11/25/2025
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), joined by Gov. Kathy Hochul, has opened a first-of-its-kind Railcar Acceptance and Testing Facility in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, designed to accelerate the delivery of a new generation of subway cars to the U.S.’s largest public transit system.
The complex, delivered on time and $5.5 million under budget, will serve as the critical first stop for all new subway cars before they enter revenue service. Located near the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, the facility can receive railcars not only by truck or rail, but also by vessel—an uncommon capability in the U.S. transit landscape. Once delivered, individual cars are assembled into full trains, tested on-site, and then connected to the subway network for additional commissioning.
“Thanks to funding from congestion pricing and the MTA’s 2025–29 Capital Plan, we are making generational upgrades to our subway fleet,” said Gov. Hochul. “By streamlining the process needed to get these new cars on the rails and into service, this new facility will ensure that riders feel the benefits of a new and improved subway fleet faster than ever.”
This launch arrives at a pivotal moment. MTA is preparing to process more new rolling stock than at any point since systematic capital planning began decades ago, backed by an historic $68 billion capital program that includes the purchase of 1,500 new subway cars. The agency is already receiving modern R211 cars—which entered service in 2023 and feature wider doors, on-board security cameras, digital displays, additional accessible seating, and brighter lighting—and is planning for next-generation R268s. Altogether, the new fleet will replace aging R46 and R68 cars that have served New Yorkers for decades.
“Our historic $11 billion investment in rolling stock calls for a top-of-the-line new testing facility,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “Now we’re ready to start processing the 1,500+ rail cars included in the Capital Plan, no matter how they’re delivered—by land or by water.”
The facility represents more than fleet expansion; it is a milestone in how major transit capital projects are delivered. Leveraging design-build procurement and prefabricated components, the project team streamlined construction, reduced management overhead, and shortened the timeline. The result is the first brand-new, full-scale subway car facility built on a new property since Brooklyn’s Pitkin Yard opened in 1948—demonstrating how innovation in delivery can support innovation on the rails.
As New York prepares for modern railcars to join the system, the new Railcar Acceptance and Testing Facility stands as the gateway to a faster rollout, a better rider experience, and a modernized subway fleet built to serve millions daily. In an era of historic investment, this facility signals not just progress in infrastructure, but a renewed commitment to delivering those improvements quickly and efficiently to the riding public.
