The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is seeking proposals from railcar manufacturers to build 252 single-level coaches for Metro-North Railroad, replacing aging cars from the 1980s and 1990s that run on the Hudson and Harlem lines in New York and represent 23% of the commuter railroad’s active passenger fleet.
An option for 337 more cars “would be reserved for any future expansions to the Metro-North service area,” according to MTA’s May 20 announcement.
There are three types of cars in this order: cab cars with toilets, trailer cars with toilets, and trailer cars without toilets. Each car will seat approximately 100 riders.
This is Authority’s first new Metro-North rolling stock coach purchase in decades, it said.
Proposals will be accepted through October 2026, with the contract awarded in early 2027 and new cars anticipated to enter service in 2029.
Metro-North is the second largest commuter railroad in the country after MTA’s Long Island Rail Road, with 2023 ridership of more than 60 million trips. This includes service into and out of Grand Central Terminal in New York City on the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven lines, which extend as far north as Dutchess County in New York and as far east as Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut, forming the East-of-Hudson service territory (see map above). West of the Hudson River, riders travel on the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines. This West-of-Hudson service—provided under an agreement with New Jersey Transit—serves Rockland and Orange counties in New York.
MTA said funding for the new coaches will come from its $68 billion 2025-29 Capital Plan, which includes $12 billion for new rolling stock across the Authority’s system and $6 billion earmarked specifically for Metro-North to upgrade passenger cars and infrastructure ($1.696 is earmarked for Metro-North rolling stock). The capital plan reflects Metro-North’s New York State assets; the New Haven Line assets operated by Metro-North in Connecticut are the responsibility of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, and certain assets of the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines are the responsibility of New Jersey Transit.
MTA’s RFP (Request for Proposal) is part of the Authority’s new Rolling Stock Program, which it said directs rolling stock strategy and “ensures dedicated attention to the acquisition and lifetime costs for the MTA’s most strategic assets, including buses, subway cars, and commuter rail trains.”
The RFP outlines technical specifications that are designed “to enhance reliability, accessibility, service, security, performance and the overall customer experience,” according to MTA. This includes two ADA-designated wheelchair areas per railcar, ADA-compliant toilet access, “higher quality” announcement systems featuring an audio inductive loop for the hearing impaired, high-resolution digital information screens, passenger Wi-Fi, device charging outlets, bike and luggage racks, and “enhanced safety measures,” including onboard security cameras. MTA said the new cars will also be compatible with Metro-North locomotives and operate throughout current and future Metro-North service territory.
According to the Authority, the contract gives manufacturers “room to innovate within the parameters of accepted design practices while giving riders the best value for their tax dollars.”
MTA pointed out that the new coaches will improve reliability with a higher MDBF (mean distance between failure). Current cars have an average MDBF rate of 430,000 miles, compared with the new coaches, which will have an MDBF rate of 570,000 miles. “This translates to a faster, smoother ride for more than 250,000 daily Metro-North customers,” the Authority said.
“It’s time to upgrade the Metro-North passenger experience, with more modern, more reliable railcars,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said. “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.”
“Replacing the aging Shoreliner coaches from the 1980s [that were built by Bombardier, which Alstom acquired in 2021] 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 added. “The new approach in this RFP shows that the MTA is serious about being a better owner to attract multiple carbuilders 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.”
“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, who was selected by Railway Age readers as a 2026 Influential Leader. “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. With support from the MTA’s historic 2025–29 Capital Plan, this procurement represents a major step in modernizing our fleet, enhancing the customer experience, and preparing Metro‑North for future service expansion.”
The Metro-North RFP follows MTA’s March announcement seeking proposals for what it described as its “largest subway car contract in history,” with a base order of 1,140 cars to replace the R62 and R62A fleets operating on New York City Transit’s 1, 3, 6 lines, and if an option to purchase the additional 1,250 cars is exercised, to replace the R142 and R142A cars on the 2, 4, 5 lines.