NYCT rolls out ‘new technology’ cars

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s New York City Transit (NYCT) began rolling out new technology cars on its E line subway, Monday, traveling between Jamaica Center, Queens and World Trade Center.

The ten-car train of R160 subway cars is part of a 1,662 car order currently being rolled out along the lettered lines to replace trains introduced 45 years ago.

The new cars, built by Alstom and Kawasaki boast fully-automated announcement systems, digital information boards and the Flexible Information Notice Display (FIND) system, which incorporates a video screen, scrolling station names as the train progresses along the route and a route map that can be changed if a train switches routes.

Like NYCT's other New Technology car classes, the R160 cars have several advanced technological features, including computer-monitored throttles and speedometers for better control and smoother ride and an onboard, computerized diagnostic system that allows quicker repair when a failure does occur.

Delivery of the initial order of 660 R160 cars, valued at $952 million, was completed in October of this year.