The R211 subway cars were ordered as part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s ongoing modernization efforts, and cars were initially planned for the A and C lines and the Staten Island Railway.
The subway cars were manufactured by Yonkers, New York-based Kawasaki Rail Car Inc., a wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of Kawasaki Rail Car Manufacturing Co. Ltd., in Lincoln, Nebraska and Yonkers, New York.
The Lincoln facility will manufacture the car body structure and install interior equipment. The Lincoln and Yonkers facilities will perform final assembly and function testing.
In October 2022, the MTA announced Board approval to order an additional 640 R211 subway cars, bringing the total number of new subway cars to 1,175 within the next two years. This second set of new subway cars was expected to be delivered in early 2025.
At the time, officials said that if testing was successful, a second option for an additional 437 cars could feature open gangways.
In March 2023, the MTA announced that the standard R211 subway cars are being phased into service on the A subway line.
Officials launched the R211S cars on the Staten Island Railway in October 2024. However, technical issues sidelined them within weeks.
