New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will begin the largest signal and track replacement project in the agency’s history.
The $1.9 billion investment will modernize train service in Brooklyn and Queens by replacing the 1930s-era signals with Communications-Based Train Control. Funding for the project is possible through the proceeds of congestion pricing instituted in 2025. The project will impact A and C trains, officials said. Modern signal systems will allow the trains to safely run faster and closer together, which will facilitate more frequent and reliable subway service.
“Congestion pricing keeps delivering wins for New Yorkers,” Hochul said. “Upgrading nearly 100-year-old signals does more than just modernize infrastructure that is long-overdue – it is a critical part of our plan to run better and more frequent subway service, shortening waits and slashing delays. When this project is done, hundreds of thousands of A and C train riders will benefit from the world-class service on new, modern trains that New Yorkers deserve.”
The project spans 42 track miles along the Fulton and Liberty lines, officials said, and replaces the oldest remaining signal equipment in the subway system. The work will cover 23 stations serving 350,000 riders each weekday in a corridor that provides connections to seven other subway lines, 36 bus routes and connections to the Long Island Rail Road. The A and C line serve a total of 750,000 riders every weekday.
“Signal issues are the number one cause of subway delays – no surprise considering the ancient relics we’ve been using to direct train traffic,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said. “Thanks to this almost $2 billion project – the largest of its kind in MTA history – we are going to be able to run more A and C trains faster, safer, and more reliably than ever before.”
Much of the subway system still relies on aging equipment that is no longer commercially supported which makes maintenance difficult and expensive, MTA said. The existing signal system divides tracks into fixed sections and determines if a train occupies each section. The new system will provide a more precise picture of train locations and speeds, allowing trains to operate more closely with one another and supporting more frequent service. Officials said the modern equipment is also less expensive and easier to maintain.