R179 (New York City Subway car)
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport manufacturing |
| Founded | 1942 in Canada |
| Fate | Acquired by Alstom in January 2021 |
| Products | Subway cars, trains, rail vehicles |
| Parent | Bombardier Inc. (until 2021) |
The R179 series consists of 318 New Technology Train subway cars constructed by Bombardier Transportation for the New York City Subway's B Division. These vehicles entered operational service between 2017 and 2020, fully replacing the remaining R32 and R42 models.
Initially, the order called for 208 cars measuring in length, but the 2010–2014 Capital Program amended this to 290 cars at , aligning their specifications with those of the R143 and R160 trains. There were options for an additional 130 units. The majority of R179s were intended to be configured as five-car sets, substituting the 75-foot-long R44 trains, which operated in four-car sets; a smaller portion would be arranged in four-car sets. However, in 2011, the order was revised to 300 cars with no optional units, and the configuration was altered so that most R179s became four-car sets due to early retirements and train length requirements.
Bombardier received a $599 million contract in 2012 to build these cars, with deliveries originally planned from December 2014 through July 2017. Manufacturing issues caused a two-year delay in delivery and raised costs to $735 million. The first units arrived in September 2016; by November 2017, an eight-car test train was operational and successfully completed a 30-day trial by December, enabling a phased introduction into service. Although full delivery was anticipated by early 2019, defects led to withdrawals starting in December 2018 and a temporary suspension of service in January 2019. Additional temporary removals occurred following incidents in January and June of 2020.
Following a settlement in January 2018, sixteen extra cars were added, increasing the number of five-car sets from eight to twenty-four while decreasing four-car sets from sixty-five to forty-nine. Another two cars were incorporated in January 2019 after further settlements. The entire fleet was delivered by December 2019 and became fully operational by March 2020.
Description and features
The R179 fleet, numbered from 3010 to 3327, is divided into five-car sets (cars 3010–3049 and 3238–3327, totaling 130 cars) that serve the A line and the Rockaway Park Shuttle, operating out of Pitkin Yard. Cars numbered from 3050 to 3237 form four-car sets (188 cars), primarily assigned to the J, M, and Z routes based at East New York Yard, with some units allocated to the C line from 207th Street Yard. This procurement replaced all remaining R32 and R42 trains dating back to the late 1960s and early 1970s. Notably, these R179s represent Bombardier Transportation’s final subway car contract before its acquisition by Alstom in January 2021. Although visually resembling the R143 and R160 models, these trains are not compatible with those fleets due to electrical system differences.
Equipped with Axion Technologies Ltd.'s advanced "Flexible Information and Notice Display" ("FIND") system, the R179s have replaced traditional electronic strip maps. Each car contains three displays featuring an LCD screen that presents route information and advertisements alongside a dynamic LED strip map indicating upcoming stops as well as stations further along the route. This display updates at every station stop, enabling real-time route modifications including skipped stops. The FIND screens on R179 cars are marginally larger than those found on R160 trains and display unique messaging when inactive. Unlike other New Technology Trains, these cars retain older door closing chimes inherited from the R142 series rather than adopting newer sounds. Installation of communication-based train control (CBTC) systems is ongoing across all R179 units, with initial CBTC-enabled service projected for December 2024 as part of automation efforts within the B Division.
Interior improvements include looped stanchions designed to increase available handholds during peak crowding—an innovation previously trialed on select R160A trains as a response to the transit challenges experienced in 2017. Additionally, these trains incorporate upgraded control systems, quieter HVAC equipment noticeable externally, and larger picture windows that reduce operator cab space due to HVAC installation requirements.
Contract plans
The initial R179 contract specified a procurement of 208 cars. During the 2010–2014 Capital Program, this order expanded to 420 vehicles—comprising 340 units for the New York City Subway and 80 designated for the Staten Island Railway. The arrangement included a primary order of 290 cars (with 250 arranged in 5-car sets and 40 in 4-car sets), accompanied by two options: an additional 50 cars in 5-car sets and 80 more cars intended for Phase I of the Second Avenue Subway. Consideration was also given to ordering further cars.
The formal Request for Proposals (RFP) was released on June 3, 2010, with submissions due by August 13. By April 2011, the contract estimate stood at $637.8 million but encountered negotiation setbacks, causing the projected cost to escalate to $748 million by October. In November 2011, the order was adjusted to a base of 300 cars (260 in 4-car sets and 40 in 5-car sets) without any options.
On March 24, 2012, Bombardier Transportation secured the contract at $599 million, undercutting earlier forecasts. The Alskaw Inc. joint venture (a collaboration between Kawasaki and Alstom), known for manufacturing R160 cars, lodged a protest that was ultimately dismissed; Bombardier finalized the agreement on June 4, 2012.
An ethics inquiry arose in 2012 concerning discussions between an MTA official and Bombardier regarding employment but was subsequently resolved.
Initially planned to replace all R44 cars, structural challenges hastened their phase-out through R160 option procurements. The MTA abandoned intentions to purchase R179s for Staten Island Railway, opting instead for refurbishing some R46 units—a plan later canceled. Subsequently, R179s were designated to replace remaining R42s (50 units) and R32s (222 units). Due to delivery setbacks and operational demands, some R32s underwent a $49.2 million refurbishment extending through 2019 before being replaced by R211As. The MTA aimed to complete the full R179 fleet before the canceled April 2019 shutdown of the 14th Street Tunnel. By January 2020, it was confirmed that R32 retirement would coincide with the arrival of R179 cars.
Manufacturing issues
The initial schedule anticipated delivery of the first test train by December 22, 2014, with production units commencing July 27, 2015, and full completion targeted for January 30, 2017. Following production delays, a non-functional mockup was unveiled in late November 2013. Delivery of the first ten-car test train shifted to the third quarter of 2014, while production vehicles remained scheduled from July 2015 through January 2017. However, cracks related to welding found in the prototype’s chassis led to rejection of the entire batch and resulted in a two-year postponement.
These setbacks pushed costs from $599 million up to $735 million, increasing financial strain due to continued maintenance of aging fleet cars. Additionally, Bombardier’s two-year delay led to its exclusion from bidding on the R211 contract—intended as replacement rolling stock for other B Division lines—which was awarded instead to Kawasaki in January 2018.
Delivery and testing
Bombardier assembled the cars at its manufacturing plants located in La Pocatière, Quebec and Plattsburgh, New York. The initial five-car set (numbers 3010–3014) was delivered to the New York City Transit Authority in early September 2016. A subsequent five-car batch (3015–3019) arrived mid-November that year, completing a ten-car pilot train for acceptance testing. A four-car set (3050–3053) followed in late December 2016, with an additional four cars (3054–3057) delivered in January 2017 to create an eight-car test configuration.
A delivery schedule released in January 2017 anticipated a production pace of one car per day starting November 2017 and full completion by July 2018. However, delays extended final delivery to March 2019. In response, the order increased by sixteen B-cars in January 2018, raising the total count to 316 cars (120 arranged as five-car sets and 196 as four-car sets). A further adjustment in January 2019 added two more B-cars. As of mid-2019, deliveries were projected to conclude by November that year.
Service
The four-car R179 trainsets commenced revenue operations on the line on November 19, 2017, following more than a year of testing without passengers. Initial trials uncovered three significant problems, all of which were later rectified. The trains officially started service on December 27, 2017, approximately one month later than initially planned. In the summer of 2018, pilot five-car sets were sent to Bombardier's Kanona facility for specification adjustments and subsequently returned for additional evaluation. After undergoing two years of modifications, the train entered revenue service on the line on February 10, 2019, after successfully completing a 30-day acceptance testing period prior to full deployment.
By December 2018, several units were withdrawn from operation due to manufacturing flaws affecting doors, propulsion systems, and air compressors. As of January 2019, a total of 162 cars had been delivered, with 128 actively serving across sixteen eight-car trains. NYCTA President Andy Byford temporarily suspended further deliveries until Bombardier resolved all outstanding issues. Deliveries recommenced in early February 2019. In May of that year, a welding defect was identified in the collision pillars; however, not every train was removed from service since safety evaluations determined no immediate hazards existed.
By December 30, 2019, all 318 cars had been delivered. An audit conducted by Comptroller Scott Stringer found that only eighteen of the initial three hundred cars met the contractual delivery deadlines. On January 8, 2020, all cars in revenue service were pulled following two incidents involving faulty door components on the C train that raised safety alarms about doors opening while the train was moving. This situation necessitated temporary reliance on older rolling stock and contributed to the R179 fleet acquiring a "lemon" label. Additional operational grievances voiced by the Transport Workers Union included issues such as stiff window mechanisms and slippery control interfaces. After repairs were completed, the fleet resumed service by January 24, 2020; by March 24, full operational status was restored across all units.
On June 3, 2020, an R179 trainset operating on the A line experienced a link bar failure at Chambers Street station that caused the consist to separate. This incident prompted a system-wide withdrawal of the R179 fleet for safety inspections. To compensate for the shortage, some retired R32 cars were temporarily reactivated. Following comprehensive investigations and assessments, the R179 trains returned to revenue service on September 23, 2020.
In popular culture
An R179 train is featured in season two of Russian Doll, available on Netflix.