Officials with New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority said the agency is accepting proposals from railcar manufacturers to build 252 new single-level passenger coaches for Metro-North Railroad.
The Request for Proposal includes the option to purchase an additional 377 cars for any future expansions to the metro-North service area. Officials said the base order would replace coaches from the 1980s and 1990s running on the Hudson and Harlem lines, and that the purchase will represent 23 percent of the lines’ active passenger fleet. The purchase will be MTA’s first new Metro-North rolling stock coach purchase in decades, the agency said.
“It’s time to upgrade the Metro-North passenger experience, with more modern, more reliable railcars,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said. “This RFP is designed to get manufacturers and suppliers to think outside the box so they can deliver faster, better and cheaper than in the past.”
The RFP requests railcar manufacturers provide proposals that meet technical specifications designed to enhance reliability, accessibility, service, security, performance and the overall customer experience, including two ADA designated wheelchair areas per car, ADA-compliant toilet access, higher quality announcement system, high-resolution digital information screens, passenger Wi-Fi, device charging outlets, bike and luggage racks, and enhanced safety measures. The resulting contract will be for three types of railcars – cab cars with toilets, trailer cars with toilets and trailer cars without toilets. Each of the railcar types should seat an estimated 100 riders.
“Replacing the aging Shoreliner coaches from the 1980s will give Metro-North’s riders the comfortable and convenient ride they deserve and operators the modern and flexible equipment they need to support reliable service for the next 40 years,” MTA Chief of Rolling Stock Jessica Lazarus said. “The new approach in this RFP shows that the MTA is serious about being a better owner to attract multiple car builders with proposals that meet our rigorous safety and performance standards so we can close a deal that gives the MTA — and our customers the best value.”
Proposals will be accepted through October of this year, with the contract scheduled for awarding in early 2027 and new passenger cars being put into service in 2029.