Sweltering Subway: 327 Complaints on D Line, 109 on F Line

By Y.M. Lowy

Summer heat is making subway rides harder, especially on lines with older train cars. Some of the hottest trains in the city are on lines that still use cars from the 1980s, when air conditioning was still new and not found on every line.

The 1, 3, and 6 trains use these older cars. They often have weaker cooling systems, making rides uncomfortable when the weather gets hot. According to MTA data, 285 train cars were taken out of service between 2020 and 2024 because of broken air conditioners. 

Even with those removals, complaints have continued to roll in. Riders say it often feels like the MTA is just one step behind the problem. By the time a hot car is taken out of service, another one is heating up on the next platform.

In Boro Park, many complaints came from riders on the D and F trains. The D line had 327 heat-related complaints during that time, while the F train had 109. 

The MTA does plan to replace the old cars with new ones that have better air conditioning, but that will take time. For now, many riders will have to sweat through another summer underground.