R68 (New York City Subway car)

Westinghouse-Amrail Company
Company type	Collaboration/Consortium
Industry	Rail vehicle manufacturing
Founder	Westinghouse, ANF Industrie, Jeumont Schneider, Alsthom
Headquarters	Crespin, France
Area served	New York City Subway
Products	R68 Subway Cars

R68 Subway Cars

The R68 series consists of 425 B Division subway cars for the New York City Subway, constructed by Westinghouse-Amrail Company (Francorail), a collaboration between Westinghouse, ANF Industrie, Jeumont Schneider, and Alsthom. Produced in France between 1986 and 1988, these vehicles were transported through New York Harbor. Of the total, 416 cars are arranged into four-car sets, while nine remain as single units.

As the third R-type series to utilize 75-foot-long cars, the R68 began operation on June 20, 1986. Early production was marked by considerable challenges integrating the systems, which led to initial reliability problems; however, these issues were mitigated following adjustments made by the New York City Transit Authority. During the 2010s, certain R68 units were subjected to experimental upgrades aimed at improving their capabilities.

Description

The R68 represents the third contract for R-type subway cars featuring a length of 75 feet, succeeding the R44 and R46 models. These extended cars provide greater seating and standing room compared to earlier 60-foot variants. Similar to the R44s and R46s, R68 cars are prohibited from operating on BMT Eastern Division routes (J, L, M, and Z) due to their tight curve radii. This order originated from the unfulfilled R55 proposal of the early 1980s, which was canceled because of budget limitations. Consequently, attention shifted toward replacing outdated A Division equipment—including the R12, R14, R15, and R17 fleets—that had been in service for over three decades.

The fleet is numbered from 2500 through 2924, with each car costing approximately $1 million. These cars replaced numerous 1948-era R10 units, all remaining 6300-series R16 cars built during 1954–55, as well as some R27 and R30 models dating from 1960 to 1962. Constructed using stainless steel, the R68s feature surfaces designed to resist graffiti.

The R68 fleet is housed at two main facilities: the Concourse Yard in the Bronx (cars numbered 2500–2783) and the Coney Island Complex in Brooklyn (cars numbered 2784–2924). Sets based at Concourse primarily serve the D line, while most Coney Island-based sets operate on the , N, Q, and W routes. Cars numbered 2916–2924 are designated for use on the Franklin Avenue Shuttle. Initially manufactured as single units with a full-width cab at one end and a half-width cab at the other, all except those assigned to the shuttle have since been reorganized into four-car sets; additionally, OPTO switches were installed on shuttle-assigned vehicles.

History

Originally, the R68 contract aimed to refurbish existing fleets of R10 and R16 cars, with car number 6429 rebuilt as a prototype. However, on October 15, 1982, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) decided instead to acquire 225 new cars from Westinghouse-Amrail under what became the R68 contract. These vehicles were manufactured in Crespin, France from 1986 through 1988 and shipped via New York Harbor. The initial delivery was planned for January 1985 with completion targeted for May 1986; the total cost was estimated at $210 million—roughly $933,000 per individual car.

The first batch of R68 cars arrived on February 4, 1986; however, a tight curve on the South Brooklyn Railway required modification before successful delivery could occur on February 26. Acceptance testing commenced on April 13, 1986 along the Brighton Line, with revenue service beginning June 20, 1986 on the Brooklyn segment of the split D train. The initial group included cars numbered 2500 through 2507. The procurement consisted of two contracts: a primary order covering cars 2500–2724 and an option order for cars 2725–2924—making the R68 fleet notable as the first subway series acquired with an option order included.

Initial challenges

Westinghouse-Amrail encountered major difficulties in system integration, primarily due to inadequate collaboration between the body manufacturer ANF Industrie and the chassis assembler Westinghouse. Early operational experience exposed frequent failures involving doors, wiring, electrical controls, and air brake systems, resulting in elevated breakdown incidents and causing the R68 fleet to be labeled as problematic. A notable incident occurred on November 11, 1986, when an R68 train was unable to ascend the Manhattan Bridge incline. By the end of that year, the fleet achieved a Mean Distance Between Failures (MDBF) of 12,368 miles—surpassing the system average but still trailing behind the performance of the R62 and R62A series. By April 1987, approximately one-fifth of the braking and acceleration controllers were defective. The New York City Transit Authority undertook extensive remedial efforts to resolve many of these technical issues.

While the MTA initially considered placing a follow-up order of 200 cars with Westinghouse-Amrail, persistent reliability problems prompted awarding this subsequent contract to Kawasaki Heavy Industries instead. The per-unit bid from Westinghouse-Amrail was $1,012,000 compared to Kawasaki’s $958,000 price per car. This next batch became known as the R68A series.

Equipment evaluations

In 2010, the MTA proposed mid-life technology enhancements for the R68 fleet that included installing LED destination displays and automated announcement systems; however, these upgrades were never carried out.

Throughout the 2010s, select cars on the G line underwent interior modernization trials. Cars 2860–2867 were outfitted with LED lighting; cars 2892–2895 tested LED lights along with door chimes similar to those found on R142, R142A, and R179 models and upgraded public address systems; cars 2844 and 2846 received Public Address and Intercom systems alongside LED and LCD displays, CCTV cameras, and Train Operator interfaces; cars 2804–2807 were equipped with display screens; and cars 2792–2795 featured LED lighting combined with surveillance cameras. Although these enhancements displayed date and time information, none provided upcoming stop announcements. Eventually, all such modifications were removed.

No further upgrades took place until early 2021 when car 2860 was retrofitted with new LED signage and CCTV equipment supplied by Suzhou Huaqi Intelligent Technology. Nevertheless, this particular train set was withdrawn from service on April 22, 2021 amid concerns regarding Suzhou Huaqi’s connections to the Chinese government. As a result, additional technological improvements are unlikely in the foreseeable future.

Replacement plans

The R68 fleet is projected to remain operational through at least 2025 to 2030.

In June 2023, the MTA released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for new subway cars designated as the R262 and R268 models, with the R268 anticipated to succeed both the R68 and R68A fleets. By September 2024, certain R68 and R68A units are scheduled for retirement and replacement by new R211 cars. The agency’s objective includes phasing out all remaining R68 and R68A vehicles by introducing 355 new cars measuring 60 feet in length, thereby eliminating the last remaining 75-foot cars from revenue service. Following the announcement in December 2024 regarding a second option order for the R211 series, it was confirmed that additional retirements of R68 units will occur through this procurement process.