STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The Staten Island Railway is one step closer to a full upgrade, as a majority of the new train cars have arrived on the borough’s lone rail line — however some riders are concerned about a lack of seating.
The MTA recently confirmed that 60 of the 75 R211S cars destined for Staten Island are currently in use on the Staten Island Railway. In total, 75 R211S cars were ordered to replace the R44 subway cars that make up the bulk of the Staten Island Railway’s fleet.
“I would say it’s harder to get a seat, because there’s definitely less seats … I guess the lack of seats for people who need to sit is probably not the best,” said Selena Cuevas of Pleasant Plains, referring to the new cars.
Natalya B. of New Dorp, who requested her last name not be used, said that the “very clear announcements” are helpful on the new trains, because riders know which stop is next, “but in terms of space for seating there’s much, much less.”
The R211S design got rid of the L-shaped seating arrangement that had seats perpendicular to the windows.
A spokesperson for the MTA confirmed that while the older R44 train cars have more seating than the newer models, it’s at the expense of available standing room.
However, one rider said the new cars feel more packed with the number of people standing.
The newer R211 cars, the spokesperson said, offer improved circulation and better arrangements for standing and leaning. Also, the MTA spokesperson pointed out that R211 trains consist of five cars while R44s have four.
The MTA spokesperson said that the older cars will be kept around as part of a “best practice” when rolling stock is upgraded.
“It is best practice in the industry to keep older cars, in this case R44 cars, available for a few years whenever a new fleet is introduced,” the spokesperson said.
The new cars feature wider doors — eight inches more than the current MTA standard of a 50-inch opening — a change that allows straphangers to board and exit the train more quickly and reduce station stop times by up to 32%, according to the transit agency.
In addition, digital information displays are included in all the train cars to provide real-time, location-specific information. New handrails, featuring double-poles, have been installed to improve conditions for standing passengers.
Lighting on the inside of the R211S has been upgraded, and MTA officials said the new cars provide a faster, smoother ride.
“It’s good, and [the new cars] are clean, because they’re so new,” said Natalya B.
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