New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said the Long Island Rail Road is partly to blame for the three-year delay of its new fleet of trains.
A state audit found the LIRR accepted new M9 train cars from Kawasaki Rail Car with more than 9,000 defects that had to be repaired. It said the trains weren’t inspected properly before they were delivered late to the LIRR.
The railroad was supposed to have over 200 new M9 train cars in 2019. As of today, only 126 of the cars are serviced, but the LIRR expects to have the rest done by the end of the year.
Transit officials said the LIRR follows industry standard practice and ensures that they receive safe and reliable cars.
Kawasaki hasn’t responded to the findings of the audit.
