R142 (New York City Subway car)
| Industry | Rail transport manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | La Pocatière, Quebec and Barre, Vermont (assembly locations) , Canada and United States |
| Products | R142 subway cars, New Technology Trains |
Overview
The R142 represents the initial mass-produced variant within the New Technology Train (NTT) family designed for the New York City Subway's A Division. Manufactured by Bombardier Transportation from 1999 through 2003, assembly occurred primarily in La Pocatière, Quebec, and Barre, Vermont, with final construction completed in Plattsburgh, New York. In total, 1,030 cars were produced—880 numbered from 6301 to 7180 and an additional 150 numbered 1101 to 1250—arranged into five-car train sets.
Alongside the R142A series, the R142 models replaced the outdated Redbird fleet, which included subway cars from the R26 to R36 series. A significant innovation was the introduction of recorded announcements on R142 cars, marking the first use of this feature in NYC subway trains to improve passenger information.
The first units were delivered on November 16, 1999, followed by a testing period that identified minor operational issues. After successful non-revenue trials, these trains began revenue service on July 10, 2000, initially under a 30-day acceptance trial. Full revenue operation started on October 20, 2000. The final batch was delivered by mid-2003. In January 2019, the MTA proposed mid-life refurbishment plans aimed at extending the fleet’s service life.
Description
Of the total R142 fleet, 880 cars bear numbers between 6301 and 7180, while the remaining 150 are numbered from 1101 to 1250.
The fleet consists of two distinct car types: "A" cars are equipped with a cab at one end and feature four traction motors each; their passenger doors align directly opposite each other. Conversely, "B" cars do not have cabs, possess two traction motors located at one end, and have staggered door placements. Standard train formations consist of five-car sets arranged A-B-B-B-A but can be configured into various lengths including four-, six-, nine-, ten-, or eleven-car trains.
Most R142 units are housed at the 239th Street and East 180th Street Yards and operate primarily on the 2 and 5 lines. A portion is maintained at Jerome Yard for service on the 4 line.
Features
R142 trains incorporate Alstom ONIX AC propulsion systems along with electronic braking technology and automated climate control. They also feature electronic strip maps and onboard intercom systems. The traction motors used in these cars were subsequently adopted for the majority of R160 subway cars. The design of both R142 and R142A models was influenced by Antenna Design.
Similar to the earlier R110A models, R142 cars have wider side doors measuring 54 inches across—broader than those on previous R62/A models but slightly narrower than those found on R110As. Windows are installed at all car ends to allow passengers to view between cars except at cab ends. The car bodies are constructed from stainless steel.
R142 and R142A trains were pioneers in introducing recorded announcements within NYC subway rolling stock—a feature now standard in newer fleets. From 2015 onward, some sets operating on the 2 and 5 lines tested shorter announcement versions intended to reduce station dwell times; however, these were eventually replaced with standard announcements. Although visually similar to R142A and R188 cars, electrical system differences prevent interoperability among these models.
History
On April 30, 1997, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board approved contracts for acquiring a total of 1,080 subway cars: 680 Bombardier-built R142s and 400 Kawasaki-built R142As. Initially planned at an order of 740 vehicles, competitive bidding allowed the MTA to increase procurement by an additional 340 cars without raising costs, amounting to $1.45 billion in total expenditure. These new cars were developed based on evaluations conducted with prototype models R110A and R110B. This contract represented the largest single subway car purchase in New York City’s history at that time.
The first ten R142 vehicles (numbers 6301–6310) arrived on November 16, 1999. After addressing minor issues during non-revenue testing phases, they commenced revenue service on July 10, 2000—operating initially on the line under a month-long acceptance trial before full deployment began on October 20, 2000. Deliveries were completed by March of 2003.
Between 2016 and 2018, the MTA upgraded certain R142 cars assigned to the 2 and 5 lines with combined electronic strip maps that reflected overlapping routes along IRT White Plains Road, Eastern Parkway, and Nostrand Avenue lines. This enhancement improved operational clarity given that these trains are shared between East 180th Street and 239th Street yards.
In January 2019, plans were introduced for mid-life overhauls targeting both R142 and R142A fleets. These upgrades focused on HVAC systems, propulsion units, door mechanisms, and integrating Ethernet connectivity into the R142s. The objective was to prepare these trains for compatibility with communications-based train control (CBTC), facilitating signal modernization along IRT Lexington Avenue and Seventh Avenue Lines. Additionally, installation of monitoring and diagnostic systems was planned specifically for the R142 fleet.
Beginning in March 2021, select cars such as number 7021 received LED route and destination displays incorporating green circle/red diamond indicators similar to those found on R62A trains operating on the 6 line. Car number 7171 underwent a comparable upgrade in mid-2021 with further rollouts continuing through to 2024.
Incidents
On March 27, 2020, a northbound 2 train, composed of lead set 6346–6350 and trailing set 6366–6370, was deliberately set ablaze while traveling between 96th Street and Central Park North–110th Street. The fire originated in car 6347 of the lead set, resulting in severe damage to that car and causing additional fire and smoke impact throughout the entire consist, as well as moderate harm to the station infrastructure. The trailing set remained mostly intact and returned to operation by November 2020. Due to the extensive destruction, the lead consist was permanently withdrawn from service and dismantled for parts. Tragically, the train operator lost their life in the incident, while sixteen others sustained injuries. In December 2020, authorities apprehended a suspect who was subsequently charged with murder.