Hundreds Of NYC Subway Doors Are Being Pulled From Service Due To Malfunctions

As many New Yorkers already know, nothing exemplifies government efficiency better than Manhattan’s Metro Transportation Authority. Complaining about it is part of what being a New York resident is all about – just ask the Wall Street Journal’s Charley Grant, who takes to Twitter at least one a week to air his grievances with the city’s public transit. 

The latest on the MTA “Wall of Fame” has been an announcement this week that more than 300 New York City subway cars were pulled from service on Wednesday due to “unreliable door mechanisms”, which has of course, raised questions about how the MTA is spending the hundreds of millions of dollars paid to it by taxpayers.

The MTA has had repeated problems with Bombardier, who is being blamed for the issue. Past problems with Bombardier include late delivery that resulted in Bombardier compensating the MTA with 18 additional R179 cars. The agency said none of them are operational. 

New York City Transit President Andy Byford, who oversees subways for the MTA, told Bloomberg: “Out of an abundance of caution, NYCT removed all R179 train cars from service overnight for thorough inspection and re-deployed other spare cars to continue service for this morning’s rush and ensure minimal impacts to customers.”

“We intend to hold the company fully accountable,” Byford continued.

A spokeswoman for Bombardier blamed the issue on a Chinese company, Kangni Mechanical & Electrical Co Ltd., that supplied the doors.

She said: “Our investigation shows that the doors were not properly calibrated by Kangni. We value our partnership with New York City Transit and are fully committed to providing high quality, reliable, safe rail cars.”

Bombardier said it would inspect all of its NYC cars for safety. The cars in question would make up about 5% of the city’s 5,400-car subway fleet.

The city’s comptroller, Scott Stringer, found last month in a report that over the city’s seven year contract with Bombardier, the company consistently failed to meet deadlines and produce acceptable work. The audit also found that the MTA had dropped the ball by not overseeing Bombardier’s contract closer. 

“Bombardier sold us lemons,” Stringer said.