Delay Drags on for New Long Island Rail Road Cars

Commuters looking for a better ride on the Long Island Rail Road will be left at the station until May as the delay for new cars in MTA's electric fleet will stretch past four years.
 
The delay in completing the $730 million purchase of 202 cars from Kawasaki Rail Car comes as commuters continue to suffer in overcrowded trains, some of which are nearly 40 years old. 
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority reports that it has put 176 of the M9 cars in service, while two more are undergoing testing. Dates keep slipping for the arrival of the remaining cars in a procurement that has been plagued by delays, many of which have been blamed on "workmanship issues" on part of the manufacturer.
 
The new cars are so rare among the LIRR's vast fleet of 1,100 electric trains that commuters refer to them as "Unicorns." MTA spokesperson Joana Flores blamed the delay on limited manufacturer options, parts shortages, and quality assurance issues. As the new cars began arriving about four years ago, the railroad had to routinely send them back to Kawasaki for various issues, including test failures, faulty wiring, incorrect installation of vestibule flooring, and bathroom door problems.
 
"We have a red line when it comes to accepting quality in new cars below what Long Islanders have a right to expect and have told Kawasaki it's accountable for delays that will lead to a small percentage of M9 cars being shipped in 2024 and for expediting delivering when their issues are resolved," Flores said.
 
The new cars feature LED lights, electrical outlets at every row of seats, and push-button doors. To make up for fleet shortages, especially with the addition of nearly 300 trains to its schedule earlier this year with the opening of Grand Central Madison, the LIRR has turned to its 1980s-era M3 trains to make up the difference. The cars had been mothballed for nearly three years before being reintroduced into the fleet in 2022.
 
"Those older trains are rusty, no phone plugs. We need to remove those completely," said rider Vick Artis in Newsday. Catching his train at the Mineola Station, he did not board a Unicorn, which he said appear only "once in a blue moon."
 
The railroad has already fallen behind on its next fleet of new cars, known as M9As. Announced in 2016, they were supposed to hit the rails in 2021, but contracts have yet to be awarded.