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R160A (New York City Subway car)

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R160A (New York City Subway car)
An R160A M train enters Hewes Street.
Constructed2006-Onward
Number built760 cars(delivery in progress)
Specifications
Car length60.21 feet (18.35 m)
Doors8 per car
Braking system(s)Dynamic braking propulsion system; WABCO friction braking system

The R160A is a class of 760 New York City Subway cars being built by Alstom Transportation. The R160A base order is part of a $961,687,121 contract funded in part by a grant from the Federal Transit Administration. The R160 is designed to operate on the New York City Transit Authority's lettered lines ("B" Division), and intended to replace older subway cars. Some of these older subway cars have been in service since 1964. The primary base order of the R160 class consists of 660 cars. The order was broken into R160A and R160B classes because the cars are being built by different manufacturers.

Alstom is assembling 760 R160A cars at its manufacturing plant in Hornell, New York. Kawasaki is assembling 520 R160B cars at its plant in Yonkers, New York.[1]

The R160A base order of 400 cars (8313-8712) is further broken down into two different sets. R160A-1 sets are built in 4-car sets and are running on the BMT's Eastern Division (the J, L, M, and Z services) because the platform lengths where these services operate cannot accommodate longer trains. The R160A-2 sets are built in five-car sets.

Currently, as of October 2008, R160A-1s are running on the J, L, M and Z services. [2][3][4][5] R160A-1s 8313-8652 and R160A-2s 8653-8692 have been delivered so far.[6] R160A-1s 8313-8652 [1] are in service. R160A-2s 8653-8662 are currently in service, while 8663-8692 are currently undergoing testing of the F line. If all succeeds, these cars will enter service, and the R32 Phase I retirement will commence. See article about new R160A-2's being tested in non revenue service on the F line http://lostnewyorkcity.blogspot.com/2008/10/new-f-is-coming.html

On July 25, 2007, the MTA had ordered 360 additional R160As, part of the option order.[7] These cars are to arrive by 2009.

Features

One of the major changes and highlights of the new cars is the addition of the electronic "FIND" (Flexible Information and Notice Display) display, which includes an LCD screen displaying the route, route information and advertisements, and a tri-color (red, yellow, green) LED strip map which displays the next ten stations, plus five consecutive "further stations" to riders. There will be three of these in every car. The display updates the stations at every stop, also giving the number of stops to each station listed, and replaces a plastic card which had a set route and stations printed on, which was used in the R142, R142A/S, and R143 cars. This allows instant route or line changes with the correct information, which includes, but is not limited to, omitting of certain stops.

The R160A also feature unique door motors, which are not featured on the R160B. When the doors are opening and closing, they emit a whirring sound, similar to the M7 units found on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North.

Each R160A and R160B car is being purchased for $1.3 million USD.

Production problems

Alstom has encountered significant production problems since being awarded the base contract. In July 2005, Alstom missed its contractual deadline to deliver a 10-car test train, which arrived five months late in December, to the New York City Transit Authority. Alstom requested three additional months to deliver the test train. In addition, the Transit Authority rejected several car shells made in a plant in Lapa, Brazil, near São Paulo, after discovering welding defects. [8]

Delivery problems

Alstom is also behind on its delivery schedule. Alstom was to have delivered 200 out of the 400 car base order by September 2007. However, by that month, Alstom had only delivered 80 cars. [9] Under the base contract, Alstom agreed to pay damages of $800 a day for late deliveries of four-car trains, and $1,000 a day for five-car trains. However, the Transit Authority has not yet fined Alstom for its late deliveries and was negotiating with Alstom to accelerate their delivery schedule. The 200 cars were delivered 7 months late in early April. As of October 2008, Alstom has delivered 380 cars. Alstom has to send 20 cars left for the base order to be complete.

See also

References

  1. ^ MTA Press Release #24 2002
  2. ^ http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?90198
  3. ^ http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?70750
  4. ^ http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?85997
  5. ^ http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?77077
  6. ^ http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?91743
  7. ^ http://www.nycsubway.org/cars/r160.html
  8. ^ "New York Times".
  9. ^ "New York Post".
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