Aging equipment and obsolete subway car fleets continue to plague the transit system of New York City. A recent report from State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli warns that frequent breakdowns and delays chip away at reliability even as the MTA invests in upgrades, reports Gothamist.

NYC Subway Car Problems Trigger Service Concerns
Photo: wikipedia

Subway Car Malfunctions and Growing Delays

The comptroller’s report revealed that equipment and infrastructure problems were the cause of 31% of subway delays in 2024, compared to 24% in the previous year. Old train defects, however, were behind the highest spike in significant disruptions.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

According to reports, 77 significant events were recorded in the first half of 2025, borne from defects in subway cars against 27 in the corresponding period in 2024. As such, outdated models on the E, F, and R lines are still especially vulnerable.

MTA’s Plans for Modernizing Subway Cars

MTA is ordering new trains and investing more than $10 billion in replacing outdated trains. Additionally, various maintenance facilities are set to be upgraded to accommodate newer trains, ensuring increased reliability in the long run and a reduction in disruptions for commuters.

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Concurrently, the plan allocates $5 billion to upgrades in the signaling system and $4 billion to new power infrastructure. But Comptroller DiNapoli pointed out that a benefit might not reach commuters for years, since major projects develop at a slow pace.

Prior audits revealed that many of the repair shops themselves are in disrepair. Therefore, in spite of record on-time performance improvements in 2025, long-term service quality relies on increased investment and speedy infrastructure project completion.

Fact Box: MTA’s Newest Subway Car Procurements

R211 (B Division)

  • Motorcycle
  • Delivery was begun in 2023, consisting of standard R211A cars, open-gangway R211T sets, and Staten Island Railway R211S units.
  • The total had reached 1,610 vehicles until mid-2024.

R262 (A Division)

  • Scheduled replacement of old R62 and R62A trains from the 1980s.
  • The 2025-2029 capital plan anticipates up to 1,140 vehicles (504 base order plus options).
  • Future deployment in the second half of the decade.

M-9A (LIRR and)

  • July 2025 contract with Alstom for €2 billion ($2.4 billion).
  • Total of 316 commuter rail cars acquired: 160 for the Long Island Rail Road and 156 for Metro-North Railroad.
  • Delivery begins in 2029 and continues until 2032.

Source: Reuters, MTA, Wikipedia (R211, R262).

NYC’s aging subway cars produce a range of issues.

Old subway train fleets cause breakdowns regularly, which lead to service disruptions and delays. Faulty trains were responsible for 77 major events in the first half of the year in 2025 alone.

How does the MTA reduce subway delays?

MTA invests billions in new trains, upgraded signals, and high-tech repair shops. But improvements won’t fully pay off for commuters for years because the projects are on such a grand scale.

Which are the lines most affected by equipment breakdowns?

As noted in the comptroller’s report, the E, F, and R lines had the highest breakdowns. Those lines are disproportionately reliant on old equipment and are thus particularly vulnerable to major service disruptions.

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