N.Y. MTA exercises subway car options

New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has awarded Alstom, in partnership with Kawasaki, an order worth a total of $784 million for the manufacture of 382 R160 subway cars.

With this order, the MTA is taking up the second option on a contract originally awarded to Alstom and Kawasaki in 2002. Alstom’s share of the latest order represents approximately $491 million and covers the production of 242 metro cars.

The new, stainless steel cars will be delivered between 2009 and 2010, and will feature the company’s AC propulsion systems and passenger information signage systems. The vehicles are lighter, quieter and more comfortable than previous generations of trains, with modern air suspension replacing mechanical springs. Alstom will also supply propulsion systems for half of the Kawasaki share of cars (140) in this second option.

Alstom has already delivered 405 cars to New York City Transit (NYCT) since 2002, with another 355 currently being manufactured. With this new order, the total number of cars supplied to NYCT will reach 1,002.