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New York’s subway is the city’s circulatory system: essential, messy and occasionally clogged with junk. And according to a fresh report from State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, three particular lines are the cholesterol of the system: the E, F and R.
The report, which tracked subway performance through the first half of 2025, shows that while overall on-time performance actually ticked up compared to pre-pandemic years, riders are still dealing with major meltdowns. And guess what’s behind it? Old, cranky subway cars that should’ve been retired back when flip phones were still cool.
Between January and June of this year, subway car problems nearly tripled compared to the same period in 2024—from 27 major incidents to 77. Most of those headaches happened on the E, F and R lines, where aging fleets are groaning under daily service. If you’ve found yourself stalled under the East River muttering “of course it’s the F,” you’re not imagining it.
It’s not just the occasional sick passenger or an unruly raccoon (yes, that happens, according to the New York Post). Infrastructure and equipment failures were responsible for nearly one-third of all subway delays in 2024. Add in planned maintenance work and police or medical emergencies and you’ve got 80-percent of all delays right there.
To be fair, not every train is limping along. The L train—which got fancy new cars and high-tech signals in recent years—was on time 91.9-percent of the time in 2024, the best of the bunch. Meanwhile, the B train brought up the rear with an abysmal 64.2-percent. The F was only slightly better at 70-percent, cementing its reputation as the line most likely to derail your brunch plans.
The MTA insists relief is on the horizon, pointing to its $55 billion capital plan, which includes more than $10 billion for new subway cars, billions more for upgraded signals and repairs to crumbling maintenance shops. But here’s the catch: Riders won’t notice much for years. “The MTA must remain vigilant and focus on delivering these projects on schedule and on budget,” DiNapoli warned.
In other words, strap in. The trains will keep coming, the delays will keep stacking—and New Yorkers will keep grumbling, because walking to Queens is still not an option.