MTA purchases 316 M-9A passenger railcars
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Finance Committee approved the purchase of 316 M-9A passenger railcars, with 160 cars being allocated to the Long Island Rail Road’s (LIRR) fleet and 156 for Metro-North Railroad.
“New Yorkers deserve a fast, reliable and comfortable transit system. We are delivering that today through the purchase of modern railcars for the LIRR and Metro-North fleets,” said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. “The commuter rails are a lifeline for riders in one of the world’s largest and busiest transit systems—this is how we continue to achieve record on-time performance”
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber added, “We’re looking to buy almost 2,000 rail cars as part of the new Capital Plan—$10.9 billion worth—and this 300-plus order gets us off to a strong start. I want to thank Gov. Hochul for her work to secure the funding that made it possible.”
According to the MTA, pilot cars will be delivered by Alstom Transportation in 2029 and first enter LIRR passenger service in 2030. All cars will be delivered by 2032. The M-9A cars are needed to replace Metro-North's M-3 cars that are beyond their service life and allow the LIRR to retire its M-3 cars, whose service has been extended to support the opening of Grand Central Madison. These railcars will operate in LIRR electric territories and on the Metro-North Hudson and Harlem lines.
“Thanks to record on-time performance and increased service with the opening of Grand Central Madison, LIRR ridership continues to explode,” said LIRR President Rob Free. “Our customers deserve modern railcars, which will result in even more reliable service and improve the customer experience for years to come.”
Metro-North Railroad President Justin Vonashek added, “I’m excited for our customers to experience even more reliable service when the M-9A railcars join our fleet. We are committed to providing the best customer experience every day on every ride on Metro-North."
MTA says the purchase of the railcars builds on its ongoing efforts to modernize its entire fleet of rolling stock. The M-9A cars feature glass windows, USB charging ports and accessibility improvements, including automatic doors for bathrooms.
