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There’s been a major upgrade for the Staten Island Railway.
New subway cars now make up the entire fleet.
The first R211 cars rolled out late last year, and more arrived Friday.
New York City Transit say the R211 cars are replacing the old ones, which date back to 1973.
“As the former vice president of Staten Island Railway, it wasn’t all new cars two, three years ago. We had the R44 cars, which in their own right were great cars, but they were 50 years old, ” NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said.
The new train cars are equipped with security cameras, have automated announcements, and digital screens that display the train’s route.
“New rolling stock is a huge part of the MTA’s fully funded Capital Plan, and now Staten Island is the first borough to get a full fleet of R211S train cars,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “The new models not only look great, but they’re key to running more reliable service for the borough’s thousands of daily riders.”
The train car doors are eight inches wider than the previous models in order to speed up boarding.
“We are pleased that, after fifty years, the Staten Island Railway will finally be completely up-to-speed with the rest of the City,” said Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella. “The newer trains are a welcome development for safety, accessibility, and comfort when traveling. We will continue to support and advocate for modernizing our Staten Island Railway and putting our commuters first.”
Jesse Zanger is the managing editor of CBSNewYork.com. Jesse has previously worked for the Fox News Channel and Spectrum News NY1. He covers regional news around the Tri-State Area, with a particular focus on breaking news and extreme weather.
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©2025 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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