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NYC's obsolete subway cars causing more problems for riders, comptroller report says
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Published Sep 10, 2025
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By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Published Sep 10, 2025
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Antiquated equipment and rickety old train cars sparked a rise in problems for subway riders last year that continued into the first half of 2025, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli wrote in a report published Wednesday.
The audit found infrastructure and equipment problems were responsible for 31% of delayed subway trains in 2024, up from 24% the year prior. And the comptroller’s office found that while the subway’s on-time performance increased slightly during the first six months of 2025, major incidents — or those that delay 50 or more trains — spiked “as subway car problems continue to plague the system.”
The report found that subway car problems caused 77 major incidents during the first half of this year, up from 27 during the same period of 2024. The problems were predominantly on the E, F and R lines — and come as the MTA is working to buy new subway trains to upgrade its fleet of 6,553 cars, more than 35% of which are at least 40 years old.
“As the MTA prioritizes work in its capital program and brings back riders, it’s important to understand where and how subway service is being disrupted and delayed,” DiNapoli wrote in a statement. “Targeting problem areas like signals and issues with subway cars that add to delays can improve straphangers' experience and boost ridership.”
Gothamist first reported last week that summer subway service this year got off to its worst start since 2018 this summer, according to MTA data.
“We appreciate Comptroller DiNapoli’s report on the subway system, which in August experienced the best on-time performance in a decade as ridership surged 8 percent compared to a year ago," New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said in a statement. "While tens of millions more riders used the subway, there was no increase in delays. The MTA’s current capital plan makes a generational investment in the transit system, along with historic state of good repair work to improve signals, tracks, and equipment, all of which will result in even fewer disruptions for riders.”
Earlier this year, a Gothamist investigation into the state of the city’s subway infrastructure found the MTA struggles to maintain its oldest train cars because many of the agency’s repair shops are also broken down and in need of replacement. The agency plans to renovate or rebuild several of its oldest car maintenance shops through its new five-year construction plan approved earlier this year.
The construction plan also invests more than $5 billion to modernize signal systems on new subway lines, $4 billion to build and replace new electrical systems that power trains and more than $10 billion to purchase newer and more reliable train cars.
But DiNapoli warned it’ll take years for riders to notice the benefits from the construction plan.
“The MTA must remain vigilant and focus on delivering these projects on schedule and on budget,” the report said.
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transportation
Ramsey Khalifeh
Ramsey Khalifeh is a transportation reporter on the NYC Accountability desk covering the largest transit system in the country. He was previously a general assignment reporter at Gothamist and worked on the Boston Globe's metro and copy desk. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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