The Staten Island Railway is finally receiving new R211 railcars during the week of October 15, 2024 — several years behind the rest of the city.
The R211 trains are replacing Staten Island’s fleet of R44 trains — which were built in the early 1970s and had been retired on all other lines of the NYC Subway system since 2010.
The R211 is made by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. through Kawasaki Rail Car, Inc. (KRC), its United States subsidiary based in Yonkers, New York.
SI Railway System Part of NYC Subway
The Staten Island Railway is part of the NYC Subway system. There is one line, that runs from the Staten Island Ferry terminal in St. George on the Northern end of the Island, to Tottenville on the Southern end of the Island (the southernmost town in NY State). It is a 45-minute trip via local train to go from Tottenville to St. George — 21 stations. Riders pay a NYC subway fare — although fares are only collected in St George and Tompkinsville, the stop just South of St. George.
Giuliani Eliminated 2-Fare Zones Helping SI Railway Riders
Riders get a free transfer from the Staten Island Railway to/from the Subway or bus system in Manhattan — courtesy Mayor Rudy Giuliani who instituted the policy when he was mayor, eliminating 2-fare zones. Staten Island used to be a 2.5-fare zone — as the Staten Island Ferry used to have a fare — but Giuliani’s policy made that free. Giuliani’s policy was extremely effective, as it knocked out private express bus lines that were scooping up city riders — NYC experienced much greater traffic on its mass transit, making much more money than given up in 2-fare zones.
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