Some Day Is Today. Since the first 5 Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) NYCT Subway Kawasaki R-211s were delivered on July 1, 2021, they have been through extensive testing all over the system. On Friday, March 10, 2023, the first revenue run was performed on the A Line from 207 Street in Manhattan to Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue in Queens, New York. The train is seen crossing the North Channel Swing Bridge over Jamaica Bay from Hamilton Beach towards Broad Channel in Queens, New York. From its inception in 1880 until a significant fire in 1950 and its ultimate departure from these rails in 1955, the Long Island Rail Road had operated the Rockaway Beach Branch through a variety of service patterns, including via Ozone Park and the Far Rockaway Branch. Beginning on June 26, 1956, the track was rehabilitated by the TA, and is presently served by the “A” Line and a shuttle from Rockaway Park/Beach 116 Street. The R-211 represents the next generation of New York City Subway cars, with varieties that include these semi-permentantly coupled 5 car sets as well as open gangway 5 car sets already delivered. The next variation to arrive will be the R-211S for Staten Island Railway.
