The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced on Dec. 18 that, after 58 years of service, a fleet of subway cars known as the R-32s, nicknamed the Brightliners, and which are among the oldest subway cars to operate in the world, will officially retire from service. To commemorate the historic occasion and the subway cars’ unique design, New York City Transit (NYCT) is placing one R-32 train in service on four consecutive Sundays from mid-December through early January. The first run took place on Sunday, Dec. 19.

 

According to the MTA, the R-32s were the first large fleet of mass-produced stainless-steel cars purchased by NYCT, comprising a total of 600 cars. Built in Philadelphia by the Budd Company, they were nicknamed the Brightliners because of their washboard-like stainless steel exteriors. The first “revenue train” ran on Sep. 14, 1964 on what is today‘s Q line, MTA officials said, and in recent years, the cars were mainly found on the A, C, J and Z lines.

 

Officials said, with a state-of-the-art design for its time, the Brightliners quickly became a crowd favorite and continue to be a nostalgic favorite to many. The cars introduced design elements unlike any of its predecessors, but one that the MTA has received inspiration from for its newest train cars. Notably, the R-32 cars are the last subway car class in service to have a front window that passengers can look out of.

 

According to the MTA, the cars have been featured in multiple blockbuster films including Bridge of Spies (2015), Spiderman: Homecoming (2017) and Joker (2019). Many R-32s were retired in the late 2000s, when the R-160 cars began filtering into the subway system. Officials said a large portion of these subway cars were sunk in the Atlantic Ocean as part of an artificial reef program.

 

In the context of the retirement announcement, New York City Transit interim president, Craig Cipriano, said, “As we continue the work to modernize the transit system and improve the customer experience, it is truly bittersweet to say farewell to a fleet of historic R-32 trains that have served New Yorkers for nearly six decades.” He added, “A significant amount of history goes along with these trains and we’re delighted that we are able to offer the opportunity to ride them one – or even a few – more times in their final days.”

 

Meanwhile, New York City Transit senior vice president for subways, Demetrius Crichlow, said the historic train cars had witnessed decades of change in the city, getting riders to where they needed to go in all corners of the city. “We are committed to improving the subway system by replacing aging infrastructure with a modern fleet of trains that fit the ever-changing needs of a bustling New York City,” he said. “The retirement of these trains is just one part of that journey, and we hope that New Yorkers take advantage of these final runs of the R-32 before we say goodbye to them early next year.”

 

The remaining special schedule for the historic subway cars is as follows:

 

Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021 and Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022 R-32 Retirement Runs

Departs 2nd Avenue Station on the F line at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m., making all express stops to 145th St. Station on the D line.

Departs 145th St. Station on the D line at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m., making all express stops to the 2nd Avenue Station on the F line.

 

Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022 – Final Farewell to the R-32s

To commemorate its final run, the cars will run on the original debut route from 1964, on the Q line (the then-BMT Brighton Line).

 

Departs Brighton Beach on the Q line at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. to 96th St, making express stops on the Brighton and Broadway Lines, via the Manhattan Bridge.

 

Departs 96th St. Station on the Q line at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. to Brighton Beach, making express stops on the Brighton and Broadway Lines, via the Manhattan Bridge.

 

Concetta Bencivenga, director of New York Transit Museum, said of the occasion, “We are delighted to help retire this iconic car class. While this celebration is ‘End of the Year, End of an Era!’, it is also a testament to the Transit Museum’s ongoing recovery effort and hopefully the start of the return of our beloved nostalgia rides.”