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Your next ride on the D train might feel a little less like a time capsule from the 1980s.
The MTA has officially begun rolling out its new R211 subway cars on the D line, making it the sixth line in the system to receive the fleet's newest trains. If you catch one, you'll notice the upgrades almost immediately: brighter interiors, wider doors, digital information screens, security cameras in every car and additional accessible seating, all designed to make your commute a little smoother.
The biggest difference may be the doors: at 58 inches wide, they're 8 inches wider than those on the older R68 cars they're gradually replacing. The idea is that that extra space will speed up boarding and cut down on the time trains spend sitting in stations with doors open, a small change that can have a major effect on delays across a busy line.
Inside, there are security cameras in every car, brighter LED lighting, clearer signage and digital displays that provide more detailed stop information. The R211s have also proved substantially more reliable than the aging fleet they're replacing. According to the MTA, the trains average roughly 294,000 miles between mechanical failures, which is about double the reliability of much of the older fleet and dramatically better than the R46 cars they are also replacing elsewhere in the system.
"Today we celebrate the debut of the new R211s on the D line," MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said in a statement. "Riders have told us that they love the new designs and the extra space on the new trains and we love the fact that R211s are much less prone to breakdowns."
The D line is the latest stop in a systemwide modernization effort that's been steadily expanding over the past two years. The B line received standard R211 trains in 2025, while open-gangway versions began running on the G line the same year. The Staten Island Railway completed its transition to the new fleet last year and the Rockaway Shuttle joined the club just last month.
More new trains are on the way, too. Earlier this year, the MTA announced plans to seek bids for what would be the largest subway car purchase in its history, with more than 1,100 new cars planned to replace aging fleets currently running on the 1, 3 and 6 trains, plus the potential for another 1,250 cars that could eventually modernize the 2, 4 and 5 lines as well.
Rest assured: if your favorite subway line still feels stuck in another decade, its glow-up may not be too far behind.