PHOTOS AND VIDEO: MTA Announces Rockaway Park Shuttle Upgraded to R211 Train Cars

Rockaway Park Shuttle s Becomes Fifth Subway Line to Get the Fleet's Newest Cars, Replacing 50-Year-Old R46s

Features Security Cameras in Every Car, Additional Accessible Seating, Brighter Lights, Better Signage and Wider Doors

See Photos and Video of Train on the Rockaway Park Shuttle

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit is announcing the debut of standard R211A trains on the Rockaway Park Shuttle line, marking the fifth subway line to be served by the new train cars. The new train cars fully replace the R46s, which have been in the system along the line since the mid to late 1970s. The announcement comes as weekend Rockaway Park Shuttle service was extended to provide customers with better connections to the Rockaways this summer.

R211 cars are a critical part of the MTA's ongoing modernization efforts and feature 58-inch-wide door openings that are eight inches wider than standard door openings on existing cars - designed to speed up boarding and reduce the amount of time trains sit in stations. These models include security cameras, additional accessible seating, digital displays that will provide more detailed station-specific information, and brighter lighting and signage, among other features that improve the customer experience.

"These new R211 subway cars will give customers on the Rockaway Park Shuttle the more modern, comfortable and reliable ride they deserve," said MTA Chief of Rolling Stock Jessie Lazarus. "Shuttle riders will appreciate the brighter lights, bigger doorways, and new communication technology throughout the new cars, which we're rolling out across the B-Division to replace the fleets we bought generations ago."

"Getting new cars rolling in the system for riders to enjoy is essential to ensuring NYC Transit continues to provide fast, reliable, and safe service," said NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. "While just in time for beach season, I'm also thrilled to be replacing 1970's era cars with R211s that will provide customers with smoother and more reliable rides all year round."

"This summer's Rockaway service is now paired with a better ride with the arrival of R211 cars on the Rockaway Park Shuttle," said NYC Transit Executive Vice President of Subways Bill Amarosa Jr. "These trains are brighter, more accessible, and equipped with modern technology that helps us deliver better service. We're excited to bring this state-of-the-art fleet to everyday Rockaway riders and seasonal beachgoers."

In 2025, R211s replaced all R44s on the Staten Island Railway. These cars will eventually replace the current fleet of R46 subway cars, which have been in service on , and lines for decades. NYC Transit also began replacement of the R68s, which entered service in the mid-1980s and primarily operate on the - the line being the first to debut a standard R211 in the summer of 2025. Open-gangway R211 cars began operating on the line in 2025. The new railcar has an average mean distance between failure (MDBF) rate of approximately 294,221 miles, compared to the R46's 58,685 miles. The MDBF is a measure of how far the railcar travels before a mechanical issue occurs that requires maintenance.

This follows the MTA's announcement in March that the Authority is seeking proposals from rail car manufacturers for its largest subway car contract in history with a base order of 1,140 subway cars to replace the R62 and R62A fleets operating on the and lines, and if an option to purchase the additional 1,250 cars is exercised, to replace the R142 and R142A cars on the and lines.

Customers who ride trains that use the R211 are more likely to be satisfied with train cleanliness: (63%), (62%), (64%), and (78%), compared to the overall average of 59%, and those figures continue to improve on each line. Train cleanliness is typically one of the top three drivers of subway customers' overall satisfaction. The and trains, in particular, which introduced the R211 in 2025, saw significant improvement in customer satisfaction with cleanliness with the rising seven points to 62%, and the line rising 14 points to 78% in the Fall 2025 Customers Count survey.