-car sets (for the 42 Street Shuttle)
Fleet numbers	TBD
Operator(s)	New York City Subway
Specifications
Train length	5-car train: 255.2 feet (77.8 m) 6-car train: 306.24 feet (93.34 m) 10-car train: 510.4 feet (155.6 m)
Car length	51.04 feet (15.56 m)
Doors	6 sets of 58 inches (150 cm) wide side doors per car
Maximum speed	TBD
Traction system	TBD
Electric system(s)	600 V DC Third rail
Current collection method	Contact shoe
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge

Component orders

The R262 order is divided into a base order and two option orders. The base order consists of 504 cars, the first option order consists of 445 cars, and the second option order has up to 415 cars. The subway car order will entirely replace the R62 and R62A fleets, and the second option order will include up to 225 cars to support ridership growth and other operational needs.[2] The R262 order will consist of cars in 5-car sets for the mainline IRT and 6-car sets for the 42nd Street Shuttle.[lower-alpha 1] The base order and first option order (949 cars) will be funded in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s 2020-2024 Capital Program, while the second option order (up to 415 cars) will be funded in the future 2025–2029 Capital Program.[1]

Features

Alternate R262 interior rendering

The design of the R262 subway cars are based on the specifications of the R211T cars, which are being built for the B Division. They will have modern signage and communication, an ethernet network, updated crash energy management standards, and open-gangways that allow passengers to move between cars during train movement and increase train capacity. In addition, they will be equipped with communications-based train control (CBTC). Unlike the R211s, R262s will have additional audio induction loops for riders with hearing impairments.[1]

Like the R211s, the subway cars will have a blue front with large windows, LED headlights, and a blue strip with gold accents on the sides, similar to the new MTA Regional Bus Operations livery released in 2016. To designate the route, a large LED screen with the route bullet will be displayed at the ends of the train similar to trains with single rollsigns (R40 to R68); also, the route's destination will be displayed above the door on the front.[2]

History

On January 22, 2019, the MTA announced that it would order a fleet of approximately 1,500 subway cars in future capital programs so the agency could accelerate its plans to install CBTC on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line as part of the Fast Forward Plan. Since the 1,139 R62 and R62A subway cars do not have the necessary equipment and network infrastructure to become CBTC-equipped, the agency decided to order a new fleet of CBTC-equipped cars to outright replace them instead.[2][5]

On September 16, 2019, the MTA released its 2020–2024 Capital Program, which included funding to purchase approximately 900 A Division subway cars, with $1.5 billion to provided for a base order, and $1.4 billion for an option to purchase additional A Division cars. The document also stated that the production of additional A Division subway cars would be part of the future 2025–2029 Capital Program.[6]

In January 2020, the New York City Transit (NYCT) sent a request to the MTA Board, asking for permission to forgo competitive bidding for the contract and issue a request for proposals (RFP) for the order, which would now consist of 1,364 cars with all options exercised, instead of approximately 1,500 cars. In addition, NYCT asked the Board to approve a modification to the agency's contract with CH2M Hill New York for consulting services for the R211 subway car order, extending its term by a year so consulting services for the R262 order could be completed as under the same contract.[1] In late February 2020, the MTA issued the RFP,[7] with plans to award the contract in early 2021.[2]

Notes

1. With the exception of the 7 train and the 42nd Street Shuttle, all A Division services operate 10-car trains, consisting of two 5-car sets. Since the number of subway cars in the base order, 504, is not evenly divided by 5, it is clear that a portion of this order will consist of trains in 6-car sets to replace the 22 R62A cars in service on the 42nd Street Shuttle,[3] which as part of its renovation, will operate with 6-car trains, as opposed to 3- and 4-car trains at present.[4]

References

1. "New York City Transit Committee Meeting January 2020". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. January 17, 2020. p. 283-284, 287-288. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
2. "Capital Program Oversight Committee Meeting January 2020". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. January 2020. p. 78-79. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
3. Dougherty, Peter (2018). Tracks of the New York City Subway 2018 (PDF). nyctrackbook.com (16th ed.). Dougherty. pp. xlii. OCLC 1056711733. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 5, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
4. "Memorandum of Agreement Between Federal Transit Administration New York State Historic Preservation Office New York City Transit Authority Regarding the Times Square Shuttle Station During Contract A-35302, The Reconfiguration of the Times Square Shuttle Station, SHPO Project #17PR00545" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. April 25, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 25, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
5. "Capital Program Oversight Committee Meeting January 2019" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. January 2019. p. 22, 25. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
6. "MTA Capital Program 2020-2024". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 16, 2019. p. 21, 55, 56, 185. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
7. "MTA issues request for proposals for up to 949 new metro cars". International Railway Journal. February 25, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2020.