The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) of New York has awarded Alstom a contract to supply 316 new M-9A electric multiple units. The order is worth around 2.3 billion euros (2.0 billion USD) and also includes an option for up to 242 additional vehicles worth 1.3 billion euros (1.5 billion USD). The new vehicles will be used on the two major commuter railway lines Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Metro-North Railroad, which together serve the New York metropolitan area with several million daily passengers.
The new M-9A series vehicles are based on Alstom’s Adessia platform for modern commuter trains. They replace the approximately 40-year-old M-3 vehicles that are currently still in use and offer a noticeable improvement in travelling comfort, energy efficiency and accessibility. Features include USB charging ports at the seats, automatic doors to barrier-free toilets, wider boarding doors for shorter stopping times and modern information and safety systems. All vehicles are electric multiple units (EMUs), which are operated on the MTA’s electrified lines – on the Hudson and Harlem lines at Metro-North and on the entire LIRR network.
Production will take place entirely in the United States: car bodies will be manufactured in the newly constructed “Plant 4” at Alstom’s Hornell facility in New York State, while bogies will be produced at the company’s plant in Plattsburgh. The propulsion systems will come from the West Mifflin plant in Pennsylvania. Final assembly will also occur in Hornell, which has a 170-year tradition in railcar manufacturing and is today considered the largest rolling stock production site in the U.S. The project will create around 300 skilled jobs, many in cooperation with the International Association of Machinists (IAM) union.
The project timeline foresees the delivery of initial pilot vehicles in 2029, with the first trains entering service with the LIRR in 2030. Full delivery is expected by 2032. Of the 316 new trains, 160 are designated for the LIRR — the busiest commuter railroad in the U.S. — and 156 for Metro-North, which serves northern New York City and parts of Connecticut. With this order, the number of vehicles delivered by Alstom (including Bombardier Transportation, acquired in 2021) to the MTA will exceed 5,400 units.
The new trains also comply with the MTA’s latest cybersecurity requirements and, according to the agency, set new standards for safety and reliability in commuter rail. Alstom won the contract over Chinese manufacturer CRRC, which was the only other qualified bidder in the procurement process. The order forms a key part of the MTA’s current Capital Program, which foresees the acquisition of nearly 2,000 new vehicles with a total value of around USD 10.9 billion.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, numerous members of Congress and state officials, as well as labor unions, praised the contract as an important boost for rural economies and for the high-tech industry in Upstate New York. Particular emphasis was placed on the successful “reshoring” strategy: with the investment in Hornell, carbody manufacturing is being fully repatriated to the U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and other political leaders also highlighted the contract’s importance for environmentally friendly and reliable commuter infrastructure and for the hundreds of jobs it will support in the region.
The new M-9A trains are expected to significantly improve punctuality and comfort in the heavily used commuter rail system of the New York metropolitan region — one of the largest and most complex public transportation networks in North America.
The current fleet: from M1 to M9
Commuter transport on Long Island and in the northern suburbs of New York has been characterised by several generations of electric multiple units (EMUs) for decades. The oldest vehicles still in use are the Budd M3 and M3A, which were built in the mid-1980s and were based on the predecessor M1 series. The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) received 174 units and Metro-North 142 M3As. These cars with direct current drive (approx. 640 hp per unit) and classic three-phase motors were introduced at the time as a replacement for the M1. Currently, around 94 M3s are still in service with the LIRR and around 140 M3As with Metro-North.
From 2002, more modern M7 models from Bombardier replaced the older vehicles: 836 units went to the LIRR, 336 M7As to Metro-North. The railcars with IGBT-controlled three-phase AC drives, regenerative brakes and passenger information systems brought noticeable progress in terms of comfort and energy efficiency.
A further technological leap was made with the M8s, which have been in use on the New Haven Line at Metro-North since 2011. They were originally developed by Kawasaki/Bombardier for the Connecticut DOT and Metro-North. A total of 405 units were procured. The M8s are designed for operation with 750 V DC (Third Rail) as well as 12.5 kV and 25 kV AC overhead lines – ideal for the electrified routes from New Haven to Grand Central Terminal. They are equipped with air conditioning, multilingual displays, bicycle racks and voltage switching during the journey.
The first M9 railcars from Kawasaki Rail Car were used by the LIRR from 2019. To date, 202 vehicles have been delivered. The last trains were delivered to LIRR in May 2024. They are technically based on the M7 platform, but offer improvements in passenger comfort, accessibility, information systems and energy efficiency. The M9s are used on LIRR’s main line and electrified branch lines.
In July 2025, Alstom was awarded the contract to supply 316 new M9A units – 160 for the LIRR and 156 for Metro-North. The new vehicles are based on the M9 platform and will be manufactured entirely in the USA (Hornell, Plattsburgh, West Mifflin). With USB ports, barrier-free toilets, wider doors and modern IT security standards, they fulfil the latest requirements for urban mobility. The first pilot vehicles are scheduled to be delivered in 2029, with regular operation expected to begin in 2030. An option for a further 242 vehicles is part of the contract.
09.07.2025
