The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is seeking proposals from railcar manufacturers to build 252 new single-level passenger cars for the Metro-North Railroad. The competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) includes an option for the additional purchase of 377 cars should the Metro-North service area be expanded in the future.
An order for 252 new cars would replace the coaches from the 1980s and 1990s that currently are in use on the Hudson and Harlem lines and represent 23% of Metro-North’s active passenger fleet. The new coaches would have to be built for a higher mean distance between failure (MDBF) — a measure of how long a car can operate without issues, repairs or maintenance. Current cars have an average MDBF rate of 430,000 miles, compared with the new coaches, which would be specified for an MDBF rate of 570,000 miles.
Proposals will be accepted through October 2026. The contract will be awarded in early 2027, with new passenger cars anticipated to be put in service in 2029.
Funding for the new rail cars is part of the $6 billion allocated for capital projects for Metro-North in the Fiscal Year 2026 state budget. A $2.3 billion contract order for the company Alstrom to build 316 M-9A cars last year worked out to approximately $7.28 million per car. Art that rate, a new order for 252 cars would be worth more than $1.8 billion.
“It’s time to upgrade the Metro-North passenger experience, with more modern, more reliable railcars,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “And 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 MTA expects the new batch of passenger cars would stay in service for at least 40 years.
“Investing in new passenger coaches is a cornerstone of our commitment not only to the 250,000 customers who rely on Metro-North each day, but also to the economic vitality of the region,” said Metro-North Railroad President Justin Vonashek. “This competitive RFP invites railcar manufacturers to bring forward their best ideas and engineering solutions so we can deliver coaches that are more reliable, more accessible, and more comfortable for our riders. This procurement represents a major step in modernizing our fleet, enhancing the customer experience, and preparing Metro-North for future service expansion.”
The RFP outlines technical specifications that would have to be met. They include two ADA designated wheelchair areas per train car, ADA-compliant toilet access, higher quality announcement systems featuring an audio inductive loop for hearing impaired, high-resolution digital information screens, passenger Wi-Fi, device charging outlets, bike and luggage racks as well as enhanced safety measures, including onboard security cameras. The new cars would have to be compatible with Metro-North locomotives and be designed to operate throughout the current and future Metro-North service territory. There have been recent calls for Metro-North to expand service between Poughkeepsie and Albany on the Hudson line.
