Open gangways are featured on subway trains in Toronto and Montreal. They could also be a welcome addition to the crowded New York Subway by 2023.
[Updated 5/2/2017] "The MTA wants to order up to hundreds of “open gangway” train cars designed to be roomier than the familiar close-ended cars on the tracks today," reports Dan Rivoli.
MTA officials believe that car makers "can build spacious train cars that can handle the unique layout of tracks and stations." Thus, "the agency wants to tap into its option to order up to 640 'open gangway' train cars," with the possibility of the more spacious cars hitting the tracks in 2023.
In the meantime, a new model of train cars, without the open gangways, is expected to hit the tracks later this year. "The model — called R179s — should have been picking up passengers by now, but a manufacturing defect held up the order," according to Rivoli.
Planetizen noticed last year when Governor Andrew Cuomo gave approval for the open gangway layout when touting a proposed $27 billion redesign plan for the New York subway.
[This story was updated with a corrected location in the introductory text.]
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