| R160 | |
|---|---|
 An R160 train on theF approachingKings Highway | |
 Interior of an R160 car, prior to refurbishments | |
| In service | 2006–present |
| Manufacturer |
|
| Built at |
|
| Family name | New Technology Train |
| Replaced | |
| Constructed | 2005–2010 |
| Entered service |
|
| Refurbished | 2017–present |
| Number built |
|
| Number in service | 1,662 |
| Formation |
|
| Fleet numbers |
|
| Capacity |
|
| Operators | New York City Subway |
| Depots | East New York Yard (372 cars) Jamaica Yard (1290 cars)[1][2] |
| Service(s) assigned | |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Stainless steel with fiberglass ends and rear bonnets |
| Train length |
|
| Car length | 60 ft 2.52 in (18,352.0 mm) |
| Width | 9 ft 9.28 in (2,979 mm) |
| Height | 12 ft 0.29 in (3,665 mm) |
| Floor height | 3 ft 9.12 in (1,146.0 mm) |
| Platform height | 3 ft 9.12 in (1,146.0 mm) |
| Entry | Level |
| Doors | 8 sets of 50-in-wide side doors per car |
| Maximum speed | 55 mph (89 km/h)[7] |
| Weight | 85,200 lb (38,600 kg) |
| Traction system | IGBT–VVVF (Alstom ONIX 800 orSiemens SITRAC[a]) |
| Traction motors | |
| Acceleration | 2.5 mph/s (4.0 km/(h⋅s)) |
| Deceleration |
|
| Auxiliaries | SAFT 250AH battery (B car) |
| Electric system(s) | Third rail, 600 V DC |
| Current collection | Contact shoe |
| UIC classification | Bo’Bo’+Bo’Bo’+Bo’Bo’+Bo’Bo’ (4 car sets) Bo’Bo’+Bo’Bo’+Bo’Bo’+Bo’Bo’+Bo’Bo (5 car sets) |
| AAR wheel arrangement | B-B+B-B+B-B+B-B (4 car sets) B-B+B-B+B-B+B-B+B-B (5 car sets) |
| Braking system(s) | Dynamic braking propulsion system; WABCO RT96 tread brake system |
| Safety system(s) | CBTC Dead man's switch Tripcock |
| Headlight type | halogen light bulb |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge |
TheR160 is a class ofNew Technology Train subway cars built for theNew York City Subway'sB Division. Entering service between 2006 and 2010, they replaced allR38,R40, andNYCT-operatedR44 cars, and mostR32 andR42 cars. The R160s are very similar to the earlierR143s and laterR179s. The biggest difference between the R160 and R143 is theFlexible Information and Notice Display (FIND) system on the R160s in place of staticLED maps on the R143s and all A-Division New Technology fleet. As of 2025, the R160 is the most numerous subway car on the New York City subway system.
In total, 1,662 cars comprise the R160 class, which consists of two models, the 1,002Alstom-builtR160A cars and the 660Kawasaki-builtR160B cars. The R160A cars are organized in two different configurations, with 372 cars arranged in four-car sets and 630 cars arranged in five-car sets. All R160B cars are in five-car sets, but are subdivided by which propulsion system they use; the majority use the Alstom ONIX propulsion system also found on the R160A cars, while cars 8843–9102 useSiemens SITRAC propulsion.
Kawasaki had little to no problems in delivering the R160B cars, which entered service on August 17, 2006. Alstom was behind the delivery schedule early on for the R160As, which first ran on October 17, 2006. TheMetropolitan Transportation Authority exercised options for both contracts, and by June 2010, all R160 cars were in service. Numerous experimental features were added to the R160s through the 2010s. 64 R160A cars were fitted withcommunications-based train control (CBTC) equipment installed for service on theCanarsie Line (L train), while the rest of the remaining fleet has CBTC equipment installed for service on theQueens Boulevard Line (E,F,M, andR trains).
There are two versions of the R160: theR160A (built by Alstom, numbered 8313–8712, 9233–9802, & 9943–9974) and theR160B (built by Kawasaki, numbered 8713–9232 & 9803–9942).[12] The two car types differ only in a few ways; both can interoperate with each other. The R160As and the majority of the R160Bs utilize the same traction motors as theR142s, while the rest of the R160Bs utilize traction motors similar to those tested on R143s 8205–8212.[13] Both versions of the R160s are very similar to theR143s andR179s, but the three car types are not interoperable with each other due to electrical incompatibilities between them.[14][15][16]
The R160 cars are configured in either four-car sets or five-car sets. 372 R160A cars (8313–8652 & 9943–9974) are configured as four-car sets and assigned toEast New York Yard for theBMT Eastern Division. All four-car sets run on theJ,M, andZ trains, but sets 8313–8376 are able to run on theL alongside that route's fleet of R143s. The remaining 630 R160A cars as well as all R160Bs are configured as five-car sets, assigned toJamaica Yard and run on theE,F, andR trains.
The R160A base order was part of a $961,687,121 contract funded in part by a grant from theFederal Transit Administration.[17] The primary base order of the R160 class consisted of 660 cars, 400 R160As to be built byAlstom, and the remaining 260 R160Bs to be built by Kawasaki. The contract included options for further orders, which, if exercised, would have brought the total business with NYCT to about US$2.4 billion, for 1,700 subway cars, and Kawasaki would have manufactured 40% (680 cars) of the 1,700 cars. The R160 fleet was purchased at an average cost of $2.0 millionUSD per car.[18]
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The R160s are equipped with regenerative braking, which allows the cars to capture the braking energy as trains enter a station and transfer it to trains on nearby tracks.[19]
One of the major changes and highlights of the new cars is the addition of an electronic"FIND" (Flexible Information and Notice Display) system, which includes an LCD screen displaying the route, route information, and advertisements, and a tri-color (red, yellow, green)LED strip map which displays the next ten stations, plus five consecutive "further stops" to riders. There are three of these in every car. The display updates the stations at every stop, also giving the number of stops to each station listed. The FIND system replaces a plastic card that had a set route and stations printed on, which was used on theR142,R142A,R143, andR188 subway cars, each of which has 64 amber LED dot station indicators.[20] This allows for instant route or line changes with the correct information, which includes, but is not limited to, the omitting of certain stops.[14]
As part of a 2010 pilot program to increase security and capacity,[21][22] R160B cars 8713–8722 tested folding seats, CCTV, pivoted grabhandles, and looped stanchions. Following passenger complaints and Kawasaki's refusal to test the same equipment on a set of R142 cars, the program was canceled in 2012[23][24] and the equipment was removed. Some of the remaining grabhandles and folding seats from the program have been reused to address a state of emergency in 2017,[25] but have been the subject of vandalism.[26]
In 2016, a non-advertised pilot program saw 20 R160 sets based out of Jamaica Yard testing onboard WiFi.[27][28] That same year, many cars had their Arts for Transit boards replaced with LCD information screens to display public safety announcements, advertisements, and trivia. These screens are similar to the ones onboard all R143 cars; however, they can display a range of colors instead of just red, orange, and green.
In 2018, R160A car 8395 had its truck suspension system replaced withcarbon fiber reinforced plastic "efWING [ja]"leaf springs fromKawasaki, to determine the feasibility of them replacing the heaviercoil spring suspension found on all other R160s. R160B car 9116 was also equipped with the new suspension.[b]
In September 2020, a set of R160s received digital display advertising as a pilot test. This is similar to the digital advertising found on R188 cars 7847–7848.[29] Multiple R160s have since had these screens installed in place of the paper advertisements.
The R160 cars began to receive CCTV security cameras in mid-2022 as part of a program to combat the rise of vandalism within the subway system.[30]
The R160 fleet is equipped withcommunications-based train control (CBTC). 64 R160As (8313–8376) have CBTC equipment installed for use on the Canarsie Line (L train), alongside already-equippedR143 cars.[31][32] The CBTC equipment used in the Canarsie Line cars was manufactured bySiemens Transportation Systems.[33] R160As 8313–8316 and 8377–8380 were temporarily taken out of service to test equipment betweenBergen Street andChurch Avenue on the express tracks of theIND Culver Line, and later returned to service.
An additional 1,486 cars, comprising all 5-car sets and many 4-car sets, have been equipped with CBTC for use on the Queens Boulevard Line (E,F,M, andR trains).[34][35] The CBTC equipment for the Queens Boulevard Line cars is different from the Canarsie Line CBTC equipment and was manufactured by a joint venture between Siemens andThales Group.[36] The remaining 4-car sets will be equipped with CBTC for use on theBMT Nassau Street Line.[37]
On July 31, 2002, it was announced that New York City Transit awarded a $961,687,121 contract to Alstom for 660 new cars, with two new options that could provide for a total of 1,040 cars. Kawasaki and Alstom organized a joint venture called Alskaw Inc. for project management, engineering, and equipment purchasing to pursue the contract, and to allow for operational compatibility with the R143s, which were built by Kawasaki.[38] The two companies built and delivered the rolling stock through the joint venture. Kawasaki not only manufactured 260 cars for the base contract but was also the engineering leader for the whole project and provided the trucks for all cars. Alstom assembled 1002 R160A cars at its manufacturing plant inHornell, New York, while Kawasaki assembled 660 R160B cars at its plant inYonkers, New York andKobe,Hyōgo inJapan.[39][40] Shells for the Alstom-built cars were built in theirLapa plant, inSão Paulo,Brazil, and shells for the Kawasaki-built cars were assembled at theirLincoln, Nebraska plant. The base order consisted of 660 cars, the first option included 620 cars, and the second option included 382 cars.[41]
Early on in the order,Alstom encountered significant start-up production problems since being awarded the base contract. In July 2005, Alstom missed its contractual deadline to deliver the 10-car test train, which arrived five months late with Alstom requesting three additional months to deliver the test train. In addition, the Transit Authority rejected several car shells made earlier at their plant in Lapa, Brazil, near São Paulo, after discovering welding defects.[42]
The first 5-car set of R160As (8653–8657) was delivered on November 29, 2005, and the next remaining five cars (8658–8662) were delivered on December 6, 2005, to theNew York City Transit Authority, forming a complete 10-car train for acceptance testing and evaluation. The R160As entered revenue service on theA on October 17, 2006, for in-service acceptance testing after several months of exhaustive non-revenue service tests.
The first train of R160Bs (8713–8722) was delivered on July 22, 2005. The R160Bs entered revenue service on theN on August 17, 2006, for in-service acceptance testing after slightly over a year of successful non-revenue service tests.[43][44]
While Kawasaki had few or no problems in delivering the R160Bs, Alstom was behind on its delivery schedule early on in the R160A order. Alstom was to deliver 200 out of the 400-car base order by September 2007. However, by that month, Alstom had only delivered 80 cars.[45] Under the base contract, Alstom agreed to pay damages of $800 a day for late deliveries of four-car trains, and $1000 a day for five-car trains, though the Transit Authority had not yet fined Alstom for its late deliveries and was actually negotiating with Alstom to accelerate their delivery schedule. The 200 cars were finally delivered 7 months late in early April 2008.
On November 10, 2008, the MTA exercised options for 140 R160B cars (9803–9942) and 242 R160A cars, broken down into 32 cars arranged as 4-car sets (9943–9974) and 210 cars arranged in 5-car sets (9593–9802).[46][47][48]
The option order cars were delivered starting in late 2009, and the final cars were delivered on May 6, 2010.[41] By June 2010, all R160A and R160B cars were in revenue service.[49]
AfterHurricane Sandy, R160B set 8738–8742 was damaged and required an extensive electrical reconstruction at Coney Island Shops. In March 2016, the set underwent pre-service testing and finally returned to service in fall 2016.[50]
In response to the2017 New York City transit crisis, the R160s have seen mass refurbishments. A majority of the R160s have been given LED interior lighting, yellow-painted looped stanchions, traffic flow signage, and LCD information screens (that replaced the Arts-for-Transit cards). Some R160s have also been deep-cleaned. Twenty 5-car sets (100 cars) assigned to theE received the same features, but the seats at the end of the cars were removed to increase capacity. To identify these cars, they were given interior artwork and exterior wrapping.[51][52][53] Two 4-car sets (8 cars) assigned to theL were later given the same exterior wrapping, LED interior lighting, yellow-painted looped stanchions, traffic flow signage, and LCD information screens (that replaced the Art-for-Transit cards), plus folding seats and pivoted grabhandles previously tested in 2010. Passengers sometimes vandalize the seats when they are locked in the up position during rush hours.[54]
AfterHurricane Ida, R160B set 9108–9112 was damaged and required an extensive electrical reconstruction at Coney Island Shops. It was moved to the shops on September 22, 2021. It returned to service almost two years later on July 3, 2023.[55]
In early 2025, a disproportionately high number of R160s running on the E, F, and R developed wheel problems as a result of a track defect along one of these routes.[56] This issue resulted in a shortage of rolling stock that lasted several months; the MTA ultimately bought 3,000 additional sets of wheels, after the R160 wheel replacements exhausted the MTA's supply of spare wheels.[57]
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