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MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 5:22 p.m. ET
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MTA OIG
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 5:22 p.m. ET
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An MTA train yard in the Bronx where the 2 and 5 trains are serviced is in such a state of disrepair that vegetation is growing out of holes in the facility’s roof. Water drips down onto electrical equipment. A tarp has been laid out to collect water that flows into buckets.
The issues at the East 180th Street yard, as well as similar problems at the 240th Street train yard where the 1 train is repaired, were included in an audit released Monday by the MTA’s Office of the Inspector General. The report flags multiple – in many cases, longstanding – issues that pose a threat to the workers on site and threaten to disrupt or slow down New York City’s sprawling subway network.
“It is unacceptable that these roofs have been allowed to deteriorate so severely that vegetation is growing and major cracks are visible, despite years of requests for critical repairs,” MTA Inspector General Daniel Cort said in a statement.
At the East 180th Street yard, Cort found “a significant number of leaks above the electrical equipment, allowing water to infiltrate the machinery,” which could endanger workers and cause power outages on the trains themselves. “The deterioration was clearly not recent.”
At the 240th Street train yard, the OIG found concrete had fallen through the ceiling and workers avoid the roof for fear it could collapse. Due to its low ceiling, the report said the site is unable to take in the newest subway cars. Gothamist visited that train yard last year and documented deteriorating conditions.
MTA officials had managed a workaround to water leaks involving a hose and a bucket by an elevator at the Water damage by an elevator at the East 180th Street shop.
MTA OIG
The MTA’s latest capital plan is focused on upgrading and addressing long-standing issues throughout its system. It sets aside nearly $2 billion over five years to upgrade some of its 70 train yards, including the one at 240th Street.
But the audit found that many of the issues had persisted at least in part because there was no clear path for reporting them to authorities who could initiate an improvement plan.
“NYC Transit created the Division of Facilities to prioritize needed repairs and build in-house teams to carry them out, with employee safety central to that work,” MTA spokesperson Michael Cortez wrote in a statement responding to the audit. “Its dedicated roof team has completed seven repairs, and a new capital construction team will address additional roof and structural deficiencies across shops, yards and other facilities.”
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new york city
transportation
Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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